Indiana University Athletics to Hold a National Football Championship Watch Party Monday Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall IU Athletics invites IU students, alumni, and Hoosier fans to gather at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday, January 19, for IU’s official watch party as Coach Curt Cignetti’s IU Football team battles the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. All attendees will need a free digital ticket for admission and it all-tickets were claimed within an hour and half of being available. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the game is scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. All seating is general admission and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The game will be broadcast live on each of the four screens on the arena’s center-hung scoreboard, and IU Athletics will distribute 10,000 commemorative rally towels to fans as they enter the arena. “We’re excited to offer an opportunity for those who aren’t able to make the trip to Miami to share this experience with fellow Hoosier fans,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “As will be the case at Hard Rock Stadium, I know that the atmosphere inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday night will be electric.” Standard game-day policies, including the clear bag policy, will be in effect for the watch party. Concession stands and the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall IU Team Store will also be open beginning at 6 p.m.
Washington Dominates Indiana University Women’s Basketball in the Paint The Washington Huskies scored 54 points in the paint, and the Indiana Hoosiers scored 63 points in the game as Washington dominated Indiana 82-63 Wednesday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Washington snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 13-4 Overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten as the Huskies return to Seattle to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers Sunday at 6 PM. Indiana is 11-8 Overall and 0-7 Big Ten in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers are on a six-game losing streak with 5 of 7 big ten losses by double digits. It does not get any easier for the Hoosiers as they travel to Ohio State Next Thursday at 8 PM. The Huskies placed four in double figures with 19 points from Elle Ladine, Yulia Grabovskaia added 16 points as the Hoosiers had no answer for her as she dominated inside and scored at will. Brynn McGaughy added 13 points off the bench and Savia Sellers added 11 points. Washington finished the game 36-56 for 63% from the field, 6-11 from three-point range for 54% and 4-6 from the free throw line for 66%. Washington pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 6 steals, 5 blocks and 12 turnovers. In addition to the points in the paint the Huskies scored 23 fast break points, 20 points off turnovers, 19 bench points, 13 second chance points and 9 offensive rebounds.
Shay Ciezki led Indiana with 23 points and Maya Makalusky added 16 points to combine for 39 of the 63 Hoosier points. Lenee Beaumont added 9 points, 8 points for Neveah Caffey and 4 points for Zania Socka-Nugemen. Edessa Noyan scored 2 points, and Jerni Kiaku scored 1 point as Phoenix Stotjin and Jade Ondineme did not score. Indiana finished 23-55 from the field for 41%, 12-23 from three-point range for 52% and 5-6 from the free throw line for 83%. Indiana pulled down 20 rebounds, dished out 11 assists, 3 steals, no blocks and 15 turnovers. In addition to the 20 points in the paint the Hoosiers had 14 points off turnovers, 10 offensive rebounds, 8 second chance points, 3 fastbreak points and 3 bench points. The game was scoreless for the first minute and fifty-eight seconds of the game as Washington scored the first two baskets on runouts after two Hoosier turnovers and never trailed in the game. After a three pointer by Maya Makalusky hit a three to cut the lead to one point but as Hoosiers tried to cut the lead the Huskies answered every time down the floor as Washington led 24-13 after the first quarter. The Hoosiers outscored the Huskies 18-17 in the second quarter and kept the Huskies scoreless for the final two minutes and forty seconds of the quarter as Washington led 41-31 at halftime. Shay Ciezki scored 12 points for Indiana and Elle Ladine led Washington with 12 points.
Washington was 18-30 from the field for 60%, 3-6 from three-point range for 50% and 2-4 from the free throw line for 50%. The Huskies pulled down 17 rebounds, dished out 9 assists, 3 Steals 2 Blocks, 4 turnovers and 26 points in the paint in the first half. Indiana was 10-24 from the field 41%, 6-11 from three-point range for 54% and 5-6 from the free throw line 83%. The Hoosiers pulled down 10 rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steal, 0 Blocks, 8 turnovers and 8 Points in the Paint. The Hoosiers struggled in third quarters all season but tonight they were outscored 20-16 but trailed 61-47 going into the final ten minutes. In the fourth quarter Indiana outscored Washington 12-2 in the final 4:01 but the Huskies outscored the Hoosiers 21-16 in the fourth quarter to win for the first time in Bloomington in this series and just the second time in the series since 2001. Indiana leads the all-time series 3-2 as the teams have split both conference meetings winning on the others home court.
