#1 Indiana Dismantles #5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl The #1 Indiana Hoosiers dominated the #5 Oregon Ducks 56-22 in the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Friday Night. Indiana is 15-0 and heads to Miami, Florida for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 19, against the #10 Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium which is the Hurricanes home stadium. Indiana beat Oregon 30-20 in Eugene on October 11, and the Hoosiers proved they were not going to let the Ducks get revenge in this rematch and outscored them 86-42 in their two meetings. Indiana set the tone from the outset as D’Angelo Ponds picked off Dante Moore on the first play from scrimmage and took it 25 yards to the end zone as the Hoosiers led 7-0 11 seconds into the game. Oregon tied the game with 7:38 left in the first quarter as the Ducks used a 14-play 75-yard drive that was capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Dante Moore to Jamari Johnson. The Hoosiers responded with an 11-play 75-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr. as the Hoosiers led 14-7 with 40 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Hoosiers scored 21 second quarter points with a Kaelon Black 1 yard touchdown run along with two Mendoza touchdown passes to Charlie Becker and Eilijah Sarratt as the Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime and the 75.604 that were in attendance saw Indiana put this game away in the first half and forced three Oregon turnovers. The Ducks were held to 9 rushing yards on 17 carries in the first half as the Hoosier defense stopped the run. The second half Indiana outscored Oregon 21-15 but the result was already in hand for the Hoosiers. Mendoza found E.J. Williams Jr for a 13-yard touchdown pass to make it 42-7 Indiana with 8:52 left in the third quarter. Oregon responded a minute and two seconds later as Jay Harris scored a two-yard touchdown run and Ducks got the two-point conversion to make it 42-15. Indiana scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Kaleon Black scored his second rushing touchdown and Elijah Sarratt scored his second receiving touchdown as the Hoosiers led 56-15 with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter. Oregon scored with 22 seconds in the game, but it was all Indiana after the first quarter and now the Hoosiers have one more game to cap off what would be one of greatest turnarounds in sports history.
Fernando Mendoza completed 17 of his 20 passes with 170 yards and 5 touchdowns. Mendoza along with his younger brother Alberto will get to play for a National Championship in their hometown as the brothers grew up just down the street from the University of Miami Campus and their dad was a high school teammate of University of Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Kaelon Black ran the ball 12 times for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns. Elijah Sarratt had 7 catches for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy has thrown 8 touchdown passes, no interceptions and 5 incompletions in his two College Football Playoff Games. Dante Moore was 24-39 for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Deirre Hill Jr. had 5 carries for 86 yards as the Ducks were held to 93 yards rushing on 26 carries. Jamari Johnson caught 4 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Moore had two fumbles and was sacked three times as the Hoosiers defense got to Moore in both games as he was sacked a total of 9 times, threw 3 interceptions and two fumbles against the Hoosiers. Oregon finishes the season 13-2 but comes up one game short of heading back to Miami for the National Championship game after shutting out #4 Texas Tech in the Quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl.
Indiana has outscored Alabama and Oregon 94-25 as Curt Cignetti is 26-2 at Indiana and the Hoosiers have won 22 of their 26 games by double digits. Indiana has traveled well to Pasadena and Atlanta and now it is on to Miami where the Hoosiers will play for the National Championship in Football which most Hoosier Fans never thought to hear those words but now Indiana is 60 minutes away from a National Title but a the Hometown Hurricanes stand in the way.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball hosts #10 Nebraska Indiana University continues Big Ten Conference play against No. 10/11 Nebraska today at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Tip is scheduled for 12 PM on BTN with Kevin Kugler (PxP) and Bruce Weber (Analyst) on the call. Nebraska (15-0, 4-0 B1G) is under the direction of seventh-year head coach Fred Hoiberg. He is on track to post his seventh 20-win season as a college basketball head coach, including three of the last four with the Huskers. The Huskers have six players in the regular rotation that average at least 7.5 points per game led by senior forward Rienk Mast. He has posted 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per night. The 6-10 big is one of six high-major players to average 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists this season.
Junior forward Pryce Sandfort has poured in 15.9 points per game on a team-best 45 made 3-pointers. Redshirt freshmen forward Braden Frager (11.7 points), senior guard Jamarques Lawrence (9.4 points, 3.6 assists), senior guard Sam Hoiberg (8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists), and junior forward Berke Buyuktuncel (7.9 points, 6.4 rebounds) all average north of 20.0 minutes per game. Nebraska has won an NCAA-best 19 straight games dating back to a 2025 College Basketball Crown championship. The Hoosiers have won 19 times in the 30-game series against the Cornhuskers. Nebraska has won each of the last four meetings between the two programs with Indiana last winning (81-65) on Dec. 7, 2022, in Bloomington. The two sides have not met when Nebraska has been ranked in the AP top 25. The Cornhuskers (No. 10 in the AP) have not been ranked inside the top 10 since 1965-66.
