Overview
- The national championship kicks at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 19, on ESPN at Hard Rock Stadium, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call and Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath on the sidelines.
- Top-seeded Indiana arrives 15-0 after dominant playoff wins over Alabama, 38-3, and Oregon, 56-22.
- No. 10 Miami advanced by beating Texas A&M 10-3, Ohio State 24-14 and Ole Miss 31-27, and it will play in its home stadium.
- Betting markets broadly price Indiana around an 8.5-point favorite, with moneyline odds near -340 for the Hoosiers, +270 for the Hurricanes and a total around 47.5.
- NFL draft attention centers on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, with Miami standouts Rueben Bain Jr. and Francis Mauigoa among several prospects projected early in the 2026 draft.