Memorial Stadium kicks off the 2024 season with improvements to its concessions.
The stadium’s dining partner Levy Restaurants, which began working with IU Athletics in April, has cooked up new in-house dining. One of the featured creations is a Hoosier hot dog, a foot-long wiener topped with pulled pork, creamed corn and corn nuts.
Athletics also has partnered with six local restaurants to bring their food to the concourse.
Local additions to the stadium include Aver's Pizza, Baked! of Bloomington, BuffaLouie’s, Everbowl, Social Cantina and Yogi’s. They join Chocolate Moose, who has sold its ice cream at the stadium for several years.
Six upgraded grab-and-go markets will be equipped with automated self-checkouts for popcorn, candy and alcoholic beverages. They have new titles such as “Candy Stripe Confections” and “Crossroads + Provisions.”
Jennifer Cox, vice president of culinary experience at Levy, unveiled the dining partners and upgrades Monday.
“It was really important to us in our partnership to also introduce partners in restaurants that are locally known, places that students recognize, fans recognize, who have wonderful food and want to be here in the stadium,” she said.
BuffaLouie’s assistant general manager Kyle Sons said the restaurant is bringing its chicken wings to the stadium, but it’s also introducing some stadium-exclusive menu items, including a giant pork tenderloin sandwich and a “Chicago-authentic” Italian beef.
“We're introducing a red zone [wing] sauce,” Sons said. “It's kind of like this hot garlic buffalo sauce. It's really tasty, not too spicy, but…enough to make your mouth say, ‘Hello.’”
Mike Fowler, co-owner of Bloomington’s Everbowl, is bringing the store’s most popular bowls to the north end of the concourse.
“Partnering with IU is incredible, and we've only been open since October of last year, so we've got a great following with the student body already,” he said.
Cox said fans will see similar dining changes coming to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during basketball season.
The stadium has also announced several changes to the layout this season, including moving the student section to the endzone, closer to the Marching Hundred.
IU Athletics relocated Hep’s Rock from the north end zone to the east concourse, making it a part of The Walk — when players and coaches enter the stadium.
IU Athletics announced last week that it will sell spots for corporate branding at the 25-yard line. It’s also selling space on the end courts of Assembly Hall.
Indiana starts its season with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Florida International University.
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