Indiana athletic director Fred Glass was talking to some of his football assistant coaches about their previous bowl experiences when he learned a funny fact. For years, most of the coaches’ kids thought Santa Claus brought presents only to hotel rooms, because that’s where they spent every Christmas as their dads prepared for bowl games.
Until a few weeks ago, the idea of the Hoosiers still playing football during the holiday season seemed more mythical than a jolly fat man delivering gifts from the sky. No Power 5 team has spent less time in the postseason the past two decades than Indiana, which had played in one bowl game since 1993 and none since 2007.