CFP National Championship 2026: Where to watch Miami vs. Indiana as 'Canes, Hoosiers meet for ultimate prize
Miami is seeking its first national title since 2001, while Indiana could win its first championship on Monday night in Miami
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3 min read
The final game of the 2025 college football season will take place Monday night in Miami when No. 10 Miami faces No. 1 Indiana in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. The Hoosiers are seeking their first title in program history, while Miami is looking to claim its first championship since 2001.
Indiana's road to the title game began earlier this month with a blowout 38-3 win over Alabama in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. That win marked the Hoosiers' first bowl game win of any kind since 1991. Curt Cignetti's program followed up that performance with an even more dominant showing the following week with a 56-22 win over Big Ten foe Oregon in the Peach Bowl.
Miami had to win three games away from South Florida to become the first team in the CFP era to play for the national title at its own stadium. The Hurricanes defeated Texas A&M 10-3 in the first round of the CFP before eliminating reigning national champion Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl.
The Hurricanes punched their ticket to the title game with a dramatic 31-27 win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl after quarterback Carson Beck scored a go-ahead touchdown with 18 seconds remaining.
Where to watch Miami vs. Indiana in CFP National Championship
Game: 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship
Date: Monday, Jan. 19 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium -- Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Miami vs. Indiana: Alternate viewing options
- Field Pass with Pat McAfee Show -- ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free)
- Film Room -- ESPNU, fuboTV (Try for free)
- Skycast -- ESPNEWS, fuboTV (Try for free)
- Field Pass with ACC Huddle -- ACC Network, fuboTV (Try for free)
- All-22 with ESPN Radio, High Skycast, Command Center, hometown radio, halftime band performances and more available via ESPN's app
Miami vs. Indiana storylines
Miami: Miami is seeking its sixth national championship in program history and first since 2001. Miami coach Mario Cristobal could become the first coach in the AP poll era (since 1936) to win a national title as a player and the coach of his alma mater. Cristobal played at Miami (1989-92) as an offensive tackle.
With a win, Miami can become the third two-loss national champion in FBS history. The Hurricanes would join LSU (2007) and Ohio State (2024). It would also mark the second consecutive season that the 12-team CFP format produced a two-loss champion. Ohio State lost to Oregon and Michigan before winning four games in a row en route to a title.
Miami's path to the CFP title game was difficult with three games away from home, but now the Hurricanes will do something that no team in the BCS or CFP era has done: play for a title at their home stadium. Miami has played at Hard Rock Stadium since 2008 and lost the Orange Bowl in 2017 to Wisconsin.
Indiana: The Hoosiers are in the midst of one of the most unlikely turnarounds in college football history. The Hoosiers could become the lowest-ranked team (No. 20) in the AP preseason poll to win the national championship since Auburn, who began the season at No. 22, did it in 2010.
The Big Ten (Michigan and Ohio State) has won the last two national titles. If Indiana wins, it would be the first time since the 1940s that the conference has won three consecutive national titles. It would also become the third time (SEC twice) a conference had won three consecutive national titles with three different schools.
Indiana star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernado Mendoza will be returning to South Florida for the national title game. Mendoza grew up near the Miami campus, and his father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., was teammates with Cristobal at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami.
Miami vs. Indiana prediction, pick
Having watched Indiana up close at the Rose Bowl earlier this month, Cignetti's squad feels like a team of destiny. Indiana has everything you need to win a title. The Hoosiers are physical in the trenches on both sides of the football, have a star quarterback to pair with talented skill position players and are disciplined. This game is going to come down to who can control the line of scrimmage. I'll give the edge to Indiana, although Miami is very talented up front on both sides of the football. I don't think this will be a blowout, but Indiana wins by 10. Pick: Indiana -8.5