Shay Ciezki said after the game that the conversations are very hard and some that “you don’t want to have as a basketball player”. Ciezki said that most of these games are “winnable and they are so close” and just need to get one win to turn it around. For Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren her team must” Sit in it” for a week and get ready for another tough road contest at Ohio State. Ciezki and Moren agreed that the effort should not be a topic of conversation this point on the season but as Coach Moren added “If 0-8 doesn’t not but a fire under you and maybe should not be playing this game” and it will be a long week in between game for the Hoosiers with 11 Big Ten Games left and getting to crucial point where they need to get out of the bottom three of the standings to make the Big Ten Tournament in March at Gainbridge Fieldhouse or be sitting at home for the first time in the postseason since Moren’s first season 12 years ago in 2014-15 when the Hoosiers were 15-16.
Indiana University Football lands Penn State Cornerback A.J Harris Indiana’s 2026 cornerback room got a major boost on Monday. Penn State transfer A.J. Harris is Bloomington bound according to multiple reports. After transferring from Georgia to Penn State, Harris has been a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions and has 26 career starts. The 6-foot-1 and 191-pound Phenix City, Ala. product has one year of eligibility remaining. Harris was honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2025. He had 33 tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. In 2024 Harris was voted All-Big Ten third team by the coaches and media. He played in all 16 games at cornerback, making 15 starts, and finished with 48 tackles (28 solo), four tackles for loss, one interception and five pass breakups. As a true freshman at Georgia in 2023, Harris appeared in seven games and made eight tackles. Indiana beat Oregon and Missouri for Harris. Harris steps into a cornerback room with a major question mark, as All-American starter D’Angelo Ponds will evaluate his NFL prospects following the season. Both Ponds and fellow starter Jamari Sharpe are eligible to return. The Hoosiers have also added Montana State transfer Carson Williams at cornerback. Also expected back at corner in 2026 are Ryland Gandy, Jaylen Bell, Seaonta Stewart, Two cornerbacks, Amariyun Knighten and Dontrae Henderson, have announced they are entering the transfer portal.
No Major Injuries for Indiana ahead of its National Championship Showdown with Miami Although they had some injury scares during their 56-22 Peach Bowl win over Oregon, Indiana heads to the national championship game relatively healthy. IU football coach Curt Cignetti said Monday via Zoom every player who saw the field against Oregon will be available next Monday when the Hoosiers face Miami in the College Football Playoff final. “We came out really good, and everybody that played in the last game will play in this game,” Cignetti said. That includes starting defensive end Mikail Kamara, who was attended to on the field on multiple occasions. Starting safety Amare Ferrell was injured during the opening kickoff but returned to the game. Starting rover Devan Boykin appeared to land awkwardly at one point and limped off the field late in the game. Wide receiver Charlie Becker appeared to be dealing with an injury at one point as well. But they are all good to go, says Cignetti. The Hoosiers are expected to continue to be without injured starters Kellen Wyatt and Stephen Daley, who were lost for the season before the Oregon game, along with Lee Beebe, Jr., Tyler Morris, and Bryson Bonds.
Miami also had multiple players leave their semifinal game with injuries, but the Hurricanes appear to have avoided anything major as well. “From an injury standpoint, I believe we’re coming out a lot like we went into the last game,” Cristobal said via Zoom on Monday. “I know a couple of guys skimped out of the game. “(Akheem) Mesidor is in great condition. He hurt his elbow for a second and he’s already full throttle. Ahmad Moten was full throttle today. And O.J. (Frederique) came out. (Elijah) Lofton will be the one that’s in question. That would be the one that’s in question. Aside from that, I actually feel really good about the rest. “I would say O.J. is good to go, and Damari Brown will still be day-by-day.” Brown has played nearly 400 snaps this season at cornerback but hasn’t played during the College Football Playoff. Lofton is Miami’s leading pass-catching tight end, with 23 catches for 218 yards and three scores. He has played 451 snaps this year. Additionally, Miami cornerback Xavier Lucas was ejected in the fourth quarter against Ole Miss and is slated to miss the first half of the national championship game as a result.
San Diego Transfer Izzy Clark Signs with Indiana University Volleyball Izzy Clark, a six-foot outside hitter from Orange County, California, signed with the Indiana volleyball on program on Tuesday afternoon. A transfer from San Diego, she will join the Hoosiers for the spring semester in 2026. She is the second transfer (Kiki Granberry – Tennessee) to join head coach Steve Aird’s squad for the next campaign. “Izzy is a talented, six-rotation outside hitter with plenty of experience and a very high volleyball IQ,” Aird said. “She has put up big numbers against some of the best teams in the country and has a genuine hunger to improve. She wants to play at the next level and our staff is excited to get to work and help her achieve that goal. She is an excellent addition to a deep and skilled roster. We can’t wait until she arrives to Bloomington!”
