In His Shack Atop Stadium, a Celebrity Fan Watches

John Mellencamp has been in the headlines recently, and not only because he's prepping for a greatest-hits tour. It turns out the 74-year-old rocker is a diehard—and lifelong—backer of Indiana University football, which plays for the national title on Monday. As the Wall Street Journal explains, Mellencamp has been going to games for decades, mostly when Indiana had lousy teams. He even donated $1.5 million for a practice facility years ago, for which he received an odd perk in return: The team gave him a small white "shack" atop the stadium (above the press box) where he can watch the games in privacy.

"I set up there, nobody bothers me," Mellencamp says. "And I can smoke." The Bloomington resident grew up going to games with his father, and he spoke to 60 Minutes about it for the outlet's recent feature on the team's resurgence. The crew spent weeks in the city following Mellencamp around, including to the stadium, notes the Bloomingtonian. The Journal notes that the players themselves seem only partly aware of the celebrity in their corner. Fans, however, seem more clued in. During blowout wins in the College Football Playoff, Indiana supporters had a group singalong of "Hurts So Good," adopting Mellencamp's 1982 hit as an unofficial anthem.