‘Decent Start’ – Expectations High as the Indiana Hoosiers Football Team Open Fall Camp A sun-splashed practice that included no “balls on the ground,” good execution and no injuries was exactly how Curt Cignetti wanted his third Indiana football August camp to begin. “The goal is to develop players, develop position groups, individually, collectively, develop the intangibles as we get closer to Game 1,” the veteran head coach says, “and the team mindset and identity so that we’re ready to play football and play the way we want to play. “It was a decent start.”
The start included key returning players, dynamic transfers and limited work for Stephen Daley, a dominant defensive end (a Big Ten-leading 19 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last year after transferring from Kent State) who suffered a season-ending knee injury after the conference title game win over Ohio State. “It’s a really important camp for us because we haven’t had the opportunity to get all of our people together,” Cignetti says. “We had a lot of guys out in spring ball. “There’s going to be a lot of competition. Anybody that can play winning football will play, but we need to get the guys out there working together. Then with some of the new guys, the ones who were hurt (in the spring) get them assimilated into how we do things.”
What the Hoosiers do best under Cignetti is win. Last year’s 16-0 record came from dominant offense and defense, and no one expects that to change. It’s all about looking forward, putting in the work and having the right mindset. “Humble and hungry is the only way I know,” Cignetti says. A big key comes at quarterback. Fernando Mendoza is now with the Las Vegas Raiders after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading IU to the program’s first national football championship. Now comes TCU transfer Josh Hoover. So far, Cignetti says, so good. “I was watching so many different guys, but it appeared that he finished practice well. I saw him make a few nice throws at the end. I saw (Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh) make a couple plays, too.”
Cignetti says he evaluates the opening camp practice by first looking at “the flow.” “Did we have any major organizational snafus? Was the ball on the ground a lot? A lot of times early in camp, in spring ball, working in new centers, center snaps can be an issue. You can have six, eight balls on the ground. We didn’t have that. The flow was good. The competition was good.” Cignetti says the Hoosiers have good depth at every position. Early on, multiple players will get plenty of reps, although that will change as camp progresses.
“We always increase the reps with the ones as we go and start to decrease the reps with the threes,” he says. “Right now, it’s identifying who can do what and, by the end of camp, decide what we think the roles are going into the first game and making sure we have enough quality depth and that we’re utilizing our best 11 as effectively as we can.” Summer preparations included lots of work with new director of athletic performance Tyson Brown and his staff. “I think we made some very significant strides,” Cignetti says. “When you look at the numbers — GPS, body fat, vertical jump, things of that nature — the results speak for themselves. I’m very pleased.”
As for Daley, the 6-foot-1, 273-pounder had rehabbed his knee and was preparing for the NFL, although the injury cost him a chance to be drafted. A Colorado U.S. District Court judge’s recent ruling that high school players from the 2022 graduating class could play their fifth college season created an opportunity for Daley to return to the Hoosiers for his fifth season. “We’ll have a plan for his return to play,” Cignetti says. “We’re not in a hurry, not in a rush. We’ll bring him along, evaluate it day by day. “If it works out for him long term, I think it’s a great thing because here’s a guy — you talk about helping people and opportunities.
“Here’s a guy that played at Kent State and then came to us last fall. It really took him three to four games before he started to get the hang of it. He wasn’t playing a key role, then became the most dominant defensive lineman in the Big Ten, suffers the injury, so ends up not getting drafted and so on and so forth. “If it all works out and he can participate and help this football team, then his life could change. I know one thing about him; he’ll give it his best shot. We’ll just see what happens.”
Daley is set to join what already was a powerful defensive line. “We have guys that have played football that are experienced guys,” Cignetti says, “but you get better or you get worse. You never stay the same. You get out what you put in.” Cignetti praised defensive line coaches Buddha Williams and Pat Kuntz, as well as defensive coordinator Bryant Haines for their ability to get the most out of their players. Still, the overall focus in Camp Day One was getting IU ready for its Sept. 5 season opener against North Texas at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. “I thought the guys did a decent job of sustaining practice,” Cignetti says. “I didn’t think they got overly fatigued. It was a very manageable practice, and nobody got hurt.”
