INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University football fans are making the journey to Pasadena by any means necessary as the Hoosiers prepare for their historic Rose Bowl appearance.
At Indianapolis International Airport, excitement filled the concourse as fans departed for what many consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It's just always in our family being huge IU fans, and this is just an unreal opportunity. I feel like we couldn't miss it," Hoosier fan Bailey Priest said.
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Jenny Kohout echoed that sentiment, explaining the urgency many fans felt to secure their travel plans.
"We booked rooms, booked flights, and decided this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and who knows if IU will ever go again," Kohout said.
After a historic season, Hoosiers are filling airports and taking any route possible to reach the Rose Bowl. Some fans are navigating complex travel itineraries to make the trip happen.
"We're actually going through Austin. That was the best way," Hoosier fan John Roland said.
Paul Lannon's journey involves multiple stops across the country.
"We are stopping through every time zone. We're going to Kansas City, then we're going to Denver, then we're going to LA," Lannon explained.
Not everyone chose air travel for their Rose Bowl adventure. Some dedicated fans opted for a cross-country road trip spanning over 2,000 miles to reach Pasadena.
Galen Clavio, host of The CrimsonCast IU athletics-focused podcast, drove for two days while documenting his journey on social media and connecting with random Hoosiers along the way.
"I had a flight booked, but my good friend, Alex Paul, didn't have a flight out, and we got to talking, and I said, 'What if we just drove out and made a production of this?'" Clavio said.
From the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to the sunsets of Amarillo, Texas, the road trip became an unexpected opportunity to meet other Indiana fans along the way.
"We went into a restaurant in Oklahoma City, and without any idea that these people were here, there was a group of IU fans sitting in the corner. It's been fun watching so many IU fans across the country getting excited, specifically about the Rose Bowl and wanting to come out and try to connect with us," Clavio said.
Regardless of their chosen mode of transportation, Hoosiers are making themselves heard as they savor every moment of this historic opportunity.
"It's something I don't think, in my mind, I could ever conceptualize as a possibility, but here we are," Lannon said.
"Watching Indiana run out of the tunnel at the Rose Bowl is going to be, I think, an incredibly moving moment," Clavio added.
Michael Brunt captured the confidence many fans are feeling heading into the game.
"The whole world's watching. Might as well win the whole damn thing," Brunt said.
#1 Indiana is set to play #9 Alabama in Thursday's annual Rose Bowl game at 4:00 PM EST on ESPN
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
