The IUS Athletics Web site has been totally revamped over the course of the last few months with student suggestions in mind.
Assistant Athletic Director Joe Glover has overseen these changes to help the Web site rise to competitive standards of other schools as well as to take full advantage of the Web site as a real asset to the Athletics Department.
The revamping began with changing the Web site to be independent from ius.edu/athletics to a personal web address: iusathletics.com, allowing the information to be stored on its own server where space is unlimited.
Glover said the new Web site is geared toward posting information about marketing, recruiting, news releases, archives, promoting athletes and keeping students and athletes connected.
Taking a look at the new Web site one can see all the facets of the vision come to life. The appearance is bolder and more spirited, there is now a recruiting service, video footage from games and coverage of athletic events.
Students can now open the Athletics Web site and maneuver between Oncourse, Onestart, and e-mail and find out what games are scheduled as well.
There is a new feature including the Activities Building schedule. It shows what teams are practicing at any given time so students who use the facility for their personal work out can find out when the Activities Building is available without driving there first.
Social networking is a key change in the new Athletics Web site as well. Students can connect to each other and athletes through Facebook and Twitter. As of Aug. 31, IUS had 447 fans on Facebook.
Glover said he realizes a key to a successful athletics department is its fans. The new Web site has links to print off coupons for games, reminders that all games are free to students, faculty and staff.
All games and coverage on the Web site is automatically archived.
“IUS is still a young university and it is very important to keep history and students connected now and in the future,” Glover said.
A group of student fans, the Front Line, which was formed through Student Life, are helping the fans and athletes connect with each other. They are committed to cheering for all IUS athletic events and would love to have more students who want to share their school spirit.
Glover has also added student athlete profiles, at least two a month, to increase awareness about campus athletes.
There are sports trivia questions, updates on games and the athletic schedule as well as a place to join the Grenadier Club and support IUS Athletics.
Now more than ever IUS students and faculty have access to get involved and connected to their home team, it is time to build that school spirit and maybe even join the Frontline.
By SARAH LEE
Staff Writer
sbl327@ius.edu