Report: Indiana University Basketball to host Western Illinois next season According to a report published Sunday, an eighth non-conference opponent for IU basketball’s 2026-27 season is now known. Alex Rosinski reported that the Hoosiers will host Western Illinois on Sunday, December 6. The Leathernecks, members of the Ohio Valley Conference, are based in Macomb, Illinois and finished the 2025-26 season with a 5-26 record under coach Chad Boudreau. Western Illinois finished the 2025-26 season at No. 364 in KenPom, second-worst in the country. Bart Torvik currently has Western Illinois at No. 332 nationally in his preseason ratings for the 2026-27 season. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series with Western Illinois 4-0. The two programs last met on December 5, 2019, in Bloomington. Indiana won 84-54.
Other known dates for IU’s 2026-27 schedule include Eastern Illinois on November 2 at Assembly Hall, Bellarmine on November 5 at Assembly Hall, Syracuse on November 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Arkansas on November 17 at Madison Square Garden, Kentucky on November 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Bowling Green on November 27 at Assembly Hall and Missouri on December 18 at Assembly Hall. IU will also play exhibition games against Butler on October 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, North Carolina on October 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and against Western Kentucky on October 25 at the Ford Center in Evansville.
Former Indiana University Football Players Begin Their Work with NFL Teams in Training Camps 27 former Hoosiers were with NFL franchises at the start of training camp. Below we continue our summary of news and notes as they compete for roster spots. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza was taking first team reps at practice Saturday. That wasn’t necessarily because Mendoza has ascended to the top of the depth chart already. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby were held out of practice Saturday for disciplinary reasons stemming from their fight Friday. That paved the way for Mendoza. The Raiders’ first preseason game is Aug. 13 in Las Vegas against Arizona. Former Hoosiers Ian Thomas, E.J. Williams and Roman Hemby are also with the Raiders.
Riley Nowakowski is the current one and only fullback on the Pittsburgh Steelers depth chart. He’s also getting in work with the tight ends at Steelers camp. New head coach Mike McCarthy has always utilized a fullback in the past, meaning Nowakowski has a strong chance to make the team and play alongside Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback he grew up watching in Wisconsin. Tight end Zach Horton was released by Detroit a couple weeks ago but re-signed with them this past week. Horton was waived when the Lions signed tight end Anthony Firkser, who then suffered an injury that prompted the re-signing. Running back Kaelon Black (San Francisco) and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds (New York Jets) both missed practice time this week with injuries. Black has an adductor injury and Ponds has a calf strain.
Indiana University Graduate Cruz Martin Named Voice of Western Kentucky Lady Toppers for the 2026-27 Season Western Kentucky University Athletics has named Cruz Martin the new Voice of the Lady Toppers ahead of the 2026-27 athletic season. “We’re thrilled to welcome Cruz Martin as the new Voice of the Lady Toppers,” said Hilltopper Sports Properties General Manager Jennifer Starke. “Cruz brings tremendous energy, professionalism, and a genuine passion for storytelling that will resonate with our fans and student-athletes alike. His commitment to delivering an engaging broadcast experience and celebrating the tradition of Lady Topper Basketball and Hilltopper Volleyball and Softball makes him an outstanding addition to our team. We look forward to hearing his voice bring exciting moments to life throughout the upcoming season.”
Martin will serve as the primary voice of Lady Topper Basketball on the radio and Varsity Network along with volleyball, soccer and softball broadcasts on Varsity Network and ESPN+. He will also serve as backup for Randy Lee on football, men’s basketball and baseball radio broadcasts. Martin will also host the monthly Tops Live shows with head coaches Travis Hudson and Greg Collins and the weekly Tops Live podcasts with the volleyball and women’s basketball programs. “I’ve always wanted to be ‘The Voice’ of a team, and for that to happen here is pretty special,” said Martin. “If I’m doing my job right, I’ll be able to help create new and lasting memories for Hilltopper Nation. There’s a lot of promise with the Lady Toppers across all sports this year, and I hope everyone is ready to join us for the ride!”
Martin is a 2025 graduate of Indiana University where he majored in Sports Media. While at Indiana, he served as a play-by-play announcer for multiple outlets including Big Ten Plus, IU Radio Network, WIUX Sports, WHCC 105.1 FM, Borden SportsNet and IndianaSRN among others. Following graduation, Martin moved to Nashville where he freelanced a play-by-play broadcaster with Lipscomb on ESPN+, Tennessee on SEC Network+ and WKU on ESPN+. At the time of his hiring, he was the youngest broadcaster in the SEC. He also spent time as a radio board operator and producer at Cromwell Media in Nashville, working games for the Nashville Predators, Nashville Sounds, Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee.
