Head coach Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers registered a historic 27-21 victory against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. It was Cignetti’s just second season at the helm as he turned around one of the sport’s historically worst programs to a perfect 16-0 season and a national title. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza also deserves a lot of credit, as his masterful performance in the championship game and the rest of the season played a big hand in this accomplishment.
With the win, the Hoosiers are preparing for a parade celebration in Bloomington, where thousands of fans will honor and celebrate the program. Cignetti, alongside players, coaches, and school officials, will be leading the parade celebrations.
As of now, the time, route and broadcasting of the parade are unknown. Last season, after the Ohio State Buckeyes won the national championship, they held an event at their home stadium that drew over 30,000 fans. The program arranged for a band performance, entrances from coaches and players and their respective words reflecting on the season. Indiana could do something similar at their home stadium.
Curt Cignetti Goes Low-Key With CFP Championship Celebrations
Curt Cignetti has a simplistic way to celebrate his unbeaten season with Indiana. Instead of seeking the spotlight for himself, he’d much rather crack open a beer.
“I’m gonna have a beer,” he told ESPN’s Molly McGrath. “We won the national championship at Indiana University, it can be done.”
Cignetti had a similar choice of words after he defeated Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl:
“I’m really not thinking about the next game. I’m thinking about cracking open a beer.”
James Madison University’s director of football operations, James Ferguson, guessed what Cignetti would like:
“Used to be Mich Ultra.”
Cignetti has a history of turning around programs and it started much before he joined Indiana. It started with Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP; 2011-2016), where Cignetti converted a struggling team into consistent performer, going 53-17. At Elon (2017-2018), he took over a program with six straight losing seasons and quickly improved it. Before joining Indiana in 2024, Cignetti became James Madison’s head coach and went 52-9 overall, including three CAA titles and multiple deep playoff runs.
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