1 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: In case you may have heard there was a football 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: game over the weekend. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: Well, there were a couple of football games over the weekend, 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 2: but I imagine you're talking about one in particular. 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 3: Yes, Indiana course winning the Big Ten championship in the 6 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 3: first time they've defeated Ohio State since nineteen eighty eight. 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 3: They're the number one team in the entire country. 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 2: I know a lot of people are very excited about this. 9 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 2: And you know what, we got a guy. Oh, let's 10 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: go straight to the top. At IU, we have the 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 2: Associate athletic director on the line. His name is Jeremy Gray. 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Good morning, Jeremy, good morning. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: Good morning. I mean, just as you guys predicted in 14 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: August that Indiana would go thirteen to zero and you know, 15 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: beat Oregon on the road, Ohio State and probably have 16 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: the Heisman Trophy winner. And I think it's all due 17 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: to middle management. 18 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 2: Taking full credit, are you yes? 19 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 3: Yes, what does an associate athletic director do? 20 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: Did my mother in law put you up to this? 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: So each as socio athletic director has areas of responsibility 22 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: in the department. So I have marketing, media relations, the 23 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: Mark Cuban Center, which is our fancy way of saying, photo, 24 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: videographic design, broadcasting, digital, social media. So those are my 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: areas of responsibility. 26 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: Jeremy, I wanted to ask you, how does you plan 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 2: to leverage this championship to boost recruiting across all sports? 28 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: Now, you know, it's been interesting at our home football games. 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: We've got a legendary swimming and diving program, which is 30 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: a program that I actually oversee, and for years they 31 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: never brought swimmers to our football games because they did 32 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: not want athletes that found that appealing. Now on the 33 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: sidelines before games, it's absolutely packed with prospective student athletes 34 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: for all of these sports because of the atmosphere. How 35 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: it's changed things and there is something about football that 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: is kind of a leader of perception. And we're now, 37 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: I think, kind of a cool school. We've had kind 38 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: of an image makeover similar to what Oregon experienced about 39 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: twenty years ago, where a lot of athletes and a 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: lot of different sports find I you appealing, and frankly, 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: the social media engagement that they have when they make 42 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: their official visits here taking pictures of themselves in the crowd, 43 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: it's been golden. 44 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 3: Jeremy Grady, the Associate Athletic director at I You is 45 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 3: our guest. Okay, so can you talk about because Signetti 46 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 3: gets this big new contract right and everybody's like he's 47 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 3: totally worth it, can you talk about from a financial perspective, 48 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 3: what it means when I You wins the Big Ten 49 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 3: is getting a buy in the college football playoffs, going 50 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 3: to play in round two. Economically, what does that do 51 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 3: to the athletic program? 52 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: So we've actually done an economic case study on this, 53 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: and every time that your team is participating in College 54 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: Game Day on ESPN, for instance, that's three million dollars 55 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: worth of unpaid advertising. Tonetty, it has taken over as 56 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: head coach. We've been on Big nowon Kickoff three times 57 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: and ESPN College Game Day three times. So I don't know, 58 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna use my old public school math here. That's 59 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: eighteen million dollars of unpaid advertising alone, just from doing 60 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: that the year prior to his arrival. And this is 61 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: no shot at the Big Ten Network. I actually used 62 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: to work for them. We were on the Big Ten 63 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: Network nine times in two thousand and twenty three. This 64 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: year we were on the Big Ten Network twice, which 65 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: is a conference mandate. All of our games have been 66 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: on Fox, CBS or NBC, So just an unpaid advertising 67 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: on the media. It's paid for itself, you know, multi 68 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: times over. We've set every concessions record. We had five 69 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: straight sellouts to close out the year. Donations are up. 70 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: I believe applications to IU are up over fifteen percent 71 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: now as well. Wow, it really has changed the game 72 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: here in anyway. 73 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: How do you think now A lot of people are 74 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 2: saying this is in part because of the new NIL 75 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: open portal that happened recently. How do you think that 76 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: that's going to influence your NIL strategy going forward? 