Indianapolis, Indiana – When Connor Hitchcock arrived at Indiana University, he had no idea that a few years later he would be leading one of the fastest-growing collegiate apparel companies in the country. What began as a small side hustle in a college apartment has grown into Homefield, a booming premium clothing brand loved by fans from more than 200 universities. For Hitchcock, a 2016 graduate of IU’s Kelley School of Business, the company’s success is deeply tied to the opportunities, mentorship, and entrepreneurial support he found at IU.
Indiana University has long been a place where big ideas can take root. Its network of entrepreneurship initiatives—spanning IU Ventures, IU Innovates, and partnerships with local organizations like The Mill in Bloomington—helps students turn classroom concepts into real businesses. Collectively, IU graduates contribute nearly $7 billion in added annual income to Indiana’s economy, supporting more than 92,000 jobs statewide. Hitchcock’s journey from student entrepreneur to business owner is a powerful example of how IU’s resources can transform ambition into impact.
From College Apartment to Business Venture
The idea that would eventually become Homefield began simply enough. During his years at IU, Hitchcock started screen-printing shirts in his apartment and selling them door-to-door to local businesses along Kirkwood Avenue and around downtown Bloomington. He later expanded his reach to boutiques and outdoor shops in Indianapolis, eventually convincing around 30 stores to carry his shirts.
That early success caught the attention of John Talbott, a senior lecturer in marketing strategy at the Kelley School of Business. When Hitchcock mentioned his growing side business to Talbott, the professor saw entrepreneurial potential and invited him to meet for coffee.
“We’re not only a football school; we’re a retail school,” Talbott said. “Our retail program really facilitates entrepreneurship because it inspires a whole field of potential new retailers like Connor.”
Through that conversation, Talbott connected Hitchcock with resources that would help him grow—including The Mill, Bloomington’s nonprofit center for coworking and entrepreneurship, and the IU Angel Network, an IU Ventures program linking investors with startups led by university alumni or students.
“Over the years, the whole university and the city of Bloomington have developed a supportive network for young entrepreneurs,” Talbott explained. “Any student in the university can take advantage of those resources.”
He also encouraged Hitchcock to apply for a position with a Greenwood-based startup called One Click, an ecommerce eyewear company. Working at One Click would give him hands-on experience with digital marketing and small business operations—skills that would soon prove essential.
A Viral Moment and an Early Investment
By fall 2016, Hitchcock was balancing two worlds: working full time in digital marketing at One Click while still printing shirts every morning before heading to work. That same year, his brand found its breakthrough moment.
At the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl, Indiana University appeared to make a field goal that would send the football game into triple overtime. The referees called it no good. IU fans were furious—and Hitchcock turned that collective frustration into an opportunity.
He printed a shirt with the phrase “The kick was good.” Within 24 hours, he sold hundreds.
That viral moment not only gave Homefield its first taste of national attention, but it also helped attract its first investors. The CEO of One Click became the company’s first backer, soon followed by Talbott and others who believed in Hitchcock’s vision. IU’s Office of Corporate Sponsorships, Licensing and Trademarks then helped him secure an official license to sell IU apparel, a major step toward legitimacy in the collegiate market.
Turning Nostalgia into a Business
With an official license secured, Hitchcock used the business and marketing skills he learned at Kelley to identify what was missing in the collegiate apparel space. He noticed that most college merchandise lacked a personal touch—few brands created designs that reflected the deep history and culture of each school.
“There weren’t many brands out there that tried to make something specific or unique for universities, so our very first officially licensed shirt for IU was the bison print,” Hitchcock said.
The design was more than just stylish—it was symbolic. The bison had been IU Bloomington’s official mascot from 1965 to 1969 before being retired for decades. Homefield revived that forgotten piece of IU history, and the design immediately resonated with alumni and fans.
“We were the first brand since the ’60s or ’70s to print the bison on an IU shirt,” Hitchcock said. “It’s still our bestseller to this day.”
Today, Homefield has expanded to serve more than 200 universities, each with designs inspired by historical logos, mascots, and traditions. Every shirt tells a story, connecting fans not just to their schools but to the memories that define their college experience.
A Homecoming on Kirkwood Avenue
Earlier this fall, Homefield opened its first-ever brick-and-mortar store in Bloomington—appropriately located on Kirkwood Avenue, just blocks from where Hitchcock sold his first shirts as a student. The new store, Homefield at Tracks, was developed in partnership with Ben Iler, owner of the long-running vinyl record shop Tracks. The unique collaboration offers both Homefield apparel and music under one roof, blending nostalgia with local culture.
Hitchcock said opening a physical store in Bloomington felt like a full-circle moment for the company and a celebration of its origins.
“There are a handful of schools that have a beautiful campus, great academics and a thriving downtown, and IU pulls all those together,” he said. “IU is for sure part of our brand story.”
Despite Homefield’s national reach—its products are worn by fans from coast to coast—Hitchcock still travels frequently to college campuses, where he studies the stories, cultures, and identities that make each university unique. Yet, he said, no place compares to Indiana University.
The Power of IU’s Entrepreneurial Network
Homefield’s success is just one example of how IU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to generate impact across the state and beyond. Through programs like IU Ventures and IU Innovates, students have access to mentors, funding, and startup bootcamps that help turn concepts into companies.
Since launching in 2023, IU Innovates has supported 100 startup teams, with 65 currently enrolled in intensive entrepreneurship bootcamps designed to build practical business skills. That expanding network, coupled with faculty mentorship and strong community partnerships, has made IU one of the Midwest’s most supportive environments for student entrepreneurs.
For Hitchcock, those connections made all the difference. From the early encouragement of a professor to the backing of IU investors and the guidance of licensing experts, each step in Homefield’s journey traces back to the resources IU provided.
Now headquartered in Indianapolis, Homefield employs a growing team and continues to expand its product line. And while its reach extends far beyond Indiana, Hitchcock says the company’s identity will always be grounded in the place where it all began.
“IU is for sure part of our brand story,” he repeated. It’s not just where Homefield started—it’s where the lessons, the mentorship, and the belief that a student’s dream could become a national business first took shape.
From a single screen-printing machine in a college apartment to a thriving national brand, Hitchcock’s story is proof that with the right support, innovation and entrepreneurship can start anywhere—even on Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington.
