Indiana University Men Basketball’s Sam Alexis back to ineligible status after injunction is stayed pending appeal Sam Alexis is not currently eligible to play for IU basketball in 2026-27. In the latest turn of events involving class of 2022 athletes seeking a fifth year of eligibility, The Tennessee Court of Appeals has issued an order staying the injunction granted to plaintiff athletes, including Alexis, pending appeal. The injunction grants a fifth year to Alexis, but the NCAA is appealing. It’s one of multiple stays of similar injunctions obtained by the NCAA in recent days. The stay of a federal injunction has also deemed IU football players Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt ineligible at the moment until that appeal is heard.
The trial court had denied the NCAA’s request for a stay of the injunction. But the appeals court deemed the NCAA’s likelihood of success sufficient enough to warrant a stay. It is not clear when the Tennessee Court of Appeals will hear the appeal. Indiana’s basketball season begins on Nov. 2, with exhibition games starting on Oct. 11. The IU basketball players, including Alexis, began working out on campus this week. Alexis should be able to continue practicing with the team until a resolution is reached in the courtroom.
Alexis could also win back his eligibility via the sweeping federal injunction that covers Daley and Wyatt. That injunction covers all class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their eligibility in four seasons. That federal appeal is expected to be heard in September. Further complicating matters for Alexis, the Big Ten passed a rule on Tuesday that prohibits all football players who signed professional contracts and left the door open for a similar rule for basketball players. Alexis played in the NBA Summer League for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is not clear if he played under a standard professional contract, or rather had his expenses reimbursed by the franchise as is the case for many undrafted summer league participants.
Tayven Jackson officially named starter for North Texas in opener vs. Indiana University Football Trayce Jackson-Davis will probably be rooting against his alma mater on Sept. 5. His brother Tayven Jackson will be the week one starter at quarterback for the North Texas Mean Green when they come to Bloomington to kick off the 2026 season. Jackson won the starter job after a fall camp competition according to multiple reports. He beat out East Carolina transfer Chaston Ditta and returning backup Chris Jimerson Jr. “I’m very excited,” Jackson told the Denton Chronicle Record of the season opener at IU. “I’m going back home. “I have it in the back of mind that it’s against Indiana, but you know it’s just a regular game.” Jackson is coming off the most extensive action of his career in 2025. As a fourth-year at UCF, he completed 63.5% of his passes and threw for 2,151 yards, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games. The nimble Jackson also rushed for 85 yards and three more scores. It will mark Jackson’s return to Bloomington, where he played quarterback for the Hoosiers in 2023 and 2024 for Tom Allen and Curt Cignetti, respectively.
A product of Greenwood, Ind. and the younger brother of Jackson-Davis, Jackson transferred to Indiana following the 2022 season after starting his college career at Tennessee. Indiana’s historic run to the 2024 College Football Playoff probably would not have happened without a good start by Jackson against Washington after Kurtis Rourke went down with a thumb injury. Jackson completed 11-of-19 passes against Washington for 124 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He rushed six times for 17 yards and another score in the 31-17 IU win.
Jackson filled in for Rourke mid-game the week prior when the IU starter went down in the first half against Nebraska. Jackson completed 7-of-8 passes for 91 yards and two scores in that game. Overall he played in seven games and completed 23-of-37 passes for 349 yards with four touchdowns and the interception in 2024. He added 15 carries, 73 yards, and three more scores. In 2023 Jackson appeared in six games for IU with five starts as he battled with Brendan Sorsby for the starting job, a role he earned early in the season and later lost. Overall in 2023 he completed 78-of-128 throws for 914 yards, with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
#16 Indiana University Women’s Volleyball Falls at #7 Louisville For the first time in program history, the Indiana volleyball team (0-1, 0-0 B1G) opened the season with a true road game against a top-10 team. Seventh-ranked Louisville (2-1, 0-0 ACC) bounced back from last week’s loss in a big way in front of its home crowd. A commanding sweep for the Cardinals (25-20, 25-12, 25-11) on Friday evening at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena gave the Hoosiers their first defeat of the year. A battle of two nationally-ranked programs to begin the year was a tight battle in the opening set. Even with new pieces along the front lines, IU’s offense hummed to the tune of a .412 (16-2-34) hitting percentage in the opening frame. From there, the Hoosiers would record just 10 kills as Louisville turned up its service and defensive pressure.
