What is Bite-Sized Bison?
Welcome to Bite-Sized Bison!
Established in 2022, BSB is an independent newsletter produced by me, former sports journalist Taylor Lehman, a graduate of Indiana University and former reporter for Rivals.com (Indiana), Eleven Warriors (Ohio State), and the Indiana Daily Student. I spent most of my professional reporting days as a college football recruiting reporter, delving into the operations levels of various football programs.
I’ve long held an interest in sports data and the stories it can tell, so this newsletter aims to provide in-depth, data-driven analysis, typically organized into bite-sized chunks, that can provide a deeper understanding into what is happening on the field/court and what might happen in the future. Content will also feature some roster construction and recruiting analysis, drawing from my years in that field. The analysis focuses on Indiana Football but will also touch on other programs as well, such as Indiana men’s and women’s basketball and even the NFL at times.
My ultimate aim is to provide a path toward a community that discusses Indiana Football in a healthy, knowledgeable manner and introduce insightful data analysis to Indiana Football discussions (and college football broadly).
"Really enjoy your work, Taylor. Unique insights and more detailed analysis on IU than can be found anywhere else. I learn not only about IU, but the sport in general, by reading your newsletters." -Brendan, Bite-Sized Bison subscriber
Examples of Bite-Sized Bison Content
As the 2024 football season unfolded, Bite-Sized Bison began to take on the shape I’d envisioned once I continued to grow as a data scientist and analyst. Below are some visualizations and links to articles that may offer a sample of what is included in BSB content. To see the entire 2024 season’s worth of content, visit the tagged link here.
There are also other resources for BSB readers, such as a running IUFB Scholarship Chart, a Depth Chart, a running IU Assistant Salary Pool Tracker, and a Snap Counts Sheet for each football season.
Indiana Football
Subscription Information
While Bite-Sized Bison began as a free resource for IUFB fans, it recently turned toward a subscription-based model to aid in accessing data sets and offsetting the production time needed to produce an independent newsletter. The rates are as follows:
Offseason (January-July): $5/month - If you subscribe at this rate, you will never pay more than $5/month.
In-Season (August-December): $8/month - If you subscribe at this rate, your rate will remain at $8 unless you unsubscribe and re-subscribe at the offseason rate. (It’s a Substack thing, sorry.)
Annual: $50/year
The following is what BSB subscribers receive with a paid subscription:
Full access to each edition of the newsletter, including Bison Bites
Participation in reader polls (embedded in BSB newsletters)
Full access and participation in the BSB Chat
Comment section of each newsletter
All resources offered to free subscribers (below)
The following is what BSB subscribers receive with a free subscription:
Occasional free subscriber posts & previews of paid posts
Access to BSB free resources (scholarship chart, depth chart, snap counts sheets, etc.)
Bite-Sized Bison Subscriber Feedback
“If you haven’t yet subscribed, you seriously need to consider it. Taylor is putting out incredible content. (2024)” –Punt John Punt
"I am so excited BSB is coming back to chronicle the Cignetti era. Taylor is such an invaluable voice to have providing insight on IU football. Listen to him on CrimsonCast as well!" –Jerod Morris, Assembly Call
"Really enjoy your work, Taylor. Unique insights and more detailed analysis on IU than can be found anywhere else. I learn not only about IU, but the sport in general, by reading your newsletters." –Brendan, Current BSB Paid Subscriber
"You are an excellent source when it comes to breaking things down for Indiana football love the content and information you put out" –Robert, Current BSB Paid Subscriber
"You do great work, Taylor, and I'm happy to support it. Hopefully you get to write about some better teams in the Cignetti Era!" –Dan, Current BSB Paid Subscriber
Thank you!
I’m thankful for every subscriber’s readership, whether free or paid. Bite-Sized Bison began as an outlet for my Indiana Football thoughts on a platform I’d never used before (Substack). I figured 20-40 people max would read my writing, but as I write this, nearly 1,200 folks are subscribed. I’d like to thank CrimsonCast for welcoming me onto the show to talk football and Assembly Call for welcoming BSB into the fan media scene. You can find both of their Substacks recommended on BSB’s website homepage.
So, if you’re a subscriber, thank you for your trust, your time, and your attention, and if you want to be a subscriber, hit the button below.