Indiana (12-3, 3-1 B1G) secured the program’s first true road win of the season with an 84-66 result against Maryland on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the XFINITY Center in College Park. Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson posted his fourth-straight 20-point game with a game-high 24 points and six rebounds. He is the first Hoosier since Trayce Jackson-Davis (6 games; Feb. 28-March 19, 2023) to score at least 20 points in four straight games. The Sam Houston transfer has averaged 26.3 points on 47.4% (18-of-38) shooting from the 3-point line in Big Ten play. Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway charted 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Redshirt senior guard Conor Enright added 16 points, his second straight double-figure scoring game, to go with four rebounds and three assists.
Senior forward Reed Bailey put up 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 28 bench minutes. All eight players that played pulled down at least one offensive rebound. The Hoosier bench grabbed seven offensive rebounds, led by three from freshman forward Trent Sisley. Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson has averaged a team-best 26.3 points per night in Big Ten Conference play, the mostby any B1G player this season. He has shot 51.4% (36-of-70) from the floor, 47.4% (18-of-38) from the 3-point line, and 88.2% (15-of-17) from the free throw line in league play. Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway has averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per night in B1G play. He has shot 64.1% (25-of-39) from the floor, 55.6% (10-of-18) from behind the arc, and 82.4% (14-of-17) from the free throw line. As a team, the Hoosiers average 87.8 points per Big Ten game, have shot 51.7% from the floor, 40.5% from distance, and average 18.3 assists a night. Indiana pulls down 31.8 rebounds in conference games and holds a +1.0 rebounding margin.
Curt Cignetti Wins the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award The Dodd Trophy will remain in Indiana for the second year in a row. According to a news release, Indiana Hoosiers head football coach Curt Cignetti has been awarded the 2025 Dodd Trophy, the 50th anniversary of college football’s most coveted coaching award. This comes after Marcus Freeman, the head football coach at Notre Dame, won the award in 2024. The release said that the award celebrates the head coach of a team who “enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.” Cignetti has led the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated season so far, landing the team a berth in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday. The Hoosiers, the top seed in the College Football Playoff, will face the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Throughout his time at Indiana, Cignetti, who earned his second Big Ten Coach of the Year honor this year, has a 25-2 record as of this story’s publication, leading Indiana to back-to-back appearances in the playoff. The release said Cignetti’s leadership has led to the most wins in Big Ten history for a coach in his first two seasons at a program. “I’d like to thank The Dodd Trophy, PNC Bank and Peach Bowl, Inc. for this tremendous honor. Being named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year is a fantastic recognition for our program but it is only possible because of the hard work of our student-athletes, assistant coaches and support staff,” Cignetti said in the release. “At Indiana University, we stress many of the same things Coach Dodd did: scholarship, leadership and integrity. This award means we’re doing a good job on and off the field.”
The release stated that members of the Indiana football team have achieved an academic progress rate of 982 and a graduation success rate of 88 under Cignetti’s leadership. Cignetti has also helped support initiatives like Hoosiers for Good, which pairs student-athletes with local charities. “Coach Cignetti epitomizes everything The Dodd Trophy stands for and I couldn’t think of a better representative to be the 50th recipient of this storied award,” said Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation Jim Terry. “Coach Cignetti’s impact is evident not only in the Hoosiers’ historic success this season, but also in the culture of scholarship, leadership and integrity he has established within the program.” Five coaches were named as finalists for this year’s award, including Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire, the release said.
Indiana University Football Lands Tulsa transfer defensive lineman Joe Hjelle IU football has landed a commitment from Tulsa transfer defensive lineman Joe Hjelle, according to Matt Zenitz. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman has one season of eligibility remaining. Hjelle is the 10th transfer portal commitment for the Hoosiers this week. Hawaii punter Billy Gowers committed to Indiana on Wednesday. He finished the 2025 season with 46 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Hjelle, a redshirt senior next fall, is a native of Decorah, Iowa, and played at Iowa Western CC before transferring to Tulsa for the 2024 season. Over 24 career games at Tulsa, Hjelle has 65 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also considered LSU, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Indiana Hoosiers Track and Field Close Day One from Rod McCravy Indiana track and field opened the Rod McCravy Invitational on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky inside Norton Sports & Learning Center with several personal bests on the day. “The first meet back from break really tests how much work athletes put in while away, said assistant coach Megan Tomei. “Training without proper facilities, a coach present, or training partners isn’t easy, but those challenges aren’t excuses. The work still has to get done.”
“I’m proud of how this group showed up and competed against strong competition. A lot of PRs on the board. We’re excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds. The day started with the high jumps, with all Hoosiers finishing in the top 15. Kaselle Davis (7th), Taylor Schoonveld (T-8th), Chayla Rankin (T-8th), and Josie Page (11th) all recorded a height of 1.70m/5-7 in the women’s competition. Lee Martin earned a fifth-place finish with his height of 2.03m/6-8.75. Jay Hmurovich also placed 11th with a height of 2.00m/6-6.75.