Clark, who played her first two college seasons with the Toreros, was one of the most impactful six-rotation hitters available in the transfer portal. She comes to Bloomington with 708 career kills, 390 digs, 108 blocks and 23 aces. She was the 2024 WCC Freshman of the Year and is a two-time All-WCC First Team selection. During her prep career at Mater Dei, Clark was one of the best players in all of California. She was a 2023 MaxPreps First Team All-American after totaling 402 kills, 323 digs and 53 blocks as a senior. She helped the Monarchs go 113-17 in three varsity seasons. She played club volleyball with sophomore setter Sade Ilawole at Mizuno Long Beach.
Clark made 55 starts in her first two years of college volleyball. She finished fifth in the WCC in 2025 with 3.25 kills per set. She was a three-time WCC Offensive Player of the Week and earned WCC Freshman of the Week honors twice in 2024. Clark recorded five 20-kill matches in the last two years – including a 21-kill effort against Big Ten foe USC on Sept. 6, 2025. The California native has recorded 10 double-doubles in her career. That mark includes a 23-kill, 23-dig effort at Pepperdine (Nov. 27) at the end of the 2024 campaign. She’s reached double-digit kills on 41 occasions. She averaged 3.68 kills per set in six games against NCAA Tournament foes in 2025. Her career at San Diego ended with a 20-kill effort against Kansas State in the opening round of this season’s NCAA Tournament. She is interested in pursuing a degree in either Sociology or Criminal Justice. Clark is set to be one of three players from the state of California (Ilawole, Jager) on next year’s roster. She will wear the number six jersey for the Hoosiers next fall. IU will have 17 players on campus for the spring season.
Indiana Fever Legend Tamika Catchings Reunites with Pacers Sports and Entertainment in new role as ambassador Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced Tuesday that Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings will rejoin the organization in a newly created role as an ambassador, supporting the company’s business, community and basketball initiatives. In her role as a PS&E ambassador, Catchings will champion the Indiana Fever, Indiana Pacers, and Noblesville Boom, elevate sponsorship and business initiatives, energize internal and external events, and serve as a representative of the organization’s vision and growth. “Indiana has been my home since I was drafted by the Indiana Fever, and Pacers Sports & Entertainment played such an important role in my life and my journey,” Catchings said. “I’m thrilled to step into this new ambassador role and continue serving the communities, families and fans that make this place so special. I can’t wait to work alongside the Fever, the Pacers and my PS&E family to help strengthen the impact we can make together.”
“Tamika Catchings is synonymous with basketball excellence, leadership and community commitment in Indiana,” said PS&E President and CEO Mel Raines. “Her legacy as a champion along with her deep connection to our fans and her passion for uplifting others align perfectly with our mission. We are honored to welcome her back in an official capacity and excited for the impact she will make across our organization and community.” Catchings played all 16 seasons of her professional career for the Indiana Fever, setting and breaking many records, and playing in 10 WNBA All-Star games. She is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and led the Fever to the WNBA National Championship in 2012. Catchings was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020. Today, Catchings, still based in Indianapolis, is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and an ESPN commentator. She is the owner of Tea’s Me Cafe in Indianapolis and co-founder of Catch the Stars Foundation through which she promotes youth development through sports, literacy and character.
Taylor University Volleyball’s Ellie Frey nabs CSC Academic All-American Honors The College Sports Communicators announced the women’s volleyball Academic All-Americans on Tuesday, with Ellie Frey collecting the award. The outside hitter was named a Second-Team CSC Academic All-American, after a phenomenal debut season at Taylor on the court and in the classroom. Frey totaled a 3.87 GPA in her nursing courseload. The Grand Canyon transfer was outstanding in all phases of the game as a six-rotation player. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native led the team and ranked sixth in the NAIA at 4.32 kills per set. Frey added 3.34 digs, 0.54 blocks, and 0.32 aces per set throughout an outstanding season in Purple and Gray. The junior was named First-Team All-Crossroads League and NAIA Third-Team All-American following her amazing season, with hopes to build on her individual and team success next year. Frey is the first Trojan named to the CSC Academic All-American team since 2022, when Kacy Bragg and Ryan Czerniak received the honor.