From the courtroom Indiana University’s Stephen Daley, Kellan Wyatt and Sam Alexis get injunction and all now eligible Both the IU football and basketball programs got good news from a Monroe County court Wednesday morning. Football players Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, and basketball player Sam Alexis all received a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and are now fully eligible. The full court order from Judge Kara E. Krothe is below. Key players on the 2025 team before suffering injuries, Daley and Wyatt are now expected to play on Friday when the Hoosiers begin Big Ten play against Northwestern. The developments make an already high-level Indiana defense even better. “You know, sure will help if we have Wyatt and Daley,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said after his team’s win over Western Kentucky — a game both players were forced to miss as the judge considered their case.
Meanwhile, the addition of Alexis gives IU basketball a veteran in Darian DeVries system who adds much-needed frontcourt depth. Alexis played with the IU team in Peru this summer, and he has continued practicing with them since classes resumed in August. The injunction prohibits the NCAA from excluding Daley, Wyatt and Alexis from its new five-year eligibility rule passed this summer. Each athlete, all members of the class of 2022, would be eligible for a fifth year if the new rule were to apply to them. The injunction is in effect until the trial can be heard.
Former IU football player Louis Moore obtained a preliminary injunction around this time last year, and the trial was not set to begin until after the football season. But this may not be the end of legal maneuvering that could overlap the current and upcoming football and basketball seasons. The NCAA can and will likely appeal the preliminary injunction, and the organization has successfully stayed similar injunctions until an appeal can be heard. The attorneys for the plaintiffs did rely on new arguments, however, including that the NCAA rules manual does not specifically exclude members of the class of 2022 from the five-year rule. IU volleyball player Avry Tatum and swimmers Owen McDonald and Zalán Sárkány are also among the group who became eligible via this ruling.
Indiana University Football fans need to check with Curt Cignetti before leaving tonight’s game early Indiana completely sold out the 2026 football season. The reported attendance for Saturday’s win over Western Kentucky was 54,695, and that preceded 54,376 for Howard, and 54,493 for North Texas. Those are all new entries in the all-time top-10 for crowd size at Memorial Stadium, and all roughly 2,000 over capacity. But you wouldn’t know it if you only watched the second halves of the games to this point. Baking in miserable heat while watching mismatches on the field, a significant portion of the fans left those games at halftime or at some point in the second half. IU coach Curt Cignetti built the program to this previously incomprehensible level. He’s the primary reason nonconference games where IU is favored by north of 40 points are selling out.
He built it, and they came. But they’re also leaving too soon, he says. Cignetti is showing some compassion. He’s giving fans a pass for their retreat to the tailgate or air conditioning over the first three weeks. After all the crowd hasn’t been needed as the Hoosiers outscored their first three opponents 145-16. But starting Friday night as Big Ten play begins, the head coach wants to see the fans stay for the full 60 minutes. “We need to have a great crowd that stays the whole game,” Cignetti said on Monday. “We played our three sauna games in the afternoon. I can understand having to leave in the second half, particularly when the game is out of hand and it’s 152 on the turf. It’s hard to coach in these games, too. “But this will be low 70 weather this week and it will be a nice cool football kind of night in Bloomington, and we need to have a great crowd.”
This isn’t the first time Cignetti has challenged the home crowd. In 2024 he famously implored the student section to “study later” ahead of the Maryland game to open home Big Ten play — and they delivered. The second-largest home crowd ever attended the 2025 Big Ten opener against Illinois a year ago. And Indiana fans became a major factor in the 2025 national title run, delivering significant advantages at the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl, and even outnumbering Miami at its home stadium in the championship game. Seven of the top 10 largest crowds in Memorial Stadium history have come in the last two calendar years. But Cignetti is more interested in fourth quarter attendance as the competition stiffens. Fans will want to bring a sweatshirt tonight. The forecasted high temperature is currently 72 degrees with no rain and light wind. But temperatures could dip into the 50s by the fourth quarter. No. 4/5 Indiana (3-0) faces Northwestern (2-0) at 8 p.m. inside Memorial Stadium tonight on FOX.
