2026 College Football Playoff National Championship
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, presented by AT&T, was played on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It decided the national champion for the 2025 season. No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers from the Big Ten faced No. 10 Miami Hurricanes from the ACC. Indiana won 27–21, finishing the season 16–0 and earning its first national title.
Key facts:
- Teams: Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten) vs. Miami Hurricanes (ACC)
- Final score: Indiana 27, Miami 21
- Indiana’s season: 16–0, first perfect season and first national championship
- MVPs: Fernando Mendoza (Indiana, Offensive MVP) and Mikail Kamara (Indiana, Defensive MVP)
- Attendance: 67,227
- Broadcast: ESPN (with Megacast coverage)
Game summary:
- Indiana led 10–0 at halftime on a field goal and a first-half touchdown.
- In the second half, Miami scored to pull within a few points, but Indiana answered with a series of big plays, including a key special-teams play on a blocked punt that Indiana converted into points.
- Indiana extended its lead in the fourth quarter, then added a late score to make it 27–21.
- In the final minutes, Indiana’s defense sealed the win with an interception on Miami’s final drive.
Notable context:
- This was the third straight Big Ten national champion (2023 Michigan, 2024 Ohio State, 2026 Indiana).
- Indiana became the first Big Ten team other than Michigan or Ohio State to win a consensus national title since Minnesota in 1960.
- Indiana was the first FBS team to finish a season undefeated at 16–0.
- After the game, a sideline incident involved Mark Fletcher Jr. throwing a punch at Indiana’s Tyrique Tucker.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:17 (CET).