Following No. 14 Purdue's dominating win over Ohio State 86-51 Saturday, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter told the packed Mackey Arena crowd it needs to stop the "IU sucks" chants that have become a big talking point in West Lafayette, Indiana.
"What happened to Matt Haarms in Bloomington wasn't right," Painter said, referring to the profanity-laced chants directed at the Purdue sophomore during a game between the two rival schools Feb. 19. "But we've got to clean up our own backyard and give up the 'IU sucks' chant. Because today, IU didn't suck and they beat Michigan State."
That incident led to an apology from Hoosiers athletic director Fred Glass to Purdue counterpart Mike Bobinski, as well as an email to student season-ticket holders warning them about their behavior.
The "IU sucks" chants at Purdue basketball and football home games have been around for years, and the chant breaks out against all opponents, not just Indiana. According to the Indianapolis Star, Purdue's athletic department tried to officially end the chant in 2012, but fans have kept it alive.
"We have a really classy place at Purdue," Painter said during his postgame news conference. "We have great people. (Students) think that's cute. There's nothing cute about it."