Indiana whooped it up on the field as it was handed its first-ever national championship trophy after beating Miami, 27-21, at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday. It was a fitting image for the Hoosiers, who completed their undefeated season.
Fernando Mendoza came up big anew for Indiana, scoring on a gutsy 12-yard rush with 9:18 left in the fourth quarter, which proved to be the game-changing play.
For the third straight year, a team from the Big Ten ruled college football, and commissioner Tony Petitti felt very proud.
“I feel like we’re just getting started,” said Petitti, as quoted by Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti on three straight titles for his league: “I feel like we’re just getting started.” pic.twitter.com/mKtacSpTzy
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 20, 2026
Ohio State and Michigan won the CFP title game in the previous two years.
The Big Ten has the second-most national championships with four, trailing the SEC’s six.
Indiana is more known for its basketball, enduring decades of losing seasons on the gridiron. But ever since Curt Cignetti arrived in 2024, the program has witnessed a massive turnaround.
In his first season, the Hoosiers won a then-school record 11 games, earning their first-ever berth in the CFP. Cignetti was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
He won it again the following season, guiding Indiana to a 16-0 campaign and a landmark trophy.
“Took some chances, found a way. Let me tell you: We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done,” said Cignetti in a report from the Associated Press.
Cignetti has also acknowledged Petitti’s leadership in shaping the Big Ten’s competitive environment. With the Hoosiers’ historic triumph, other teams must be inspired to follow the blueprint and keep the national title in the Big Ten.
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