American tennis player Ben Shelton is the No. 8 seed in the world, and he’ll begin his campaign to unseat Jannik Sinner as the reigning champion at the Australian Open tonight when he enters the first round of play tonight. Shelton’s first opponent will be France’s Ugo Humbert, who is currently ranked No. 36. Shelton and Humbert will compete at Rod Laver Arena and the match is expected to begin around 9:30 p.m. ET, but as with all tennis tournaments, the time may fluctuate depending on the end time of the preceding match between American Madison Keys and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will be available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 Australian Open.
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How to watch Ben Shelton vs. Ugo Humbert at the Australian Open:
Date: Monday, January 19
Time (estimated): not before 9:30 p.m. ET (after Madison Keys vs. Oleksandra Oliynykova)
Location: Rod Laver Arena
TV channel: re-air on ESPN2 at 11:15 p.m.
Streaming: ESPN+, ESPN Unlimited
When is the Ben Shelton vs. Ugo Humbert match at the 2026 Australian Open?
American Ben Shelton will play France’s Ugo Humbert in the first round at the Australian Open tonight, Jan. 19, 2026.
Ben Shelton vs. Ugo Humbert match start time:
Tonight’s first round match between Ben Shelton and Ugo Humbert is estimated to start around 9:30 p.m., immediately following the Madison Keys vs. Oleksandra Oliynykova match, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will stream live on ESPN Unlimited, but note that it will be broadcast later, with coverage starting at 11:15 p.m. ET, on ESPN2.
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Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, January 17
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(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 18
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(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 19
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 25
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 26
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(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
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(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
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(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29
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(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30
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(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
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(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
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(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Aryna Sabalenka
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2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.
More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Goalies Alex Nedeljkovic, Sergei Bobrovsky drop gloves and fight during Sharks-Panthers matchup
The San Jose Sharks defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday, 4-1. However, the final score is an afterthought from a game that featured both teams’ goaltenders dropping the gloves and fighting.
Yeah, that’s right. There is a national championship college football game in Miami, but there was also a goalie fight approximately 30 miles away at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
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The Sharks’ Alex Nedeljkovic and Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky threw hands at the 14-minute mark of the third period. The confrontation was the culmination of a melee that began when Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues hit Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais hard behind the net.
Desharnais was playing in his first game since November, missing time due to an elbow injury that required surgery. So his teammates may have been particularly uneasy about him taking a big hit. Especially one that appeared to come after the play was whistled dead. Demonstrating that heightened concern, Nedeljkovic quickly responded by shoving Rodrigues.
As several players tussled at the boards, Bobrovsky skated from his side of the ice, dropped his gloves and zeroed in on Nedeljkovic.
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For a player who had never gotten into a fight during his 16-year NHL career, Bobrovsky didn’t hesitate to take on Nedeljkovic. This was also the first NHL fight for the Sharks goaltender, but he had previously tussled with fellow goalie Ryan Massa when he played in the ECHL, according to The Athletic (via HockeyFights.com).
Did Nedeljkovic win the fight? If the outcome was determined by Bobrovsky falling to the ice first, then yes. But neither player appeared to land a solid or decisive punch. The Sharks players tapped their sticks on the ice and boards to show support for their teammate, however. Meanwhile, Panthers fans supported Bobrovsky by chanting, “Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!”
Bobrovsky versus Nedeljkovic was also the first fight between goalies in an NHL game since 2020, according to SportsNet.
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Neither goaltender was ejected from the game, though both were issued five-minute penalties for fighting and two-minute penalties for leaving their respective creases. Altogether, 16 penalty minutes were assessed for the fight, including two minutes to Desharnais for tripping.
The Panthers (25-20-3) have lost six of their past 10 games, dropping to seventh place in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. The Sharks (also 25-20-3) are third in the Pacific Division and hold the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Kansas high school basketball referee on leave following viral flop after ejecting player
A longtime Kansas high school basketball referee is stepping away from officiating after a ridiculous clip of him flopping while working a game on Friday night went viral.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association released a statement on Monday saying it was aware of the incident during a girls basketball game between Bonner Springs and Eudora, which Jeff Freeman was officiating. During the second half, Freeman gave a Bonner Springs player a technical foul for arguing over a call. That player quickly earned a second technical, too, and was ejected.
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As that player left the court, she and Bonner Springs head coach Peyton Leslie approached the referee to keep talking about the play. The player can be seen slightly touching the official, who then fell back to the court with his arms completely extended moments later.