Indianapolis Indians Throw a Combined One-Hitter at Home Against Iowa for 2-0 Win The Indianapolis Indians defeated the Iowa Cubs, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon to close out this week’s series at Victory Field. Indians’ pitchers gave up only one hit combined this afternoon with the lone hit being a single by Cubs second baseman Ben Cowles in the second inning. Sunday was the third combined one-hitter performance from the Indy pitching staff during the 2026 season. Hunter Barco (W, 4-6) started the game on the mound for Indy (25-14, 56-58) and went 6.0 innings with three strikeouts in his second start this week vs. Iowa (15-24, 45-66). In his two starts this week against Iowa, Barco allowed only three hits over 10.1 innings pitched combined. Relief pitchers Brandon Eisert, Isaac Mattson and Justin Meis each threw one inning out of the bullpen. Eisert struck out two batters and Meis struck out one in the ninth inning his first save with Indy this season.
The Indians scored first in the bottom of the second inning on a Joshua Palacios sacrifice fly to score Jack Brannigan. Indy extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning off a double to left field from Grae Kessinger to score Brannigan, who led off the inning with a single of his own. Sunday was Brannigan’s fifth multi-hit game of the year with Indy after ending the day 2-for-3. Brannigan ended the series hitting .368 overall. Johnathan Rodriguez ended the game 2-for-4 with a double, while Mitch Jebb went 1-for-3 at the top of the batting order. Jebb ended the series going 9-for-20 (.450) at the plate. For the Cubs, Josh Fleming (L, 4-6) started on the mound and gave up one earned run with four hits over 3.0 innings.
Indy Eleven and Hartford Athletic Battle to a 1-1 Draw Edward Kizza scored the fastest league goal of the season for the Boys in Blue, who shared the spoils with USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Hartford Athletic in a 1-1 draw at Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven’s goal came in the third minute of Kizza’s first start since the birth of his first child in mid-July. Jack Blake won a duel in the left corner, then played a cross into the box toward the near post. Kizza arrived in time to flick a header toward the right post and beat goalkeeper Antony Siaha. As the new father headed to the corner flag to celebrate, he performed the rock-the-baby celebration with his arms while sporting a huge grin. The goal was the 22nd of Kizza’s career and the assist marked Blake’s 28th. Blake is now tied for the team lead in USL-C assists with his third of the season.
At the end of the first half, Eric Dick — whose appearance was his 100th in the USL Championship — made a huge save to maintain Indy Eleven’s 1-0 lead. A long ball in stoppage time got behind the hosts’ back line, leaving the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Dick got down and made himself large to block a chip attempt with his right elbow. After the visitors equalized with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining, the Boys in Blue had their best chance to score a winner in the 89th minute. Kizza made a perfectly timed run, and Nabi Kibunguchy played a well-weighted over-the-top ball to create a one-on-one for the striker. He controlled the ball with his left foot, but Kizza’s right-footed low shot at a tight angle was saved. Sean McAuley became the longest-tenured Indy Eleven head coach with his 100th match, surpassing Martin Rennie, who managed 99 games between 2018 and 2021. McAuley has won 40 games and drawn 22 in his three seasons. The Boys in Blue now have an eight-game unbeaten streak (three wins, five losses) against Hartford stretching back to July 29, 2020. They have never lost to Hartford at home.
Indy Eleven travels to Sporting JAX on Sat. August 15 at 7 p.m. on WRTV-ABC and ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Noche Latina” on Saturday, August 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Louisville City FC with Indy Eleven wearing special Noche Latina warm-up jerseys. Fans can purchase discounted tickets starting at $14 and a Noche Latina scarf online. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans. Located on the East Deck, the Desnuda Tequila Deck has an exclusive full-service bar and high-top seating providing panoramic pitch-side views for 50 people. It’s a social experience offering a wonderful place to hang out and take in the game! Desnuda Tequila Deck seats start at $59 and include one FREE cocktail and bottomless chips, salsa, and guac. The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area. Flex Mini Plans include vouchers to be redeemed for any 2026 regular season home match. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.
Indianapolis Colts will use Anthony Richardson Sr and Riley Leonard in the Preseason Opener Versus the New England Patriots The next step in sorting through one of the more interesting training camp battles intensifies next week. So does Anthony Richardson Sr.’s attempt at re-establishing himself. After Sunday’s work at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, coach Shane Steichen said the “plan right now” is for Richardson and Riley Leonard to share the quarterback snaps in the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason opener Thursday night against the New England Patriots in Foxboro, Mass. Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023 who’s been benched or beaten out for the starting job twice in three seasons, and Leonard, the 2025 sixth-round pick, have been rotating at and competing for the backup role during camp. There’s a good chance Daniel Jones, who’s making impressive strides in his rehab from a torn right Achilles tendon, won’t play in any of the three preseason games. Instead, Steichen might give him a heavy workload in three joint practices, the first coming Tuesday against the Patriots. Joint practices are at a near-game tempo, but quarterbacks remain untouchable. That paves the way for the Richardson vs. Leonard competition to heat up.