Third-year opposite hitter Ella Boersema and second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager shared the team lead with seven kills but each hit negative on the evening. Second-year middle blocker Victoria Gray added five kills. First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger had two kills in her collegiate debut. IU hit just .043 (26-22-92) on the night against Louisville’s potent block. Louisville found success by feeding outside hitters Chloe Meester and Chloe Chicoine. The duo combined for 21 kills and just five attacking errors. IU recorded seven blocks in the proceedings, led by three from fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry. Second-year libero Hannah Leftridge provided five digs.
The Hoosiers will look to put the opener behind them by heading to West Lafayette for contests against Georgia and No. 8 Texas A&M next week. Purdue will host a quadrant of the first Big Ten-SEC Challenge Week presented by All-State. IU and Georgia will play at Mackey Arena on Tuesday (Sept. 1) evening at 6 p.m. on FS1.
Serving and defense made the difference for Louisville in its home opener on Friday. The Cardinals led the way in aces (7-0), digs (36-26) and blocks (10.0-7.0). IU, a normally great serving team, could do little to affect Louisville’s reception patterns in the loss. After opening the first set with 16 kills, IU provided just 10 the rest of the way. The Hoosiers hit .412 in the first frame but under zero in the final two games. Louisville’s offense never dipped under .200 through the course of the entire match.
First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger made her collegiate debut. She had two kills, one dig and two blocks while playing as one of IU’s starting outside hitters. It’s the 12th-straight year that IU has started a freshman in the season opener. Head coach Steve Aird has started 18 in a season opener during his time on the bench in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are now 2-5 against ranked non-conference opponents under the guidance of Aird. He will have two additional chances to improve on that mark with contests against Texas A&M and Tennessee next week. IU falls to 0-14 against the AVCA seventh-ranked team in program history.
Kirk Herbstreit is giving Indiana University Football the edge over Ohio State in 2026 Well-known football media personality Kirk Herbstreit was one of many casting shade on Indiana following its first-round loss in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Herbstreit famously said IU was “not a team that should have been on that field” following its 27-17 defeat against Notre Dame in South Bend. But Indiana went out and silenced the doubters in 2025, of course. Among many things that were accomplished, their 16-0 national championship season unequivocally proved that the 2024 team was every bit as good as advertised, and more than worthy of a spot in that year’s CFP. Looking forward, Herbstreit has done a complete 180 on the Hoosiers.
The former Ohio State quarterback and lead ESPN college football analyst revealed his projected Big Ten winner on a recent edition of “Nonstop” with fellow ESPN analyst and Buckeye teammate Joey Galloway. Herbstreit is picking the Hoosiers to repeat in the Big Ten. And he’s got the Oct. 17 game between IU and Ohio State in Bloomington circled as the reason why. Indiana has won a nation’s best 15 straight games at home, and Herbstreit doesn’t believe the Buckeyes will end that streak. “I think Indiana wins the Big Ten, and I think it has a lot to do with getting Ohio State at home,” Herbstreit said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a significant drop-off from this team. I think Curt Cignetti’s not just an outstanding coach, but I think he may have the best tandem of coordinators in the entire country.”
Herbstreit is referring to IU defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, who Cignetti has managed to retain despite going 27-2 the last two seasons. Both Haines and Shanahan have received multiple raises to remain in Bloomington and provide the staff with significant continuity. Indiana obviously has to replace Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but Herbstreit believes Josh Hoover is up to the task. “I think Hoover is, I don’t want to say underrated,” Herbstreit said. “I’ve watched this kid play a lot at TCU. A lot of people talk about the turnovers. I don’t think he’ll be put in a position to turn the ball over as much as he did when he was down at TCU. “So, Ohio State may be more talented, especially with the offensive skill, but I think Indiana has just as much talent as they had a year ago.” Herbstreit also pegged IU as a repeat No. 1 overall seed in the CFP, but he didn’t predict a repeat national title for the Hoosiers. He instead picked Notre Dame. But apparently Indiana is at least worthy of being on the field this time.
Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell each score 34 as the Indiana Fever stay hot with 111-91 victory over Connecticut Sun Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell each scored 34 points as the Indiana Fever got past the Connecticut Sun 111-91 on Friday. The pair scored 30 or more for the fourth game this season, extending their WNBA single-season record for a duo. Clark added 12 assists, marking the fifth time this year she’s had a double-double with at least 30 and 10. Mitchell notched her 24th straight 20-point game in the Fever’s final game before a three-week break for the FIBA Women’s World Cup. Indiana has won seven of nine as Clark, Aliyah Boston, and coach Stephanie White head to Berlin for the tournament. Boston scored 14 points.