77 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: Well, One, it makes perspective business owners or business owners 78 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: that would be perspective people to pay an IL to 79 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: student athletes more likely to do so because we have 80 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, athletes using worth using as sponsors for their 81 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: businesses or services. So I think it's going up that 82 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: way in the transfer portal. This is really Churt Signetti's 83 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: secret sauce. He is the best talent evaluator, in my opinion, 84 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: in all of college football. He can look at somebody 85 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: who's playing for a small college, a mid major, maybe 86 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: a backup for a high major program, see potential in them. 87 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: And he is able to find He's like the guy 88 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: who shops at you know, the vintage store and finds, 89 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: you know, like like the diamond in the rough. So 90 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: he's able to do that and he's going to great job. 91 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: And now the type of athlete that is looking at 92 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: Indiana as a landing spot has changed in two years too. 93 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: There are high major starters who'd like to come to Indiana. 94 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 3: Jeremy Grady, associate athletic director at I. You is our guest, 95 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: So can you talk about because obviously I'm a Hoosier lifer. 96 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: Growing up, it was all IU basketball, right, Oh, we 97 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 3: have a football team. That's interesting, right? Everything was IU basketball. 98 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 3: Can you talk about sort of the vibe on campus 99 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 3: because obviously the IU basketball team has had its fair 100 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 3: share of struggles and not sort of met the expectations 101 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 3: that many people have. Is are you becoming a football school? 102 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: Well, you know, it's interesting, you said. So. We had 103 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: the bi centennial in twenty twenty, and obviously that got 104 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: knocked all over the place because of the pandemic. But 105 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: through all these big plans and they talked about what 106 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: was going to happen the homecoming week of the bisonentennial, 107 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: and they had you know, guest speakers, concerts, all that 108 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. They didn't even mention the game. He 109 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: didn't mention the homecoming game for homecoming week. It was 110 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: that much of an afterthought. On orientation visits, sometimes they 111 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: would make fun of the football program. The city was 112 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: largely not that helpful as you know, as it relates 113 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: to to hotel prices and things like that. It was 114 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: it was just not a football community at all. Now 115 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: you come to IU and it's completely transformed that way, 116 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: where all the city storefronts have our mascot painted on 117 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: it or be Beat such and such. They've changed the 118 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: marquees you know, of local businesses to you know, Beat 119 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: Ohio State. The city is now starting to change the 120 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,559 Speaker 1: way they operate. There are no more youth soccer games 121 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: on Indiana home football weekends, you know. So they have 122 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: really reoriented it. Football is a centerpiece of the school's 123 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: advertising strategy. It's it's it's a major part of orientation 124 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: and really it is a focus on campus. It has 125 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: become a football school. 126 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: Where do you think that this moment ranks among milestones 127 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 2: during your tenure, Well, I mean we've. 128 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: Had some we've had some great moments since I started 129 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: working here, and you and I have known each other 130 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: for a long long time. I mean, this would have 131 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: to be number one. And I'm gonna be honest, maybe 132 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: I was part of the problem. I didn't think, especially 133 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: when they went to the conference championship game model and 134 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: we expanded the league and added all of these other 135 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: great football programs, that Indiana's chances of ever winning a 136 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: Big Ten championship in football had passed. And for this 137 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: guy to do this in year number two is just insane. 138 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't really have a great explanation for it, 139 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: and I work here. 140 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 2: You've got one more big game though, coming up. Thoughts 141 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 2: on the championship game, yeah, I mean going. 142 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: To the Rose Bowl. That's going to be My wife 143 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: is very excited that we get to go there. You know, 144 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: after Christmas. I think IU alums are going to flood 145 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: that area. There's a huge intensent of IU people in 146 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: southern California. I think it's going to be mad. It's 147 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: just surreal to say that Indiana would be a favorite 148 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: against either Alabama or Oklahoma in a bowl game. But 149 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: it's twenty twenty five, baby, so we're really excited and 150 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: I do think that Indiana is one of those teams 151 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: that's got a chance to go all the way. 152 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 3: And Jeremy, we'll get you in here with this. We 153 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 3: can all agree that should have been Oklahoma and Notre 154 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 3: Dame because then we could have had Notre Dame and 155 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: IU into Rose Bull, you know what. 156 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: And Casey knows my background that way, it would have 157 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: been great for Indiana to play Notre Dame again. I 158 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: think it would have been special for the state, people 159 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: in this people in this area, and frankly, I think 160 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: it's the one hump Indiana has not gotten over, you know, historically, 161 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: and so a chance to play Notre Dame would have 162 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: been special. I do think Notre Dame was one of 163 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: the twelve best teams and should be in the playoff. 164 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: But that's not for me to decide. I knew I 165 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: liked him. Jeremy Gray, thank you, Hey, thank you, guys. 166 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: You're listening to Kennilly Casey. It's ninety three WYBC.