TRAVERSE CITY -- Bill Ivan liked Indiana's honest approach.
The Hoosiers told the Charlevoix offensive lineman during the spring that if he camped there, and they liked what they saw, a scholarship offer would probably be forthcoming.
Indiana offered this month and Ivan accepted Monday.
"It felt like a good fit," Ivan said.
"I like the academics there and I love the coaching staff, particularly the offensive line coach. They were honest with me through this whole process."
Central Michigan also extended an offer to Ivan, about "10 minutes" after the Hoosiers did, Charlevoix coach Don Jess said.
"He liked both schools," Jess said. "Central's a great program, too. I think what it really came down to is the academic standing of Indiana and the chance to play Big Ten football. He had a great experience when he went to Indiana. Everything seemed to fit."
Ivan, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound tackle, is the first Charlevoix football player to accept a Big Ten scholarship since Mark Beaudoin signed with Michigan State in the early 1980s.
"He's a great kid," Jess said. "He plays four sports and on top of that he has a 3.9 GPA. He's the type of kid you want to represent your program and community."
Ivan said Michigan and Iowa had also been in contact although neither offered.
"I called both of those schools before I committed to Indiana," the 17-year-old said. "I asked, 'What are my chances for a scholarship?' Iowa told me that they had seven total scholarships for offensive and defensive linemen. They already had six commits and they had a couple other guys offered. I said, 'Thank you, that tells me what I need to know.' They said, 'Good luck.'"
Ivan also spoke with Michigan offensive line coach Greg Frey.
"He said, 'We don't want you to miss an opportunity like that because you're waiting for something from us,'" Ivan said.
Indiana, meanwhile, plans to take four offensive linemen in its 2010 class. Two of those scholarships are already taken.
"I didn't want to wait and race for that fourth spot," Ivan said.
Ivan attended seven camps over the summer. He was at Indiana on June 8. He had previously attended a spring practice there.
Jess said Hoosier coaches like Ivan's tenacity, athletic ability and flexibility.
"He's a super hard worker," Jess said. "Sometimes those big offensive linemen just push people around. Well, he gets after it. He wants to bury guys."
Traverse City St. Francis linebacker/safety Matt Zakrzewski is also considering Indiana. In fact, he plans to take an unofficial visit to Indiana on July 30. Zakrzewski currently has offers from Indiana, Missouri, Central Michigan and Western Michigan on the table.
"I'm still waiting to see what happens," he said.
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