Miami vs. Indiana live score, updates, highlights from 2026 College Football Playoff championship

JUMP TO:

• Miami vs. Indiana score
• Miami vs. Indiana highlights
• How to watch 2026 CFP championship
• College Football Playoff schedule 2026

At Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night, college football’s past and future collide in the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship. After all the chaos since August — from record-breaking performances to historic upsets to the seismic realignment of the sport's power structure — there are two teams remaining, and it is the perfect pair to play for a title under the lights in Miami.

On one sideline stands the top-ranked and undefeated Indiana Hoosiers. Just two years ago, this was the 'losingest' program in Power Four history. Then came Curt Cignetti, who famously told the world to 'Google him' because all he does is win. Cignetti hasn't just turned the program around — he has engineered a two-year stretch unlike anything the sport has ever seen.

Behind Indiana's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers have become a clinical machine, capturing their first Big Ten title since 1945 and achieving a No. 1 ranking that felt impossible only a few years ago. As Cignetti famously said, they don't just win; they "beat the s— out of them." Now, they look to become the first team in major college football history to finish a season 16-0. 

Across the field, playing in their home stadium — though designated as the road team — are the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. After two decades of searching for an identity, Mario Cristobal has finally restored the championship DNA to Coral Gables. Led by veteran quarterback Carson Beck and a ferocious defensive front that leads the nation in sacks, Miami has bullied its way through the playoff bracket.

The storylines are as deep as the rosters. Mendoza, the Heisman winner, grew up less than a mile from the UM campus and attended the same high school as Cristobal. The ties are intergenerational: Mendoza’s father was a high school teammate of Cristobal’s, and his mother was a standout tennis player for the Hurricanes. Tonight, the kid who was once passed over by his hometown program returns to South Florida as the most decorated player in the country, aiming to spoil Miami's homecoming.

This matchup is a collision of two incredible journeys: the Cignetti Revolution, which turned a historical underdog into a juggernaut, and the Miami Restoration, which returned the swagger to 'The U.' One is fighting to rewrite the record books; the other is fighting to reclaim a throne. Tonight, the storybook runs come to an end, and only one team gets to write the final sentence in championship gold.

AllSportsPeople is tracking live scoring updates and highlights for Miami vs. Indiana in the 2026 CFP national championship game. Follow below for complete results from the College Football Playoff finale.

STREAM: Watch Indiana vs. Miami live with Fubo (free trial)

Miami vs. Indiana football score

SN's PLAYOFF HQ: Live CFP scores | Updated CFP bracket | Full CFP schedule

Miami vs. Indiana live updates, highlights from 2026 CFP championship game

All times ET.

4:15 p.m.:  College football fans, get your dose of hype videos before the season is over.

Chris Pratt gets us ready for tonight's contest with his pregame trailer on ESPN:

MIAMI. INDIANA.

Chris Pratt (@prattprattpratt) gets us HYPED for the CFP National Championship tonight at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN and the ESPN App 🔥 pic.twitter.com/szXaeaGIhB

— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2026

4:04 p.m.:  Of course, expect the stars to come out in Miami, including Mr. 305 himself.

Mr. 305 is HYPED for the natty 🌴🔥@jess_sims catches up with @pitbull ahead of tonight's matchup 😎 pic.twitter.com/gMUio4kl3l

— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2026

3:37 p.m.:  Then, of course, are the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers.

What was once the losingest program in college football history and the basement of the Big Ten is now the newest powerhouse in the sport. Curt Cignetti has turned the Hoosiers into a steamroller in two years, compiling a 26-2 record, the program's first No. 1 ranking and first Big Ten title since 1945.

Welcome to your first CFP National Championship, Hoosiers. #CFBPlayoff x #NeverDaunted pic.twitter.com/zaTHrMhwJC

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 19, 2026

Tonight, a win would cap off the greatest turnaround in college football history. Indiana would join only Yale as teams to go 16-0 and win its first ever national championship in football.

This would be one of the best stories in not only college football, but sports history if the Hoosiers are victorious.

3:33 p.m.:  First, the team playing in its home stadium but the designated "road team," the Miami Hurricanes.

Many thought No. 10 Miami shouldn't have been in the 12-team field, but now sit one win away from history. Mario Cristobal is looking to bring his alma mater to its sixth star and first since 2001.

The Hurricanes have stars on both sides of the ball. On offense, it's two-time national champion Carson Beck at quarterback, joined by running back Mark Fletcher Jr. And Malachi Toney. On defense, Miami leads the nation in sacks, with Reuben Bain Jr. And Akheem Mesidor at the helm.

All roads lead to Miami🙌#CFBPlayoff x #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/GJ1VClU9Om

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 19, 2026

Miami has made it back to the mountaintop and becomes the first team since 1998 (also Miami) to play the title game at their home stadium.

3:31 p.m.:  Tonight, we crown a champion.

No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami are the last two standing. Will tonight be the return of a dormant powerhouse or the birth of a new one?

The definition of perfection👌🏟️#CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/pDfNLXsZgB

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 19, 2026

Either way, one legendary story gets its final sentence in championship gold.

MORE CFP CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:

• Is Donald Trump at the CFP title game?
• Why Curt Cignetti doesn't smile on sidelines
• Why does Miami have a U on helmets?
• Greatest college football teams of all time
• List of undefeated teams in college football history

How to watch 2026 College Football Playoff championship

Miami vs. Indiana start time

• Date: Monday, Jan. 19
• Time:  7:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. PT

The College Football Playoff National Championship will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

While Miami is playing in its own backyard, the Hurricanes are actually the designated road team for this matchup. This marks the first time a team has played for the modern national title in its own stadium since the 1995 Orange Bowl. For Indiana, this is a historic debut; the Hoosiers have never played in this venue, making their first-ever trip to Hard Rock Stadium one with the ultimate stakes.

What channel is Miami vs. Indiana on today?

• TV channel: ESPN
• Live stream: Fubo 

The National Championship will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The network's lead team of Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (color commentator) will be on the call, joined by reporters Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath on the sidelines.

ESPN will also feature its signature Megacast for the title game, offering a variety of alternate viewing experiences:

• Field Pass with Pat McAfee (ESPN2)
• Command Center (ESPNU)
• Skycast & All-22 (ESPN App)
• Spanish Language Broadcast (ESPN Deportes)

Fans looking to stream the game can turn to Fubo, which often offers a free trial to new users.

College Football Playoff schedule 2026

Dec. 19

Dec. 20

Dec. 31 

Jan. 1

Jan. 8

Jan. 9

Jan. 19