Notre Dame Knocks Out Indiana in the First Round of the College Football Playoff The #7 Seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat #10 Seed Indiana Hoosiers 27-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff Friday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish are 12-1 and will face the Top Seed Georgia Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana on New Years Day in a Quarterfinal. Indiana ends their historic season at 11-2 and will look to keep the momentum going next season under First Year Coach Curt Cignetti who turned a program that won 9 games the last three seasons into the programs first ever double-digit win season in program history and their first appearance in the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame extends their winning streak to 11 games after losing the second game of the season at home to Northern Illinois
This game was historic for many reasons. This is the first year of the 12-team format and is the first game played on a college campus. This was the first Friday Night game in Notre Dame Stadium History. This first time two teams from the same state faced each other in the playoff. This was the first meeting between the two schools since 1991 and just the second meeting since 1958. Notre Dame now leads the all-time series 24-5-1 and 14-1-1 in South Bend as the Hoosiers have not won South Bend since November 5, 1898. The Game was televised on ESPN and ABC since they own the television rights and it was the first time since 1990 that a Notre Dame home game has not been televised on NBC which the first game of that contract was the last time these two teams played on September 7, 1991, when the Irish won 49-27. The atmosphere was electric all day as the tailgate lots opened 12 hours before kickoff and fans braved the cold temperatures all day and ESPN’s College Gameday was on site for this matchup. With the two teams separated by 194.3 miles their good representation of Cream and Crimson in stands with their White rally towels. Notre Dame countered with the gold rally towels and fans were waving their towels throughout the game. Gametime temperature was 27 degrees and felt like 19 degrees, but the fans remained throughout the game.
Indiana ran 3 plays for -3 yards and had to punt it away. Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard was picked off by D’Angelo Ponds as the Irish ran two plays for -1 yards. Indiana ran for 4 plays for 24 yards, but Xavier Watts picked off Kurtis Rourke and the Irish had the ball on their own 2-yard line. Jeremiyah Love busted a through a hole and went 98 yards as the Irish scored on the first play from scrimmage after the interception as Notre Dame led 7-0 with 10:57 left in the first quarter. The Irish added a second touchdown when Riley Leonard threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas capping off a 16 play 83-yard drive that chewed up 9:08 on the clock as the Irish led 14-0 12:52 left in the second quarter. Nicolas Radicic hit a 34-yard field goal with 3:26 left in the second quarter to get the Hoosiers on the board 14-3. Mitch Jeter nailed a 49-yard field goal with 7 seconds left before halftime as the Irish led 17-3 at halftime.
The Irish scored twice in the second half as Mitch Jeter hit his second field goal of the game with 4:21 left in the third quarter. Riley Leonard added a 1-yard touchdown with 4:50 left in the game to make it 27-3 Irish. Indiana punted on their first three drives of the half and on the fourth drive the Hoosiers find the endzone as Kurtis Rourke hits Myles Price on a 7-yard touchdown pass and Rourke found Elijah Sarratt on the two-point conversion to make it 27-11 with 1:27 left. The Hoosiers recovered the onside kick. The Hoosiers scored when Rourke found Omar Cooper Jr. on a 23-yard touchdown pass but miss the two-point conversion as Indiana made it 27-17 with 25 seconds left. Indiana was close to recovering a second onside kick but Notre Dame recovered and ran out the clock as the Irish will get one more game while Indiana makes the trip back to Bloomington with the season over but a season that no one will ever forget and hope that this level of success will continue.
Riley Leonard was 23-32 for 201 yards with a touchdown pass and interception and ran 11 times for 30 yards with a touchdown. Jeremiyah Love ran 8 times for 108 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Faison caught 7 passes for 89 yards. The Irish had 394 yards of total offense, 20 first downs, 7-13 of third down conversions with 67 total plays and controlled the clock for 35 minutes and 43 seconds. The Irish had 6 penalties for 35 yards. Kurtis Rourke finished 20-33 for 215 yards with 2 touchdown passes and an interception. Justice Ellison had 11 carries for 37 yards and Ty Son Lawton had 10 carries for 34 yards as the Hoosiers had 63 yards on 27 carries with Myles Price with 1 carry for 2 yards and Rourke 5 carries for -10 yards as he was sacked 3 times. Elijah Sarratt had 67 receiving yards on 4 catches as 8 Hoosiers caught passes. The Hoosiers had 278 total yards, 17 first downs, 4-12 on third down conversions, 1-1 on fourth downs as the Hoosiers had the ball for 24 Minutes and 17 seconds.
