Indiana ‘Culture’ and Cash Land Stunning First Title

MIAMI — Two years ago, the Indiana Hoosiers were one of the worst college football teams in any power conference. Now, they’re national champions. 

On Monday night, the No. 1 Hoosiers beat the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes 27-21, capping off a historic—and now perfect—16-0 season. 

Indiana was favored to beat Miami on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium. But in the grand scheme of things, the unlikeliness of Indiana winning a College Football Playoff national championship cannot be overstated. 

The Hoosiers have never won a national championship in football. In fact, Indiana hadn’t seen a national championship in football or men’s basketball since the late Bobby Knight led the Hoosiers to a title in 1987 over Syracuse—almost four decades ago. It’s not like their recent history was much better—just two years ago, Indiana placed last in the Big Ten with a 3-9 record. 

When asked if he had ever expected the Hoosiers to be in a national championship, Indiana booster Mark Cuban didn’t listen to the entire question before saying a resounding “No.” He wouldn’t even predict who would win, though everyone knew who he was rooting for. “I don’t make predictions. Every time I made a prediction with the Mavs, I jinxed myself, so I’m staying away.”

How They Beat the Odds

To climb the ladder to success, Indiana participated in the same trends as its opponents. They embraced the era of the unrestricted transfer portal to build a championship-caliber roster—after all, they were led by transfer quarterback (and Heisman winner) Fernando Mendoza. 

But there were just as many factors that made them different. The Hoosiers aren’t considered to be in the top five or so programs as far as NIL spending, and they don’t have any five-star players. “You have to understand how you use economics, and I think what’s really set IU apart is—we’re not like, ‘Okay, let’s raise as much money as we can to pay everybody more,’” Cuban said. “It’s more about how do we structure, how do we build a culture.” 

And they didn’t participate in one major trend across college football: hiring a general manager. Cignetti proclaimed before the season that he would be the coach and general manager—something that Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson told FOS was a philosophy he insisted upon even during his interview process in 2023.

Historic Night

Ultimately, though, the team and staff Cignetti led was able to become the college football team in more than a century with a perfect season. The Hoosiers led 10-0 in the first half, but Miami roared back in the second half—at multiple points, cutting down their deficit to just one field goal. But the Hoosiers were able to fight them off—and an interception with just 44 seconds to go sealed Indiana’s fate. In all, they made history with a score that separated them from Miami by just six points. 

“Success brings belief, which brings confidence and more success, and repetition,” Cignetti said during a particularly philosophical moment during Sunday’s pregame press conferences. “Repetition is the mother of learning; you get better.”