An angle of the incident from the other side showed Freeman’s fall. He very clearly looked at the player, unmoved by the minimal contact, and then fell back to the court after a long pause. The player in question, coach and the other official all looked completely stunned.
Freeman will be taking a step back from officiating for the near future. It’s unclear how long he will be sidelined, or if he will face any other discipline.
“It was determined the appropriate course of action is to have the official, identified as Jeff Freeman, take a break from active officiating in order to pursue appropriate outcomes for the official and all stakeholders,” the KSHSAA said in a statement on Monday to Fox4KC.
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Freeman continued to officiate the game after that, and he worked a boys varsity game immediately after, too.
Freeman has been an official for over 30 years in the state, and is a former educator. He said he has a medical condition, and is planning to visit his neurologist on Tuesday.
“Ask my fellow officials, coaches, athletic directors, etc. about me. My reputation is stellar,” Freeman said in his statement. “I do not want any additional punishment to that player, coach, or school, it was not their fault.”
Australian Open 2026: How to watch the Naomi Osaka vs. Antonia Ruzic first round match
Japan’s Naomi Osaka is bringing her forehand, her stylish outfits and, hopefully, her Labubus, to the Australian Open this week when she enters the first round in a match against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. The two women will meet in Rod Laver Arena for a match that begins bright and early, at approximately 5 a.m. ET on Tuesday, January 20. They’ll take the court once the Jannik Sinner vs. Hugo Gaston men’s match, which is scheduled for 3 a.m. ET, is completed.
Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will be available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 Australian Open.
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How to watch Naomi Osaka vs. Antonia Ruzic at the Australian Open:
Date: Tuesday, January 20
Time (estimated): not before 5 a.m. ET
Location: Rod Laver Arena
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited
When is the Naomi Osaka vs. Antonia Ruzic match at the 2026 Australian Open?
Naomi Osaka plays Antonia Ruzic in the first round at the Australian Open on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
Naomi Osaka vs. Antonia Ruzic match start time:
The first round match between Osaka and Ruzic is estimated to start around 5 a.m., following the Jannik Sinner vs. Hugo Gaston men’s match, which is scheduled for 3 a.m. ET.
Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
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How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, January 17
-
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 18
-
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 19
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 25
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 26
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(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
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(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
-
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29
-
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30
-
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
-
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
-
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Aryna Sabalenka
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2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.
More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. throws punch at Indiana player after Hoosiers’ national championship game win
Miami running back Mark Fletcher threw a punch at Indiana defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker after Monday night’s national title game.
It’s unclear what prompted Fletcher to go after Tucker following the Hoosiers’ 27-21 win over the Hurricanes. Footage of the punch first surfaced on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” after the game.
Fletcher was clearly not unhappy with every Indiana player. He made a point to congratulate Miami native Fernando Mendoza after the game. Fletcher is a Miami native, too, and the title game was Mendoza’s first college start in his home city.
The junior running back was a big part of Miami’s near-upset. He broke a 57-yard TD run in the third quarter and then followed that up with a second touchdown. Both scores cut Indiana’s lead to three points, but Miami never led at any point during the game.
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Fletcher finished the game with 17 carries for 112 yards and the two touchdowns. He had said before the game that he would return for his senior season with the Hurricanes in 2026 after rushing for over 1,000 yards.
2026 NFL offseason preview: Tennessee Titans have key piece in Cam Ward, and now must develop him under Robert Saleh
The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.
AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North: Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East: Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks
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2025 season record: 3-14 (u 5.5 wins), fourth in AFC South, missed playoffs, 29th in DVOA
Overview
The Titans had hope after drafting QB Cam Ward with the first overall draft pick in 2025, but things never completely came together. Ward flashed, but a lack of talent, especially at receiver, kept Tennessee’s offense from finding its stride. Head coach Brian Callahan was fired after Week 6 with a 1-5 record, 3-14 overall in two seasons with the Titans.
Heading into the season, there was some thought that a solid offensive line could help insulate Ward from some of the pitfalls seen by some previous first overall picks at quarterback. That theory never turned into reality. Ward had the 10th-highest pressure rate and ranked 36th among 37 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback under pressure. Ward also faced the most difficult schedule of defenses by DVOA and no quarterback had more dropbacks against defenses in the top 10 of defensive DVOA on the season.
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[Get more Titans news: Tennessee team feed]
The Titans made their first big move of the offseason by hiring Robert Saleh as head coach. Now we’ll see how he and the franchise build up a roster that has a young offense while featuring one of the oldest defenses in the league by snap-weighted age.
