The Indiana Hoosiers are national champions...in football. The historic basketball powerhouse not only won its first football national championship in school history, but pulled off a rare perfect season, never losing a game.
Bloomington, Indiana, has been behind its team all season, even in 2024 when new head coach Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The head coach has taken the Indiana program to heights they never thought possible.
Over the two seasons that Cignetti has been the head coach, the Hoosiers have won 27 games. Indiana won 28 games from 2018 to 2023.
The national championship is always highly celebrated by the winning school's hometown, but this time it just seemed bigger for Bloomington as students and fans alike flooded the streets and partied like a school that had been there before.
Here is more on the celebrations in Bloomington after Indiana beat Miami to win its first football national championship.
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Indiana celebrations after CFP national championship
When a school wins a national championship, its hometown tends to turn into the biggest college house party imaginable. Students light fires, climb lightposts and steal street signs. The Hoosier faithful hit all the benchmarks in their celebration and pulled it off despite the temperature dropping close to 0 degrees overnight.
The fire department and police departments were called, but there have not been any reports of arrests being made, and they made sure the celebrations just didn't reach an unsafe level.
A local college bar, The Upstairs Pub, shared drone footage of the massive crowd in the streets outside after the win.
Here ya go @notthefakeSVP @StanfordSteve82 @SportsCenter...
— The Upstairs Pub (@UpstairsPub_IU) January 20, 2026
Views courtesy of The People's Bar: from high above the streets of Bloomington, Indiana.
Home to the undefeated National Champion Indiana Hoosier football team!!
(🎥 by Charles Audu) pic.twitter.com/wIzVLENhQX
Thanks for the shout @SportsCenter& SVP!!
— The Upstairs Pub (@UpstairsPub_IU) January 20, 2026
Oh, and, yes @notthefakeSVP...
The People's Bar™️ is having us one helluva time tonight pic.twitter.com/vFyRS3dwWZ
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A photo from a local news station in Indianapolis posted a picture of one of the fires started in the streets.
Meanwhile, in Bloomington. Pic.twitter.com/U8t2M5Ouhg
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) January 20, 2026
And another of a celebrating fan who had climbed a tree.
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) January 20, 2026
The celebrations continue on Kirkwood. Pic.twitter.com/8KyHGLDeP0
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) January 20, 2026
The celebrations reportedly lasted nearly until dawn.
Safe to say Bloomington ain’t sleeping tonight
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 20, 2026
pic.twitter.com/vEcr7FU9tp
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Stop signs in Bloomington were not safe, and neither were couches.
Indiana Hoosiers fans take in the CFP national championship win Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, from the streets of downtown Bloomington.
— Grace Smith (@_graceephotos) January 20, 2026
Photos! Https://t.co/BRCrgWf93F pic.twitter.com/IaXdwa2PQu
Scenes from Bloomington, Indiana as IU Hoosiers celebrate Indiana's first College Football National Championship. #iufb pic.twitter.com/m1GUMOoVI0
— Jay Deegan (@jay_deegan_) January 20, 2026
Some of the scenes from Bloomington look like they came straight out of a movie.
Now that I have signal and fingers that can move, a few scenes from Bloomington pic.twitter.com/QstEVihgjL
— Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) January 20, 2026
Kirkwood Avenue is the main street in the college town and it was flooded with students all night after the win.
Kirkwood in Bloomington after Indiana defeats Miami to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. #Hoosiers pic.twitter.com/5HpcVwbRJQ
— Rachael Wilkerson (@Rach_TV_) January 20, 2026
Generations of Hoosiers fans turned out to celebrate.
They’re celebrating in Bloomington tonight 🥳 pic.twitter.com/5tfxFOfQSl
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 20, 2026
For some reason, when your team wins, some students' first inclination is to climb. Whether it be trees, light poles, or roofs.
Here's a taste of what we saw in Bloomington last night after the Hoosiers became National Champions!!#CFBPlayoff #GoHoosiers pic.twitter.com/mCNGzy28kW
— Max Lewis (@MaxLewisTV) January 20, 2026