These two teams will meet again as they have agreed to a home and home series in 2030 and 2031. Indiana will make another trip to South Bend in 2030, and The Fighting Irish will make the trip to Bloomington in 2031 and that will the first time that Irish will visit Bloomington since 1950. Notre Dame controlled the game start to finish and dominated the game until the Hoosiers were able to put two late touchdowns together to make the score closer than indicated but Indiana did not give up until the clock hit zero and no matter the result fans of both teams and country saw history made with two in-state teams and the first college football playoff game on campus and Friday night lights in one of the most iconic College Football Stadiums in the country. The first meeting in 33 years between the two teams had an incredible atmosphere in late December and fans for both teams will remember this night forever.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Uses Strong Second Half to put away Oakland Sunday Afternoon After another week off, Indiana women’s basketball took care of business at home, earning a 90-55 win against Oakland in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday Afternoon. Indiana (9-3) had some struggle getting it going offensively in the first half, but the second was a different story. The Hoosiers finished 18-for-27 from the field in the second half, good for 66 percent. They also started to find more of a groove from beyond the arc, finishing 7-for-11 on 3s in the half. Indiana got their production from all around, as they finished with 40 bench points, compared to Oakland’s 11. Shay Ciezki led all scorers with 20 points on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting effort. Overall, IU shot 31-for-56 on the night, and 11-for-24 from beyond the arc.
Sydney Parrish had missed the past five games for the Hoosiers, but when she made her returning appearance against Oakland, it looked like she hadn’t missed a step. Parrish, wearing a brace on her left knee, finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and an assist in only 19 minutes of action. She was also key in Indiana’s defensive effort, adding a block and a steal to her stat line. Parrish’s skillset is critical for Indiana to continue offensive success heading into the Big Ten season. Her combination of size and shooting ability forces defenses to be aware of wherever she is in man-to-man pressure. However, against a zone defense similar to what Oakland played against the Hoosiers, she adds another body on the perimeter that can burn opponents from outside. Either way, it’s very evident Parrish completes Indiana’s plans offensively, and if she can stay healthy, IU will only continue to mesh. The Hoosiers will return to Big Ten action this Saturday afternoon when they host the Wisconsin Badgers at 2 pm.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball pulls away from Chattanooga Saturday Afternoon Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako each scored 14 points and Indiana bounced back from suffering its first Big Ten Conference loss by holding off Chattanooga 74-65 Saturday to remain unbeaten at home. Frank Champion hit two free throws to get Chattanooga within four at 67-63, but after Reneau and the Mocs’ Trey Bonham traded baskets, Myles Rice and Trey Galloway each slashed to the basket for layups and Anthony Leal hit the second of two free throws to close out the game. Rice, a Washington State transfer averaging 12.4 points per game who scored 20 points in the 85-68 loss to Nebraska, came into the game shooting 56.9% from the field (37 of 65) but was just 2 of 8 and missed all four from beyond the arc to finish with four points – the game’s opening basket and his layup in the final minute. Indiana (9-3) led by as many as 13 points after a Reneau dunk with under 13 minutes to play but Honor Huff hit three 3-pointers to help the Mocs climb back. Huff was 6 of 12 from beyond the arc and finished with 20 points to lead Chattanooga (8-5). Bonham and Bash Wieland each added 11 points. Indiana has now won all four meetings with the Mocs and is 8-0 at home. The Hoosiers will play host to Winthrop on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Indiana University Quarterback Tayven Jackson Enters the Transfer Portal Indiana’s historic run to the College Football Playoff would not have happened without a good start by backup quarterback Tayven Jackson against Washington. But Jackson hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role in two years at IU, and he’s back in the transfer portal according to multiple reports. On3’s Pete Nakos was the first to report it. A product of Greenwood, Ind. and the younger brother of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jackson transferred to Indiana following the 2022 season after starting his college career at Tennessee.
After Kurtis Rourke suffered a broken thumb, Jackson completed 11-of-19 passes against Washington for 124 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He rushed six times for 17 yards and another score in the 31-17 IU win. Jackson filled in for Rourke mid-game the week prior when the IU starter went down in the first half against Nebraska. Jackson completed 7-of-8 passes for 91 yards and two scores in that game. Overall, he played in seven games and completed 23-of-37 passes for 349 yards with four touchdowns and the interception. He added 15 carries, 73 yards, and three more scores. In 2023 Jackson battled appeared in six games with five starts as he battled with Brendan Sorsby for the starting job, a role he earned early in the season and later lost. Last year he completed 78-of-128 throws for 914 yards, with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jackson will have two more years of eligibility at his next stop. Indiana also loses starter Kurtis Rourke to eligibility. A few weeks ago, coach Curt Cignetti said the team would be adding a veteran quarterback from the transfer portal. California transfer Fernando Mendoza visited Indiana last week and appears to be a priority target for the Hoosiers. His younger brother Alberto Mendoza will be a redshirt freshman on the team next year. Penn State transfer quarterback Beau Pribula is visiting Indiana this weekend. The Hoosiers are also expected to return Tyler Cherry at quarterback next year. He’ll be a redshirt freshman as well.
