The rumblings of diminished student support for the upcoming season have been validated by an email the ITH team received this morning from IU Media Relations:

Bloomington, Indiana – The Indiana University Athletic Department has announced that it has begun selling newly available season tickets to the general public through the IU Athletic Ticket Office. Single game tickets also are available through all Ticketmaster locations.

IU has sold out of its dedicated allotment of tickets for public renewals, faculty and staff. The newly available tickets come from the inventory of unused student tickets. However, the department will continue to offer student season tickets for sale throughout the campaign.

“As I said earlier this year about our players, this is a great opportunity for someone who maybe hasn’t had the opportunity before to become involved with our program from the ground up,” said first-year Coach Tom Crean. “We have been overwhelmed with support from throughout the state and we are hopeful that this opportunity will give many a chance to become more intimately involved with this year’s team as we look toward the future. We look forward to Assembly Hall filling up game after game like it has always been.”

Season tickets are on sale for $451 for the general public and $210 for students. Single game tickets are available for $23 for the general public and $15 for students. Tickets for Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois are $38 for the general public.

Single game floor tickets ($30) also are available for games against Northeastern (Dec. 22), Lipscomb (Dec. 28) and Michigan (Jan. 7)

To order season tickets, contact the IU Athletic Ticket Office at 866-IUSPORTS or visit IUHoosiers.com. To purchase single game tickets prior to the day of the game, visit Ticketmaster.com.

This isn’t exactly surprising. Economic times are tough. This team isn’t going to be very good and students aren’t eager to fork over $210 for a team that might win 10 games. Now we’ll see how motivated the general public is to shell out $451. My prediction: Not very.

Those of you who missed out on Hoosier Hysteria last Friday will have a chance to redeem yourselves on Saturday. Immediately following the football game against Northwestern, Tom Crean will hold a 30-minute scrimmage that will be open to the public:

Bloomington, Indiana - The Indiana University men’s basketball team will give the University’s Homecoming visitors a chance to check out the Hoosiers in action Saturday, approximately 30 minutes following the end of the football game against Northwestern, in Assembly Hall. The IU football team kicks off against the Wildcats at Noon and the scrimmage should start around 4 p.m.

“I believe this is something we would like to do each year if Homecoming falls on the right weekend and practice has started,” said Coach Tom Crean. “We really appreciated the opportunity to play in front of our great fans at Hoosier Hysteria and we want to take every opportunity to give our guys the experience of playing in Assembly Hall in front of the most loyal fans in the country.”

The Hoosiers also are planning an activity called the “Haunted Hall of Hoops” on Friday, October 31. Details on the event are being finalized.

Translation for Crean’s quote: We’re really inexperienced and need to get used to playing in front of big crowds. Probably not a bad idea. I like this Crean guy already.