Indiana University athletics have had an eventful week. Spring sports are gearing up, with invitationals and exhibitions starting for baseball, softball, and outdoor track. Here are some highlights from the week that was in Indiana University Athletics.
Trending Upward/Trending Downward
Fans of Indiana Basketball can't help but notice its basketball programs going in two different directions. The men have lost four consecutive games and got swept by Nebraska, Penn State, and Purdue this season. Head coach Mike Woodson and his staff search for answers to salvage something from this season.
Maybe Woodson can call Teri Moren and the NCAA to see if Chloe Moore-McNeil can play with the boys since they need a reliable point guard to hit an open jump shot. The women got their win back, dominating Iowa at Assembly Hall last Thursday. The Hoosiers are all but locked into one of those coveted top-four seeds that come with a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
Speaking of Women's Athletics...
Indiana Women's Swimming and Diving won its first Big Ten Conference Championship since 2019, and they did it in dramatic fashion. The conference title came down to the 400 relay, with the Hoosiers finishing second and Buckeyes finishing third. Indiana's second-place finished gave them the two-point advantage and a half-point win. It was the closest win in conference history.
Indiana softball is off to a solid start this season. They went 4-1 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, including a 7-5 upset of Oregon. The Hoosiers went 4-1 again in the Troy Invitational. The Hillenbrand Invitational in Arizona was not as kind. IU went 3-2, losing to host #17 Arizona twice. The Hoosiers invite Bowling Green, Valparaiso, and Western Kentucky to Bloomington for the Hoosier Classic, beginning March 1st.
Baseball is Back
Hoosier baseball has played well early in the season, going 6-1. Sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor is batting .552 with eight RBIs early in the season. His early performance earned him conference Player of the Week honors. The Hoosiers are gearing up to travel to Frisco, Texas for the Frisco Classic.
Around the Country
The College Football Playoff Committee unanimously approved the 5-7 format for the next season's tournament. Under this format, the five highest-rated conference champions receive a first-round bye.
A federal court in Tennessee filed an injunction prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing any violations relating to NIL. "The NCAA's prohibition likely violates federal antitrust law and harms student-athletes," U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker wrote in his decision Friday. While the injunction is in place, there is no punishment for schools to use NIL as an inducement for a player to go to their school.
Come back later in the week for another Indiana Hoosiers Sports roundup.