It’s been a big year for Indiana University, from its blockbuster football season to high-profile drama with the Indiana Daily Student newspaper.
As the university continues on into the new year with more eyes on its athletics program, more scrutiny from free speech advocates, and more pressure from the state to prove its economic value, here’s five big questions on what IU will do in 2026.
1. Can IU improve its free speech reputation?
IU made headlines this fall when it was ranked the worst public college in the country for free speech – and that was before university administrators ordered the student newspaper to stop printing.
That’s not likely to help its rankings on FIRE’s College Free Speech Rankings when the report drops next year, but IU’s been making a few decisions to course correct. First, in late October, IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold told the Indiana Daily Student that they could resume publishing their print editions – including news stories – through at least the spring of 2026. Pair that with a very public push from President Pamela Whitten to adopt a widely-used set of free speech principles, and it would seem IU is working to challenge the narrative that it’s hostile to free speech.
2. Can Cignetti pull a “three-peat” for the Hoosiers football team?
They say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, but one year after his inaugural, program-defining football season, IU Football Coach Curt Cignetti is taking the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl.
Win or lose on Jan. 1, that puts a lot of pressure on Cignetti going into the 2026 season. IU Football has become a cash cow for Bloomington – and a saving grace in an economically-tough year – but no program is too big (or expensive) to fail. Can Cignetti make magic happen for a third year in a row?
3. What will “umbrella” degrees look like, and how will they affect program enrollment?
IU this year started the state-mandated process of eliminating or consolidating nearly 250 degrees, with 116 at IU Bloomington. Many of those are being consolidated into so-called “umbrella” degrees – for example, French and Chinese graduate degrees being merged into a single language program. But some faculty worry that consolidation will result in prospective students not realizing IU offers their program, or employers passing on students for those who appear to have more specialized experience.
What will IU do with its Washington, D.C. campus?
IU has started making quiet moves to publicize its so-called “Capital Campus,” a $17.5 million building on Washington, D.C.’s Embassy Row that was purchased from Johns Hopkins University last fall. But despite a recent shoutout from Whitten and a public search for the program’s executive director, IU hasn’t provided many details on what the D.C. campus means for its students, or what new programming they can expect with it.
The Capital Campus is set to host some 40 IU students each semester and will “launch” in the summer of 2026.
5. As IU grows, where will it house its students?
IU enrolled another record-breaking freshman class at IU Bloomington this fall and has boasted strong application numbers for years. At the same time, it hasn’t done much to build new dorms, its new graduate student apartment complex is unaffordable to many, and it continues to have trouble renting out its large, multi-bedroom properties scattered across the city.
Housing advocates have called on IU to be more proactive in building dorms to curb the number of IU students taking low-rent properties off the market. As IU grows and grows, it’ll be interesting to see if – and where – it might choose to build.
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @brianwritesnews.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: 5 big questions about IU in 2026, from football to free speech
Reporting by Brian Rosenzweig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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