The Indiana State Sycamores are ranked No. 23 in Monday's AP poll — the program's first appearance in the Top 25 since Larry Bird's final season with the Sycamores.
Indiana State was in 817 AP polls without appearing in them, the fifth-largest gap between rankings in the poll's history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Its last inclusion came at the end of the 1978-79 season, when Indiana State topped the final AP poll at No. 1 before the tournament.
The Sycamores are on a nine-game winning streak, one game shy of their season-long 10-game winning streak. With a 22-3 overall record heading into its next game on Tuesday, Indiana State is one win away from matching its win total for the 2022-23 season.
Here's a look back at what the world was like the last time the state of Indiana ranked highest in the AP poll.
'Fat' less than a year old
The iconic musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John dominated the box office and took #1 in 1978.
“Grease” grossed $159.9 million worldwide and $8.9 million domestically in its opening weekend, just behind “Jaws 2.” At the time, “Grease” was the highest-grossing musical in history. The film's soundtrack finished at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 1978.
The film ended up being nominated for an Academy Award: Best Original Song for “Hopeless Devoted to You.”
The Steelers dynasty of the 1970s took hold after Pittsburgh defeated the Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII, considered the “Battle of the Champions” because Dallas had won in 1978. Pittsburgh's third Super Bowl since 1974 it marked the first of another series of consecutive series. -Later victories. The Steelers had won consecutive Super Bowls in 1975 and 1976 before defeating the Los Angeles Rams in 1980 for another streak.
Terry Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns, while Franco Harris ran for 68 yards and a score. Roger Staubach threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Tony Dorsett led the game in rushing yards with 96 and Lynn Swann led in receiving yards with 124 yards.
'I Will Survive' jumps to number 1
In the week leading up to the NCAA tournament, Gloria Gaynor's “I Will Survive” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The track spent two consecutive weeks at number one before being surpassed by the Bee Gees' “Tragedy.” Gaynor's hit won a Grammy in 1980 for Best Disco Recording and has sold more than 14 million copies since its release.
In 2016, “I Will Survive” was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
'Dallas' midway through season 2
The legendary television drama show “Dallas” was in the middle of its second season in March 1979. “Royal Marriage,” the 22nd episode of the show's Season 2, aired days before Bird and Indiana State topped the poll. AP.
“Dallas” originally aired on Saturdays before moving to Sundays midway through Season 2. It then moved to Friday nights, where it was permanently scheduled until the series ended. The show became known for its cliffhangers, most famously “Who Shot JR?” history in 1980.
Sony's Walkman about to debut
One of the most influential technology products, the Sony Walkman, debuted on July 1, 1979 in Tokyo.
At first it had problems, as only 3,000 were sold that month, but by the end of August, the Walkman was sold out: 50,000 were sold out in two months. By the end of 2008, Sony had sold approximately 385 million units.
The device marked the first personal, portable stereo cassette player. The high sound quality served as a key difference from the transistor radio. It became part of '80s culture and in 1986, “Walkman” entered the Oxford English Dictionary.