Diamond Miller finished with 19 points and Nell Angloma had 17 to lead Connecticut, who have lost six of their last eight games. Indiana went on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second, nearly erasing all of a 28-14 deficit. Clark and Mitchell then combined for the first 12 points in an 18-2 run to close the first half, giving the Fever 58-43 lead. After Connecticut cut the deficit to 62-52 midway through the third quarter, Indiana answered with a 14-5 run that extended the margin to 76-57. The Sun never recovered.
During the third quarter, Mitchell dished her 911th assist, moving past current Fever assistant coach Briann January her into second on Indiana’s all-time leaders. The Fever paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton with a dance routine to the song “9 to 5” between the third and fourth quarters. The Indiana Fever Return to action September 18, at Toronto.
Taylor University’s Ruth Anderson Tabbed as NAIA Women’s Volleyball Defender-of-the-Week Ruth Anderson’s incredible weekend at the Onset Invitational earned her NAIA Defender-of-the-Week honors for a second time in the sophomore’s career, after earning the distinction once last season. Anderson matched her career best in blocks in a match with ten against Indiana Tech on Friday and followed with nine in an upset sweep of No. 8 Bellevue. The middle dominated all weekend as Taylor went 4-0, racking up 29 blocks for an outstanding 2.07 blocks per set. The Newark, Ohio native was electric on offense as well, putting down 34 kills on an efficient .371 hitting percentage for 2.43 kills per set. Anderson currently sits in fourth in the Crossroads Legue with a .364 hitting percentage. The standout sophomore has been terrific throughout eight matches and leads the NAIA in total blocks with 48 and is third in blocks per set at 1.71. The output has fueled Taylor to the top of the NAIA leaders with 74 and seventh in blocks per set at 2.63.
Indy Fuel Name Jesse Messier as Head Coach The Indy Fuel announced Jesse Messier has been named the new Head Coach of the organization. He will become the fifth head coach in Fuel franchise history. Messier brings more than 20 years of experience in hockey as a player and coach across the ECHL, OHL, university hockey and junior hockey, with a track record in player development, special teams, recruiting and team building. “We are excited to welcome Jesse as the next Head Coach of the Indy Fuel,” Fuel Owner Jim Hallett said. “Jesse has spent his career developing players and building winning hockey teams. He knows this league, understands what it takes to win and shares our expectations for what the Indy Fuel should be.” Messier most recently served as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison, where his responsibilities included overseeing the defense and penalty kill, player development, pre-scouting and special teams, while also working in player recruitment, roster administration.
Prior to joining Bloomington, Messier spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. He was a member of Saginaw’s 2019 OHL West Division championship staff and worked extensively in player development, special teams and scouting. During his tenure, eleven Spirit players advanced to professional hockey. Messier previously served four seasons as an assistant coach at York University, helping the program win the 2017 Queen’s Cup championship and become a perennial playoff contender. York compiled a 63-37-12 regular-season record and a 13-9 playoff record during his tenure. His résumé also includes a highly successful stint as head coach of the Kam River Fighting Walleye in 2023-24. Messier led Kam River to a 39-9-1 record, a regular-season championship and an appearance in the league final. His team finished first in the league in both offense and power play and third in penalty killing.
“I am incredibly grateful to Jim and Sean Hallett for the opportunity to lead the Indy Fuel,” Messier said. “This is an organization with high expectations and a passionate fan base. I’m excited to get to Indianapolis, get to work with our players and staff, and build a team that competes every night with the goal of bringing a championship to our fans.” Messier also brings championship experience as a player. He played professionally in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye and Allen Americans and was a member of Allen’s 2015 Kelly Cup Championship team. Before turning professional, Messier played at York University, where he was a three-time team MVP, team captain, and finished among the top ten scorers in program history.
Throughout his coaching career, Messier has helped develop 19 players who advanced to professional hockey. “Jesse has experienced winning from several different perspectives—as a player, assistant coach and head coach,” Hallett said. “We believe his combination of leadership, player development and attention to detail makes him an excellent fit for where we want to take this organization. Our objective is clear: we want to compete for a Kelly Cup championship.” Messier will begin immediately preparing the Fuel for the 2026-27 ECHL season.