No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Soccer Hosts Penn State this Afternoon Unbeaten, No. 2-ranked Indiana men’s soccer resumes Big Ten Conference play this afternoon, hosting Penn State on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Fans unable to attend the match can watch via the B1G+ digital platform. Indiana athletics is offering $5 tickets to fans who show their ticket for this weekend’s IU football game.
PARKING: Indiana gameday parking operations will be in effect on Friday, limiting parking options for soccer spectators. Fans driving to the match have two options: Fans without a football gameday parking pass are directed to park in union court grass lots behind off N Jordan Ave (see attachment below), which will offer free parking from noon-1:30 p.m. Vehicles arriving after 1:30 p.m. will be charged to park in these lots. Spectators may utilize their football gameday parking pass and walk to Armstrong Stadium.
The Hoosiers remain unbeaten halfway through the regular season, coming off a draw at No. 12 Wisconsin on Tuesday. The Hoosiers have earned seven points through three Big Ten Conference matches (2-0-1). Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week Michal Mroz leads the Big Ten in goals against average (0.44), shutouts (5), save percentage (.852) and victories (7). Penn State comes in as a team navigating the first season of the Rob Dow era, starting 2-4-0 with two losses in league play. Prior to Penn State, Dow spent nine seasons at Vermont, where he led the Catamounts to the 2024 NCAA title. Dow joins IU head coach Todd Yeagley, Washington’s Jamie Clark and Maryland’s Sasho Cirovski as active Big Ten coaches to have led a team to a national championship.
Forward Amadou Kone leads the Nittany Lions with three goals and seven points. Defender Beckham Brown has two assists, both coming in Big Ten play.
Indiana has dominated the all-time series with Penn State, winning 41 of 61 meetings, as well as recent proceedings, as IU currently owns a six-match winning streak against the Nittany Lions. Indiana earned a comeback victory in the 2025 matchup in Happy Valley, as Josh Maher equalized with a header before Palmer Ault finished PSU with a hat trick. Including penalty shootout results, IU has won its last eight home matches in the series – two of those victories coming in Big Ten Tournament finals.
Imani Clemons Tabbed as Indiana University Women’s Water Polo Assistant Coach Indiana University’s women’s water polo team has hired Imani Clemons as assistant coach for the 2026-2027 season. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Imani to Indiana,” Indiana head coach Taylor McInerney said. “She is an exceptional person with tremendous character, and her experience and perspective as both a player and coach will make an immediate impact on our program. Imani shares our vision for the future of Indiana water polo and our commitment to building a program that consistently competes for championships. Most importantly, she will be a great resource for our student-athletes and be an incredible addition to the culture we’re continuing to build.”
Clemons played four years (2022-25) at UC Santa Barbara before moving into a full-time role as assistant coach in 2026. The Laguna Beach, Calif. native scored a career-high 50 goals in her senior season and appeared in 110 games for the Gauchos. She was named to the 2025 All-Big West honorable mention team. She also had eight hat tricks in her final season while appearing in 28 games. “Water polo has been a huge apart of my life for as long as I can remember growing up in California and later playing and coaching at UCSB,” Clemons said. “Transitioning into the Big Ten has been such an exciting step. I am looking forward to contributing to such a high-level program and joining a group of women who push each other, support one another, and compete every day.” Clemons was also a two-time Big West Academic All-Conference honoree as she graduated from the school in May 2025 with a degree in sociology.
Indianapolis Colts place Wide Receiver Alec Pierce on IR and Head Coach Shane Steichen says they have no timetable for return Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said the team is placing wide receiver Alec Pierce on injured reserve (IR). Steichen added they do not have a timetable for his return. Steichen said the plan is for Pierce to return this season. Steichen was asked if a second surgery is off the table. “Right now, we’re just going to monitor that and we’re just going to rehab him,” Steichen said. “That’s where it’s at right now.” Pierce had surgery on his heel in March and missed all of training camp. Steichen said on Monday that this injury is an aggravation of his heel injury.
