The football stadium at DePauw University will be torn up next season, demolished in August to make way for a new, ritzy, state-of-the-art athletic facility, and its team will be left without a home, which means the historic 131-year-old Monon Bell game is also homeless.
DePauw was set to host the Monon Bell at its home Blackstock Stadium next season, a game that has been called one of college football’s greatest rivalries, a competition between Wabash College and DePauw that began in 1890.
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Without a stadium, the fate of the location of the game has prompted fans on social media to think big, including playing the 2026 Monon Bell at Lucas Oil Stadium, or maybe making it the featured matchup on “College GameDay.”
On the podcast “Get Indiana” last week, DePauw president Dr. Lori White joked, why not ESPN’s “College GameDay?”
“Pat McAfee,” she said, “come on out.”
Still others, including the host of “Get Indiana” Nate Spangle, a DePauw alum, have been calling for DePauw to use the relocation as a chance to set a Division III football attendance record, holding it at a big stadium and shattering the 45,161 record which was set in 2019 in a game between Cortland and Ithaca at MetLife Stadium.
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White told Spangle, “I don’t have an early lead on where we’re going to play.” To which, he pitched this idea.
“Make the narrative of we’re going to host the largest Monon Bell in recorded history … we’re trying to host the biggest D-III game in history.” As he talked, White repeated, “Keep going. Keep going.”
IndyStar reached out to Bill Wagner, assistant athletic director for athletics communication at DePauw, for comment on the game’s location and the possibility of trying to set an attendance record.
“We are in the planning process and are exploring venues that are available to host the game on Nov. 14, 2026,” Wagner responded via e-mail. “There are no plans to make it a record-breaking attendance.”
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Why DePauw can’t host 2026 Monon Bell
An $80 million gift from an anonymous donor and alumnus of DePauw was announced last month by the university, which said it was one of the largest single gifts in DePauw’s nearly 200-year history and among the most significant in NCAA Division III athletics.
DePauw will use the money to tear down its football stadium to make way for a 70,000-square-foot athletic facility named Blackstock Stadium and Performance Center.
DePauw Tigers players celebrate with the Monon Bell on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, after defeating the Wabash Little Giants during the 131st annual Monon Bell game at Wabash College in Crawfordsville.
“Student-athletes at DePauw will benefit from cutting-edge sports medicine facilities, dedicated recovery spaces and an advanced weight room, all of which will redefine approaches to wellness, injury prevention and sports performance,” DePauw said in a statement. “Dedicated meeting rooms, student-athlete social spaces and enrichment areas will nurture personal development, empowering students to excel and lead.”
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The stadium will include upgraded seating for football and track and field fans, improved concessions and accessible amenities. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2028.
History of the Monon Bell: ‘Taken from one of the railroad’s locomotives’
The first football game between DePauw and Wabash was played on a Saturday in November of 1890. But the 300-pound Monon Bell trophy didn’t come into play until 1932.
“In a chapel pep session the day before the 1932 DePauw-Wabash game, the Monon Bell was presented by Russell Alexander, the DePauw publicity director, as the official DePauw-Wabash trophy for football,” according to the university. “It was to be presented every year to the winner of the traditional battle. In case of a tie, it remained with the previous year’s winner. The 300-pound bell was a gift of the Monon Railroad, taken from one of the railroad’s locomotives.”
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Since 1890, the two schools have faced each other 131 times with Wabash holding a 63-59-9 lead. Since the Monon Bell entered the rivalry in 1932, Wabash leads the series, 44-43-6.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Monon Bell game 2026: DePauw stadium construction, ESPN ‘College GameDay’