The anticipated exposure Thursday is “just constantly stacking my reputation and my workout I’m putting in,’’ Richardson said. “Getting out there in the game, I feel like finally getting out there, finally managing the game and processing the live action plays will help me get back into the groove and just feel everything out.’’ Richardson has started 15 games during three years of injuries, immaturity and inconsistency. But his last start was Dec. 22, 2024, against the Tennessee Titans in Lucas Oil Stadium. Richardson passed for 131 yards and one touchdown and added 70 rushing yards and another TD. Earlier that season, he was benched for two games for lacking the proper game preparation. Richardson missed the final two games with back spasms and/or a disc injury and then lost the starting job during the 2025 training camp to free-agent pickup Daniel Jones.
An eye injury and Jones’ ascension limited Richardson to two mop-up appearances and 14 offensive snaps last season. His only completion was a deflected pass to himself. With his future in Indy uncertain, Richardson requested a trade in late February, which obviously didn’t materialize. Prior to the start of camp in late July, general manager Chris Ballard said it will be Steichen’s decision on whether Richardson or Leonard serves as Jones’ backup. He also insisted this summer is “probably the first time in a while I’ve felt really good about – in totality – the position. That’s a good spot to be in right now.’’ Ballard added the team’s intention heading into training camp was to keep Jones, Richardson and Leonard on the 53-player roster.
Does Richardson still prefer a trade? “I haven’t really talked to my agent about that recently,’’ he said. “I haven’t really talked to Ballard or anybody about that recently, so I’m not necessarily sure what’s going on with that. “I’m just here right now . . . and stamp my foot on this team and just be the best version of myself I can be for the team.’’ The Colts paid a $4 million roster bonus earlier this month, which could entice a team interested in Richardson. A deal would require a team only to assume his $1.125 million base salary while giving up a late-round pick. Does Richardson anticipate being on the roster for the Sept. 13 opener against Baltimore? “If that’s what the team wants, that’s what I want,’’ he said. “I just want to be able to help the team, and if it’s this team, then I thank God for it. “I’m just ready to showcase what I can and be a winning piece to help the team win.’’ Neither Richardson nor Leonard is enjoying a strong camp. Each has had good moments, sprinkled with inconsistency.
Richardson has had frequent issues securing the snap from backup centers. He insisted that’s not related to impaired vision lingering from the fractured right orbital bone sustained prior to the Oct. 12 game with the Arizona Cardinals. “I finally figured out what it was,’’ Richardson said. “I was trying to find a few different things to do with my hands so I could see if I could catch the snap a little differently. I started putting my hands out a little bit more, and it’s been helping me. “But it’s just a little adjustment. Got shoulder pads and stuff on now, bullets flying, people running around fast around me. So, I feel like I figured out the problem.’’ Steichen will allow the competition to run its course.
“Every day those guys are battling,’’ he said. “Someone’s got to win a job and go take it, and those guys are back and forth, and we’ll continue to work that through camp, see where it goes.’’ Leonard started one game, replaced Jones when he suffered the Achilles injury Dec. 7 at Jacksonville, and saw limited action in three other games. “First and foremost, very grateful for the situation that I’m in,’’ he said Sunday. “Obviously, later round pick guy competing for the (backup) job right now with Anthony, who’s honestly a great friend of mine at this point. “It’s just an awesome opportunity. Like, every day I step out on the field, I’m just super grateful that I’m in this position. I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time, and it’s also great to have Daniel, who is obviously established himself as the 1 . . . then I’m able to just kind of try to compete to fall in line from there.’’
Wideout Josh Downs missed another practice with a groin injury. Steichen said the injury “ain’t serious at all. I think he might practice on Tuesday. We’ll just be smart with him. So, nothing serious there.’’ Nickel corner Justin Walley missed a good portion of Sunday’s practice with a hamstring injury. Blake Grupe continues to be the frontrunner in his kicking competition with Spencer Shrader. The latter was 4-of-8 Sunday, missing all four of his 50+ yard attempts. After Sunday, Grupe is 27-of-30 and Shrader 20-of-30.