Indiana’s win over Miami capped off one of the greatest two-year Cinderella runs in college football history. The Hoosiers winning the national championship was inconceivable heading into the 2024 season. Not only had the program never won a national championship in program history, but prior to 2024, the Hoosiers had only finished the season ranked six times in their 127-year history and had never won more than nine games.
But Indiana’s win also meant that a long standing distiction the Florida Gators had is no more.
Florida no longer has national championship distinction
When the Gators won the national title for the 1996 season, it was the first in program history. Then, between 1997 and 2024, every national title won in college football was by a program that had previously won a title.
Thus, Indiana becomes the first team since the 1996 Florida Gators to win its first national title.
It’s not a distinction that Florida is going to be devastated to lose, but it is a reminder of the new era of college football the sport is heading into. The transfer portal, combined with NIL, has created more parity at the top side of the sport, and the traditional powerhouses have struggled to maintain their dominance. Beyond Indiana, Oregon was in the semifinals, and while they are not an underdog story they too have never won a national championship. Fellow semifinal loser Ole Miss hasn’t won a title since the 60s.
Throw in Texas Tech being the No. 4 seed when they have never finished a season prior to this year in the AP top 10, and there is a wave of new blood knocking down the door.
The hope is that Jon Sumrall can recreate the magic that Curt Cignetti just did, and most Florida fans are waking up this morning thinking if Indiana can do it, why can’t the Gators?