Bloomington, Ind. – The Indiana Hoosiers They were ready to party Tuesday night, and were joined by hundreds of loyal fans when they arrived back on campus in Bloomington.
Amid freezing temperatures and bitter wind chills, fans, players and coaches celebrated college football’s unlikely national champions. The heartwarming scene reminded fans how Indiana’s trip follows the Hollywood version of “Hoosiers.”
Fans chanted “Whoo, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo-searers” as the six team buses arrived on the south side of the team’s practice facility.
At traditional football powers like Alabama, Michigan or Ohio State, such scenes can be expected in mid-January. Bloomington is different.
Here, success is measured in banners rather than trophies, and athletes are expected to take pride in playing for the name written on the front of their jersey. Here, fans embrace the stories of the players’ work ethic from the little dots on their state’s map and take pride in the belief that in the 49 other states, basketball is just that, basketball. In Indiana, it’s like a religion.
Coach Curt Cignetti and his football Hoosiers are carrying on those traditions.
In two seasons, he created a compelling story – a rags-to-riches tale of college football’s losingest program capturing the first national title. Indiana beats Miami 27-21 The pro-Hoosiers crowd made it feel like a game in Bloomington on Monday night — on the Hurricanes’ home field — and set the milestone with an interception by the nephew of a former Miami player.
How inspiring was this season?
“I’m a Purdue graduate, but I’ve worked at IU for almost 20 years, and I told my colleagues today that this is the first year I’ve rooted for IU,” Leah Mullins said, referring to Indiana’s biggest rival. “I had to remove myself from the Boilermakers because this season has been so inspiring and exciting and there is such a camaraderie within the community.”
This sentiment was on full display Tuesday night.
Whether it was people wearing Indiana’s trademark crimson-and-cream candy-striped pants, the IU window flags fluttering in the wind or the Hoosiers’ victory flag fluttering above the stadium and the sun setting behind it, the excitement was palpable.
On the main road leading to the stadium, someone added the words “National Champion” to a display of wooden cutouts, which has continued to grow with each win this season. The Hoosiers became the first team since the 1890s to finish 16–0.
There were long lines to purchase national championship gear at a local sporting goods store early Tuesday, and when news broke that the team had landed at Indianapolis International Airport, about an hour’s drive northwest of Bloomington, parking lots began filling up.
But this being so new to Indiana, many fans were in the wrong place to catch a glimpse of the Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendozadefensive leader eden fisherSignet or trophy. So they ran to their cars, followed the blaring sirens of the police escort and followed the buses.
“I haven’t seen Bloomington this connected to anything and this happy in a long time,” said Anika Drichell, a native of the college town of 85,000. “It’s very exciting.”
Few people began to believe when Cignetti won a school-record 11 games in 2024, with the only losses coming at eventual national champion Ohio State and eventual runner-up Notre Dame. As Cignetti’s team defeated then-No. 1, others got on board. The Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes at No. 3 Oregon on the road in October to capture their first outright Big Ten title since 1945. Others held out until the clock ran out Monday night.
Those who didn’t get a chance to celebrate Tuesday will have other opportunities. Mendoza is scheduled to do an autograph session at a sporting goods store Wednesday morning. The trophy will be displayed at a grocery store on Wednesday and at Wal-Mart on Thursday.
The party will continue Saturday, with the school announcing a championship celebration at Memorial Stadium, where fans can actually cheer on the CFP-winning Hoosiers at the end of a historic season.
“When it started getting really good I said, ‘Well, you know maybe I should do this [get on board]It’s really great,” Mullins said. “And Fernando is such a great kid, I mean all of them. They’re all such nice people, it’s almost like how can you not support these guys?”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