Steichen said Pierce hit all of his landmarks when he was returning from the injury before the season and they eased him back into practice. Steichen also said the trainers and Pierce felt good about his return to play. “We would have never put him on the field if we didn’t feel good about it and he didn’t feel good about it,” Steichen said. Pierce’s injury was non-contact and happened in the first quarter of the Colts game against the Chiefs on Sunday. Pierce was in a boot and using crutches after the game. He was not putting any weight on his injured leg.
Pierce has five catches for 72 yards this season. He signed a four-year, $114 million contract with the Colts this offseason. The Colts signed former Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton on Tuesday to add depth to the wide receiver’s room. Steichen said Slayton is a speed guy, and he should be good to go to play on Sunday. The Colts will play the Houston Texans on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Taylor University Athletics Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Class Taylor Athletics will induct a class of five members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 10, as part of the 2026 Taylor Homecoming festivities. The 2026 inductees are Becca Buchs, JJ Guedet, Maddie Thomas Starcher, Nathan Targgart and Quinn White.
Buchs graduated from Taylor in 2020 as a two-time NAIA All-American for the TU women’s basketball program. The sharp-shooter was a lynchpin for one of the best eras of women’s basketball at TU, helping power the Trojans to a 97-38 overall mark throughout her career, including a 56-9 clip at home and a 53-19 mark in Crossroads League play. While sparking Taylor to its top-three win totals in program history (30, 30, 24), a trip to the NAIA Elite Eight among three-straight NAIA National Tournament appearances from 2018 through 2020 and a CL Championship in 2019, Buchs was one of the best three-point shooters in program history. In addition to setting Taylor’s single-season record in 2020 with 130 three-pointers made, Buchs set TU’s career record with a 45.9-percent clip from beyond the arc and finished 12th in program history with 1,416 points. That productivity led to the All-American honors, as well as a pair of All-CL nods and the 2020 Natalie Steele Award. Buchs also received recognition for her academic work, earning CSC Academic All-American honors in 2020, along with a pair of CSC Academic All-District nods, two NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards and two Academic All-Crossroads League accolades.
Guedet is a 1996 graduate from Taylor and a former standout on the gridiron for the TU football program. The linebacker played to NAIA All-American attention in 1994 and 1995, while also serving as a team captain and collecting All-MSFA honors in each of those seasons. Guedet piled up 368 tackles, 38 hits for lost yardage, 14.5 sacks, five interceptions and seven fumbles recovered during his time with the Trojans. His finest season came during his final year in Upland, posting 122 tackles, 15 hits for a loss and four sacks as a senior. Guedet also matched TU’s single-game record with a trio of interceptions in a 29-14 win at Anderson in 1994.
Thomas Starcher graduated from Taylor in 2021, after playing to a pair of NAIA All-American accolades and four All-Crossroads League honors on the links. Thomas led the TU women’s golf team to a historic runner-up finish at the 2021 NAIA National Championships and helped TU finish 27th, fifth, 12th and second in successive years at the NAIA Championships. Thomas also powered the Trojans to 31 tournament titles in her five seasons, helped Taylor secure the first four CL Championships in program history and saw TU set its 18, 36, 54 and 72-hole scoring records. Thomas was a major part of those team accomplishments, as she graduated as TU’s leader with 132 rounds played and finished her career second in program history with 204 birdies, six individual titles and a 78.06 scoring average. In addition to being TU’s only player to win a tournament in five different seasons, Thomas turned in four-straight top-50 showings at NAIA Nationals, finished between second and sixth in four-straight Crossroads Championships and set TU’s 36 (143) and 54-hole (223) individual scoring records. Thomas also collected a pair of academic honors, with NAIA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-CL nods as a senior.
