It's Hoosiers vs. Hurricanes in a heavyweight bout that is brimming with historical repercussions.
History will be made between Indiana and Miami tonight in Miami Gardens, Florida — and not just because one will emerge victorious in the 2026 College Football Playoff championship.
It's because, as NBC Sports college football insider Nicole Auerbach writes, the outcome is guaranteed to have an enormous impact on either program while also speaking volumes about the current state of the sport.
A victory by top-seeded Indiana would be its first and punctuate one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports history with a 16-0 season (the first since Yale in 1894).
The losingest team in college football before the arrival of “unicorn” coach Curt Cignetti barely two years ago, the Hoosiers jaw-droppingly have become the blueprint for overnight success in the transfer and NIL era.
Nicole AuerbachMeanwhile, the bruising march to a hometown title game by 10th-seeded Miami has been a reclamation of past glory. "The U" can win its sixth national championship but the first since 2001 for a proud program that has produced a plethora of dynamic and legendary NFL superstars such as Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed (the defensive anchor of the 2001 team).
Many of those luminaries will be cheering on their alma mater in person tonight as another renowed alum, head coach Mario Cristobal, tries to join elite company. Cristobal could become one of the few to win a national title as a player and coach — and the first Cuban-American to guide a championship team in history.
In a playoff marked by some spectacular storylines, compelling comebacks and memorable heroics, this looms as the most intriguing matchup yet.
Picture-perfect day here in Miami. pic.twitter.com/vO7R5Gxtd6
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 19, 2026
Follow along below for our live coverage here with updates before, during and after the big game.
How to watch Indiana vs. Miami in the CFP championship
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
- TV: ESPN (pregame from 5-7:30 p.m.)
- Announcers/reporters: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath
- Other networks: ESPN2 (Field Pass), ESPNU (Film Room), ESPNEWS (Skycast), ACCN (Field Pass), ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
Indiana-Miami national championship live updates
Buses are on the move
A little more than two hours before kickoff, the coaches and players were shown during the pregame show being loaded
Game odds
Indiana opened as a touchdown favorite and consistently has remained there. As of two hours before kickoff, DraftKings Sportsbook had the spread at Indiana by 8.5 points.
This detailed preview from Eric Froton and the Rotoworld Bet Staff has a bevy of stats, trends and predictions.
Eric Froton
Rotoworld Bet StaffCategory: General Sports
