Indiana Caps Historic Turnaround with First College Football National Championship.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Once considered the losingest program in FBS history, Indiana University has completed one of the most improbable turnarounds in college football by winning its first national championship. After being dismissed by critics as a one-year wonder following an opening-round College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame in 2024, the Hoosiers defied expectations, finishing the 2025 season undefeated at 16-0. Head coach Curt Cignetti, who took over the program in 2023, built the team on discipline, character, and perseverance. “Most people who know football would probably say this is one of the greatest stories of all time,” Cignetti remarked after the championship game. Indiana’s season climaxed in a 27-21 victory over Miami, highlighted by a pivotal fourth-and-4 play where quarterback Fernando Mendoza powered through multiple defenders to score the go-ahead touchdown. The program’s transformation began with strategic leadership decisions. When Indiana fired coach Tom Allen in 2023, university president Pamela Whitten and athletic director Scott Dolson aimed to elevate the program. Cignetti’s hiring reflected a shared vision: a coach committed to winning without limitations. In his first two years at Indiana, Cignetti emphasized not recruiting based solely on star ratings, but on players’ work ethic and character. Twenty-two players were added via the transfer portal, including Mendoza, who would become the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history.

Indiana’s 2025 campaign opened with convincing wins against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State. The team’s first major test came in Week 4 against No. 9 Illinois, which the Hoosiers routed 63-10. They continued to prove their legitimacy with a 30-20 road victory over No. 3 Oregon, a program they had never beaten on the road against a top-five opponent. By the time Indiana faced Penn State, the Hoosiers were ranked No. 2 and demonstrated their resilience with a dramatic 36-second, game-winning drive. The Big Ten Championship against No. 1 Ohio State saw another clutch performance by Mendoza, connecting with Elijah Sarratt for a third-quarter touchdown that secured a 13-10 win. The Hoosiers carried this momentum into the College Football Playoff, dominating Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals and Oregon 56-22 in the semifinals. These victories made Indiana the first team since the CFP’s expansion to 12 teams to win multiple playoff games by 30 points or more.

Cignetti’s philosophy of “bet on yourself” and the team-first mentality instilled in his players has become a hallmark of the program. As Mendoza noted, “Whenever they called that play, we knew we were going to better ourselves one more time at the biggest stage of the game.”

Indiana’s journey from the nation’s most losing program to national champion reflects not only tactical excellence but also the transformative power of leadership, discipline, and belief. As linebacker Mikail Kamara said, “Once we win this, everything will change.” For the Hoosiers, the Cinderella story of 2025 is just the beginning.