Targgart is a 2019 Taylor graduate and a 2017 NAIA All-American for the Trojans on the diamond. The three-time All-Crossroads League slugger set TU’s single-season records with 26 doubles and 94 hits and graduated as the program’s all-time leader with 65 doubles and 274 hits. Targgart also finished top-10 in Taylor history with a .365 career batting average, a .549 slugging percentage and 206 runs batted in. That production helped propel the Trojans to a then single-season team record of 44 wins in 2018, and the team’s best four-year win total at that time with 157 victories. During Targgart’s four-year career in the middle of the TU lineup, the Trojans posted a win-loss record of 157-73 and a Crossroads League clip of 74-33, while claiming the CL Championship in 2016 and playing in the NAIA National Tournament in 2016 and 2018. In addition to his work on the field, Targgart also excelled in the classroom as a 2017 CSC Academic All-District performer, a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Crossroads League standout.
White graduated from Taylor in 1988 and went on to serve 16 years in various coaching roles with the TU cross country and track programs. White led the TU women’s cross country program for all 16 years and led the men’s squad in each of his final seven seasons. Between the two teams, White coached the first three team NAIA National Championships in school history and piled up 14 Crossroads League Championships. White led the women’s team to NAIA Championships in 2020 and 2025 and retired with an active streak of 13-straight CL Championships. White led TU’s men to the NAIA Championship in 2022 and saw the men and women post the NAIA Cross Country Combined National Championship in 2020 and 2025. Under White’s watch, the women’s program posted an extended stretch of dominance with 13-straight showings inside the top-20 at NAIA Nationals and nine-straight top-six finishes, with the men also finishing inside the top-20 nationally in all seven seasons. His athletes combined for 41 NAIA All-American honors, 104 All-Crossroads League awards and six individual CL Championships in cross country and an additional 118 All-American awards, 266 all-league nods and 66 individual league titles on the track team, where White served as an assistant coach for 16 years. White was widely lauded for his work, earning three NAIA National Coach-of-the-Year honors, 14 Crossroads League Coach-of-the-Year nods, eight USTFCCCA NAIA Great Lakes Region Track and Field Assistant Coach-of-the-Year awards and six USTFCCCA NAIA Great Lakes Region Women’s Cross Country Coach-of-the-Year recognitions. Individuals wishing to attend the 2026 Hall of Fame brunch at 9:00 am on Saturday, October 10 can purchase tickets by going to TaylorTrojans.com/tickets.
Indy runner Emma Grace Hurley 5th in world half-marathon A Broad Ripple resident has underscored her status as one of the world’s best distance runners, winning her first global medal representing Team USA. Emma Grace Hurley finished fifth Sunday in the half-marathon in the World Road Running Championships at Copenhagen, Denmark. She led the United States to a team silver medal. Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich set a women-only world record with a time of 1 hour, 5 minutes, 15 seconds – one second faster than the mark held by Peres Jepchirchir, also of Kenya, in winning the world half-marathon in 2020.
Kenya won the team gold medal. Hurley’s time was 1:06:23, an American record for a women-only race and No. 3 on the all-time U.S. list. She led a 5-6-7 finish for the United States. Weini Kelati and Jessica McClain clocked 1:06:35 and 1:06:53, respectively. Kelati set the overall American record of 1:06:04 at Barcelona Feb. 15. “I was super-focused on being in the top 10 today, and it’s exciting to come away with a women’s record as well,” Hurley told Race Results Weekly. “I have been so happy all week just to be here, and I was so excited for the opportunity to race against the best of the best.”
The outcome was another breakthrough for Hurley, 28, who quit running after the pandemic canceled her senior track season at Furman University in 2020. A 4:46 miler in high school, she was plagued by injuries in college. Her best finish in NCAA cross country was 51st, and she never made it to an NCAA track championship. The Georgia native eventually resumed running and joined the Atlanta Track Club, coached by Andrew Begley. When Begley’s wife, Amy, took over as USA Track & Field director of long-distance programs, they moved to Indianapolis. So did Hurley. This year she has won a national 10-mile title and set an American record at 8 kilometers. In November 2024, she set a course record of 1:08:26 at the Indianapolis Monumental half-marathon. Hurley will make her marathon debut Oct. 11 at Chicago, aiming for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at that distance.