How many people watched Miami Hurricanes vs Indiana Hoosiers 2026? How does is compare to others?

The Indiana Hoosiers captured the first national championship in program history after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27–21 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has Cuban roots, completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and carried the ball six times, scoring one rushing touchdown in a performance that proved decisive on the sport’s biggest stage.

• Hoosiers reset college football clock after 132 years

The display by the Latino quarterback quickly caught the attention of the wider public. Mendoza is widely projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a selection currently owned by the Las Vegas Raiders. Team owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek, and minority owner and former quarterback Tom Brady were all in attendance for the championship game.

Hurricanes vs Hoosiers viewing figures

Audience figures for the national title game were also released, revealing that the broadcast drew 30.1 million viewers, with a peak of 33.2 million.

Those numbers make it the second most-watched championship game in the history of the College Football Playoff, as well as the second most-viewed cable broadcast of all time. To put the achievement in context, it was the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, and the most-viewed college football game in more than a decade.

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