Winning a championship at home: How Miami can join NFL's Rams, Buccaneers in unique football history

For the first time in the modern College Football Playoff era, a team will compete for the national title on its own turf as the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes prepare to face the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19. While the matchup is technically a neutral-site game, the Hurricanes will walk out of their own tunnel and into their own locker room at Hard Rock Stadium, aiming to win the ultimate prize in the very building they have called home for nearly two decades.

In the modern era of college football, playing a championship in your home state has happened several times, but playing in your actual home stadium is extremely rare. Miami is the first team in the College Football Playoff era to play the final game in the same stadium where they play their regular-season home games. The last time this occurred in any capacity was the 1995 Orange Bowl, when Miami played Nebraska in the old Orange Bowl, their home at the time.

By playing for — and potentially winning — the title at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes are attempting to join a very short list of teams in American football history to win a "neutral-site" championship on their own grass.

In the NFL, it took over 50 years for a team to win a Super Bowl in its home stadium. If Miami wins, they will join an elite group of "home-field champions."

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Football teams to win a championship at their home stadium

The Hurricanes are on the verge of joining an elite group of teams that have conquered the "Host Stadium Curse." For decades, it was considered nearly impossible for a team to reach a championship game held at their own venue due to the sheer statistical improbability and the immense pressure of the hometown spotlight.

If Miami defeats Indiana on January 19, they will join the following two NFL teams in the club.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)

The Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to both play in and win a Super Bowl at their home stadium, Raymond James Stadium.

Led by Tom Brady in his first season with the team, Tampa Bay took a difficult path to get there, winning three straight playoff games on the road over the Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. Once they got back home, Tampa Bay dominated the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 31–9.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl Champions! Pic.twitter.com/eFPheKXhlv

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 8, 2021

Despite the limited crowd size due to the pandemic, the home-field advantage was evident as the Bucs' defense relentlessly pressured Patrick Mahomes, and Brady threw three touchdowns to secure his seventh ring on his own turf.

Los Angeles Rams (2021)

Immediately following the Bucs' historic feat, the Los Angeles Rams repeated the trick the very next year.

After an aggressive offseason of trades for veteran stars like Matthew Stafford and Von Miller, the Rams reached Super Bowl LVI at the brand-new SoFi Stadium. In a tense, back-and-forth battle against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Rams trailed late in the fourth quarter.

However, Stafford led a surgical 15-play drive that ended with a touchdown to Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald sealed the 23–20 victory with a final defensive stand.

3 years ago today, the Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI 🏆pic.twitter.com/e5ZO9m7vwk

— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) February 13, 2025

The win made the Rams the second team in as many years to hoist the trophy in their own stadium.

DECOURCY: Indiana's storybook season demands media covering Hoosiers shift attention from hoops to football

Football teams to play championship in their home state

Though not many teams have played a championship in their home stadium, there is a wider list of teams to play the title game in their own state.

Miami remains the only college program to play for a championship in their actual home stadium across two different venues. While their current 2025 run is taking place at Hard Rock Stadium, their legendary 1980s and 90s runs were centered at the historic Orange Bowl.

LSU has been the most frequent beneficiary of home-state advantage in the 21st century, appearing in four title games in New Orleans. They secured wins in 2003, 2007, and 2019, with their only loss coming in the 2011 season.

Six years ago today: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase & LSU beat Tee Higgins’ Clemson Tigers in the National Championship Game pic.twitter.com/FTR6s3j3bS

— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) January 14, 2026

Georgia became the first team in the College Football Playoff era to play for the title in their home state when they faced Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta following the 2017 season.

WHAT. A. GAME.

Tua Tagovailoa to DeVonta Smith... BALLGAME!!!@AlabamaFTBL WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! Pic.twitter.com/WxmHdRazCQ

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 9, 2018

In the NFL, The 1984 San Francisco 49ers capped off a dominant 15–1 season by defeating the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium, just miles from their own training facility.

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