Bragging rights and regional delicacies are on the line as the governors of Indiana and Florida agreed to a friendly wager ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game.
Mike Braun of Indiana issued the challenge Friday on social media to Ron DeSantis of Florida as top-ranked Indiana prepares to face Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Hey @GovRonDeSantis, how about a friendly wager on the national championship?” Braun wrote on X. “If IU loses, I’ll send you some pork from Fischer Farms … plus some pies from the famous Wick’s Pies, including a sugar cream pie (an Indiana favorite). Pork and pie for bragging rights. You in?”
Mike — I am happy to oblige and am impressed with IU’s turnaround (thanks in part to a Miami kid at QB).
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 17, 2026
But I am all-in for The U.
If Indiana wins, I’ll send stone crabs and key lime pie from @joesstonecrab.
I will just drop them off in Naples or Marco Island since that’s… https://t.co/cRWktTGvrc
DeSantis quickly accepted, praising Indiana’s rise while standing firmly behind the Hurricanes.
“Mike — I am happy to oblige and am impressed with IU’s turnaround (thanks in part to a Miami kid at QB),” DeSantis replied. “But I am all-in for The U. If Indiana wins, I’ll send stone crabs and key lime pie from Joe’s Stone Crab. I will just drop them off in Naples or Marco Island since that’s basically Indiana south this time of year.”
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Indiana has rolled through the postseason, cruising past Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal before taking down Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
On the other side, Miami has embraced the underdog role. The Hurricanes earned the last at-large playoff spot after a two-loss regular season. Mario Cristobal's team then defeated Texas A&M in the opening round, stunned defending champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals, and rallied past Ole Miss in the semifinals.
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The game carries added intrigue for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Miami native, who won the Heisman Trophy and has been nearly flawless during the playoff run, went to the same high school as Cristobal.
The National Championship between No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN (Available on FuboTV). Win or lose, pork, pie, stone crabs and key lime pie await.
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