The 2025-2026 NCAAF season all comes down to this.
The NCAAF National Championship game will be played tonight and will determine who will be this year’s champion as the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers take on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes.
In an action-packed season, the Hoosiers will look to complete its Cinderella story type of season while Miami will look to win the national championship in front of a ‘home’ crowd.
Both programs have rich football history, with its mascots playing big parts of their respective identities. Ahead of tonight’s game, let’s explore each team’s iconic mascots that will be visibly celebrating or going against the results of each play:
Who Is Miami’s Mascot?
Miami‘s mascot is Sebastian The Ibis. In August of 1957, Sebastian was created by Norman A. Whitten and was used for a homecoming competition entry. The following year, student John Stormont performed at games in the costume which was made up of armolite insulation, white terry cloth for the feathers, ROTC spats for the feet, and toes made from burlap.
The ibis bird is native to the marshlands and wetlands of South Florida serving as a “Hurricanes bird.”
The mascot was originally named Icky but later renamed Sebastian, due to Stormont being a resident in the San Sebastian Hall.
Who Is Indiana’s Mascot?
Indiana‘s mascot is Hoosier The Bison. In fact, Hoosier The Bison made is return back as Indiana’s mascot after a near 60-year hiatus. Hoosier made his return to Bloomington after the ‘Bring Back the Bison Act’ passed by Indiana’s Student Body Congress on Dec. 16, 2024.
In 1965, the university adopted the Bison as its team mascot. The animal was picked to represent the school due to its former migration history in the region. In November of 1965, a bison mascot was unveiled, but within a decade, the bovine project had come to a halt. Fast forward to 2026, and Hoosier is back and represented strongly in Indiana.
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