Traditions

Bike races, fight songs, fashion statements, and quirky customs you’ll remember forever

Sure, our traditions are fun. (Who wouldn’t enjoy dipping their feet in Showalter Fountain on a warm day?) But they’re also how you bond with your friends. They connect you with over 200 years of history and 775,000+ alumni. They bring you into the IU Bloomington family.

And they give you great memories from your years at the epicenter of Hoosier Nation.

The basics

IU was founded in 1820—so we began celebrating our Bicentennial on July 1, 2019.
Our colors are cream and crimson.
Who needs a mascot? Not us. We’re just known as the Hoosiers, a nickname for residents of Indiana and everyone who finds a home at IU.
IU’s fight song is “Indiana, Our Indiana.”

Learn the words to IU’s songs

The Spirit and Traditions of IU

College is a time to create memories, try something new, and truly fall in love with the experience. At Indiana University, one part of the experience that students will always remember is our spirit and traditions. Come to IU and see the world in a new light, show your stripes, and experience the magic!

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Mark your calendar

If you start in the fall, your first tradition will be Welcome Week, which is full of activities that will engage you with the campus, other new students, and returning students.
At Homecoming in mid-October, students and alumni alike celebrate IU with events like a parade and football game. Student groups also compete in various events throughout the week to earn the coveted title of Homecoming Grand Champion (and yes, there's a huge trophy and other prizes!).
Dance, dance, dance for 36 hours to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health during IU Dance Marathon in November. Since 1991, the event has raised more than $50 million.
The world-famous men’s and women’s Little 500 bicycle races in late April raise money for student scholarships (more than $1 million over 60+ years) and anchor concerts and other events known as the “World's Greatest College Weekend.”