Years ago, back when he was an underclassman at Columbus East High School and unsure of his future, Harry Crider would occasionally make the 50-minute drive to Bloomington for Indiana football games. Those trips were memorable not because of the action on the field, but for all the other things Crider saw — the half-full stadium, the halftime exodus, the lack of enthusiasm around campus.
Crider, a budding college football prospect at the time, was struck by the apathy.
“Coming here to play football was not even in consideration,” Crider said. “I remember coming to those games and it was just never really even close.