The day started with the jumps group. Lee Martin led the men’s side with a fifth-place finish in the high jump (2.05m/6-8.75. He was followed by Jay Hmurovich with his mark of 2.00m/6-6.75. In the long jump, Elle Knepp set a new personal best with her jump of 5.54m/18-2.25. Alex Smith followed in the men’s jump with a season best mark of 7.00m/22-11.75 to finish ninth. Indiana continued to show bright spots with the throwers in the weight throw. Hannah Alexander put up a personal best to finish fifth with a distance of 19.99m/65-7. On the men’s side, Hunter Smith (20.81m/68-3.25), Nikolaos Sidirenios (20.00m/65-7.5), and Michael Neuenroth (19.39m/63-7.5) all saw top 10 finishes.
The field events finished with season best marks in the women’s pole vault. Kailen Kramer (3.90m/12-9.5) and Isabel German (3.75m/12-3.5) placed 10th and 11th, respectively with their best marks of the early season. It was a great first day on the track for the cream and crimson, starting with the sprints. Aliyah Johnson and Jasiah Rogers ran qualifying times for tomorrow’s 60-meter finals. Tyler Tarter and John Colquitt will also be advancing the 60-meter hurdle finals after earning automatic qualifying times. In the 400m, Keira Davis earned the first event win of the weekend, running a time of 53.50 that ranks third in IU history. Ava Olomajeye earned also earned a fifth place finish with her time of 55.71. in the men’s race, Kalen Sargent took home a fourth place finish in a time of 48.07.
The Hoosiers continued to gain top 10 finishes. Amelia Dodds (1:28.76) and Ciara Kepner (1:33.89) finished second and seventh, respectively, in the 600-meter run. Daquan Tate and Cameron Mullens followed in the men’s race, placing third and eighth, respectively. The Day finished with the women’s 1,000-meter run where another school record was broken. Lily Myers finished in a record time of 2:43.32 to become the second Hoosier this season to become a record holder (Trelee Banks-Rose; 300m). The final day of competition will start this morning at 10:30 am with the men’s shot put.
Indiana Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Reaches 1,000 NBA Coaching Wins as the Blue and Gold Snap Losing Streak Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has joined an exclusive club of NBA coaches. Carlisle won his 1,000th career game as an NBA head coach on Thursday night when his Pacers beat the Hornets 114-112 in Charlotte, N.C. He’s the 11th coach to be a part of the 1,000-win club. It’s been a long wait for Carlisle to reach the milestone. Carlisle earned his 999th career win a month ago when the blue and gold beat the Sacramento Kings. T.J. McConnell added 23 points and eight assists, and Aaron Nesmith chipped in 16 points. LaMelo Ball made seven 3-pointers and had 33 points and eight assists off the bench to lead the Hornets, who lost a heartbreaker at home for the second straight night. After Siakam scored to put the Pacers in front, McConnell stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Ben Sheppard made one of two free throws, giving the Hornets the ball with 8 seconds left and a chance to tie or win. However, the play broke down, Collin Sexton’s jump shot hit the front rim and the Hornets were unable to corral the rebound.
Charlotte lost 97-96 to Toronto on Wednesday night on a buzzer-beating 3 by Immanuel Quickley. Hornets coach Charles Lee opted to not start Ball on the second night of a back-to-back, going with Sexton at point guard instead. The move was designed to help Ball manage wear and tear on his body given his history of missing games with ankle problems. It is the first time Ball has come off the bench since Jan. 30, 2021. Charlotte’s Brandon Miller was ejected for arguing with officials with 9:49 in the third quarter. He finished with six points. The Pacers are home tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when they host the Miami Heat at 7 PM.
Indy Ignite Head Coach Lauren Bertolacci signs Three Year Contract Extension The 2026 season for the Indy Ignite starts this weekend — but the team has already scored a major win! Indy announced Friday that head coach Lauren Bertolacci agreed to a three-year contract extension, which will take her through the 2029 season. “I’ve said before that I love being a part of things that I can build,” Bertolacci said. “I stayed with my last two clubs for five and seven years, which is really long in the professional world in Europe, and helped build them up through different stages. I have big goals to develop that process here – we call it ‘The Ignite Way’ – that will reach and retain that level of achievement for years to come.”
Under Bertolacci’s coaching, the Ignite plan to show a “faster-paced, aggressive, attacking style of play this season.” “It was an easy decision to offer Lauren a contract extension,” said Mary Kay Huse, Ignite president and general manager. “She has already transformed the way this team has prepared for the upcoming season in her short time here. We knew that putting in place a coach with the same long-term vision that we have as a franchise was the right way to develop lasting growth and success.” Indy’s new leader most recently served as the head coach of Switzerland’s powerhouse team, the Viteos NUC, where she led the team to six national championships, four Swiss Cup titles and compiled a 207-37 record over seven seasons. If a recent championship and powerhouse coaching experience isn’t enough, Bertolacci also has a wide array of experience on the court. Before coaching, she was a professional player for 10 years as a setter in France, German, Spain and Switzerland. The Ignite’s first challenge with Bertolacci will be in Texas against the Dallas Pulse tonight at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed free on the Roku Sports Channel. For more information on the Indy Ignite and their new coach, click here.