9Here's the book die hard IU fans have been waiting for, the book that will at the same time make Purdue fans want to slink away and go sit in the corner. The Indiana-Purdue sports rivalry began in 1891 when the two schools first met on the gridiron, and is regarded as one of the most intense collegiate rivalries in the country. Newsweek ranked it among the top 12 and the Huffington Post named it as the fifth best overall. In 1925 the football teams played for the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time, and when the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams in 2014 and realigned into geographically based divisions, Indiana and Purdue were placed in opposite divisions (the only protected cross-division rivalry) to insure that the Old Oaken Bucket would be contested every year. Students, Alumni and fans of IU generally root for the Hoosiers and whoever is playing against Purdue.
On the book's I Love IU side chapters include the great victories over Purdue, and another on the outstanding players, many All-Americans, that have figured prominently in these victories. There is a chapter on the great coaches featuring the likes of Bob Knight, Bill Mallory, Doc Councilman, Jerry Yeagley and others. There are also chapters about the many wonderful traditions associated with the sports culture at IU, and one on the beauty of the campus.
In the I Hate Purdue side you'll find the heartbreaking losses to Purdue in football and basketball, painful reminders that the great victories have their counterparts. There are also chapters giving the Boilermakers their due in the number of great coaches and athletes the school has produced. There are also chapters about Purdue traditions that grate on IU fans like the chant "IU Sucks" by the students before every game against all opponents. There is also a chapter about things not to love about the unimaginative Purdue campus.
This book is a must have for members of the Hoosier Nation.