Three Indiana University Men’s Soccer Hoosiers Selected in 2025 MLS SuperDraft Three Indiana men’s soccer student-athletes – senior defender Jansen Miller, senior forward Samuel Sarver and sophomore forward Collins Oduro – received selections during the 2025 MLS SuperDraft Friday. In the first round, Sporting Kansas City selected Miller No. 8 overall. Miller’s selection marks the eighth consecutive season that Indiana has produced a top 10 pick, the longest active streak in the NCAA. Indiana has produced 66 MLS selections combining 54 SuperDraft picks, eight homegrown contracts and four supplemental draft picks. Since Todd Yeagley’s first season as IU’s head coach in 2010, 28 players have earned draft selections – including 12 in the first round – and eight have signed homegrown contracts and three more have been taken in the supplemental draft.
A fifth-year senior, Miller completed his third season with IU in 2024 after transferring from Xavier before the 2022 season. In 50 appearances, Miller helped IU keep 13 clean sheets and had two goals and five assists. In 2024, Miller contributed a career-high four assists and scored the golden goal in IU’s NCAA Tournament Second Round win over Akron. Miller is the first Hoosier selected in the draft by Kansas City since 2010, when the club was known as the Kansas City Wizards. Spencer Glass (2021) and Maouloune Goumballe (2023) each signed contracts with the club’s second team, Sporting KC II, following their collegiate careers, and Goumballe remains with the organization.
FC Dallas used its second round – No. 41 overall – selection to pick two-time All-American Samuel Sarver. Sarver is the fourth Hoosier to reach the 70-career points milestone during the 21st century – first since Will bruin (2008-10) – and the 19th to earn multiple All-America awards. Sarver will join former IU teammate Herbert Endeley, a 2023 first-round selection, in Dallas. Orlando City SC selected Oduro in the second round with the No. 57 overall pick. In two seasons at IU, Oduro has recorded eight goals, seven assists and 23 points in 44 appearances. Oduro is the first player in program history selected by Orlando.
2025 MLS SuperDraft
Indiana Men’s Soccer Selections
| Round | Pick No. | Club | Name | Position |
| 1 | 8 | Sporting Kansas City | Jansen Miller | Defender |
| 2 | 41 | FC Dallas | Samuel Sarver | Forward |
| 2 | 57 | Orlando City SC | Collins Oduro | Forward |
Indiana Top 10 MLS SuperDraft Selections
Last Eight Years
| Year | Name | Pick No. | Club | Position |
| 2018 | Mason Toye | 7 | Minnesota United FC | Forward |
| 2019 | Griffin Dorsey | 6 | Toronto FC | Forward |
| 2020 | Jack Maher | 2 | Nashville SC | Defender |
| 2021 | Josh Penn | 10 | Inter Miami | Forward |
| 2022 | Roman Celentano | 2 | FC Cincinnati | Goalkeeper |
| 2023 | Daniel Munie | 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | Defender |
| 2024 | Hugo Bacharach | 9 | Minnesota United FC | Defender |
| 2025 | Jansen Miller | 8 | Sporting Kansas City | Defender |
Indiana University Athletics Honors its Winter Graduates The Indiana Department of Athletics honored 16 graduates on Friday, December 20, upon commencement from Indiana University. “This is a big day for IU Athletics, and not just because of our College Football Playoff game in South Bend. It’s also commencement day, which is a day for our newest graduates, their families, and our department to celebrate,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “This is an extraordinary accomplishment and a day that will be remembered by everyone involved for years. We look forward to welcoming them back to campus in the coming years as proud IU Athletics alums.
“On a personal note, I also want to congratulate Deputy Director of Athletics Dr. Mattie White on completing her Ph.D. and walking at graduation as well. I know how excited she has been to see so many of our student-athletes earn their degrees throughout her IU career, and I am equally excited for her and her family on this special day.”
Indiana Student-Athletes Eligible for Graduation in December 2024
Football
Shawn Asbury II
Kaelon Black
Justice Ellison
Cooper Jones
Mikail Kamara
Roman Purcell
Ke’Shawn Williams
Field Hockey
Jemima Cookson
Meghan Dillon
Kayla Kiwak
Lara Mortz
Men’s Soccer
JT Harms
Jansen Miller
Grant Yeagley
Women’s Soccer
Sydney Masur
Men’s Track and Field
David Olowookere