BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana Hoosiers were set for a celebration Tuesday night, and hundreds of devoted supporters showed up to welcome them back to campus in Bloomington.
Despite sub-zero temperatures and harsh wind chills, fans, players, and coaches rejoiced for college football’s unexpected national champions. The touching moment reminded supporters of how Indiana’s story paralleled the cinematic tale in «Hoosiers.»
«Hoo, hoo, hoo, Hoo-siers,» the crowd roared as six team buses arrived at the south side of the team’s training facility.
Indiana triumphed over Miami 27-21 Monday night at the Hurricanes’ home turf — the Hoosiers’ supporters made it feel like a game played in Bloomington — finishing the achievement with an interception by the nephew of a previous Miami player.
How motivational was this season?
«I graduated from Purdue, but I’ve been at IU for nearly 20 years, and I told my coworkers today it was the first year I ever cheered for IU,» Leah Mullins mentioned, alluding to Indiana’s primary rival. «I had to detach myself from the Boilermakers because this season has just been so uplifting and thrilling, and there’s such a sense of unity within the community.»
That feeling was vividly evident Tuesday night.
Fernando Mendoza, defensive leader Aiden Fisher, Cignetti or the trophy. So they rushed to their vehicles, trailing the blaring sirens from the police escort and parked behind the buses.
«I’ve never seen Bloomington so unified and ecstatic over anything in a long while,» stated Anika Drichel, a local from the college town of 85,000. «It’s thrilling.»
Some became supporters when Cignetti achieved a school record of 11 victories in 2024, with the only defeats against the eventual national champions Ohio State and the soon-to-be runner-up Notre Dame. Others joined in when Cignetti’s crew defeated then-No. 3 Oregon on the road in October or after the Hoosiers secured their first outright Big Ten title since 1945 by defeating the Buckeyes. Some waited until the final whistle blew on Monday night.
Those who missed their chance to rejoice on Tuesday will have additional opportunities. Mendoza is set to hold an autograph session at a sporting goods store on Wednesday morning. The trophy will be showcased at a grocery store on Wednesday and at a Wal-Mart on Thursday.
The celebration will carry on Saturday, with the school announcing a championship event at Memorial Stadium where fans can applaud the CFP-winning Hoosiers after a genuinely remarkable season.
«Once it started getting really exciting I thought, ‘Well, perhaps I should [join in], this is amazing,» Mullins said. «And Fernando is such a wonderful kid, I mean all of them. They’re all such fantastic individuals, it’s almost impossible not to support these guys.»