Cap/cuts outlook
The Titans are projected to have more than $93 million in salary cap space, the most in the league as of Feb. 10, according to Over The Cap. Tennessee could save almost $14 million by moving on from Calvin Ridley and $12 million from cutting L’Jarius Sneed, two big swings from the previous regime, which could give the team the most cap space in the league. This could be about as blank a slate as the Titans would like under general manager Mike Borgonzi and a new head coach.
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If both Ridley and Sneed are released, it would leave just Jeffery Simmons, Lloyd Cushenberry III (another potential cut), Dan Moore Jr., Amani Hooker and Cam Ward as players with a 2026 cap hit of $10 million or more.
Key pending free agents
OG Kevin Zeitler
LB Arden Key
DT Sebastian Joseph-Day
WR Van Jefferson
TE Chig Okonkwo
LB Jihad Ward
CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Part of why the Titans have so much potential cap space is that they have several 2025 contributors heading into free agency. While they played bigger roles for the Titans, that does not necessarily mean they will be impossible to replace, especially on defense, where it’s easier to find starting-caliber players in free agency. The one to watch will be Okonkwo, if he’s seen as the type of tight end who could work in a new offense, since he has failed to reach the promise shown in bits during his rookie season.
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Positional needs
Wide receiver
Offensive line
Cornerback
Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor showed potential to fill important roles as rookies, but neither should be a lead target in a functional offense. Ridley was expected to be the lead receiver, but that vision was never fully realized due to injuries and inconsistency.
The only offensive lineman the Titans should feel good about heading into 2026 is Peter Skoronski, who played at an All-Pro level at guard. Dan Moore Jr. and JC Latham had two of the highest blown block rates among tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions. However, Tennessee proved how expensive trying to upgrade an offensive line in free agency can be with Moore’s four-year, $82 million signing. Money does not guarantee results.
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No team gave up more EPA per dropback to players lined up out wide than the Titans. With Sneed likely cut and Jalyn Armour-Davis a pending free agent, Tennessee’s top two outside corners appear headed out the door.
2026 NFL Draft picks
1st round, pick No. 4
2nd round, pick No. 35
3rd round, pick No. 66
4th round
5th round
5th round (NYJ)
6th round
7th round (LAC)
Good draft fit
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Titans need a potential No. 1 wide receiver for promising QB Cam Ward. Tyson was a star for Arizona State the past two years and has the physical traits to be a big-play machine in the NFL. His receiving numbers were down this past sesaon, but that’s only because of injuries and poor play at quarterback. With Calvin Ridley possibly getting cut, the Titans desperately need to add a big-time playmaker here.
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What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?
Support for Cam Ward
Cam Ward ranked 35th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and success rate this season. However, we can all use our brains and apply some context to the situation and realize he wasn’t set up for any level of success with a lame-duck, play-calling head coach who was fired early in the season, and no quality experienced pass-catchers for most of the year. The Titans’ front office needs to hope Robert Saleh is the right coaching hire to facilitate growth for the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft. The rest of the roster needs refreshing on offense, too. I wouldn’t write in anyone as a starter in 2026 who played a role at running back, wide receiver or tight end from 2025. If those guys compete in camp and win jobs, great. Just aim for more depth with upside overall. — Matt Harmon
Betting nugget
After a historically bad 2-15 mark against the spread in 2024, Cam Ward at least helped Tennessee go a more respectable 7-9-1 ATS this season. The Titans were also tied with several teams as the second-best team (11-6) to the over this season. — Ben Fawkes
Miami vs. Indiana: Officials miss call on Miami’s Jakobe Thomas for targeting after high hit on Fernando Mendoza
Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas escaped a targeting penalty in the first quarter of the national championship game.
Thomas hit Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza in the chin with the crown of his helmet after Mendoza had handed the ball off on Indiana’s second drive of the game. Mendoza’s lip was bloodied after the collision.
No penalty was called on the play, much to the chagrin of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who immediately clamored for a flag to be thrown. Cignetti had a case. It was a textbook definition of the targeting rule in college football.
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“There’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive that need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls,” Cignetti said in his halftime interview with ESPN. “I’m all for letting them play. But when you cross the line, you’ve got to call it. They were black and white calls. “
Had Thomas been flagged for targeting, Indiana would have gotten an automatic first down and moved half the distance to the goal line. Instead, the Hoosiers ultimately had to settle for a field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
A targeting penalty would also have meant an automatic ejection, and Miami was already playing the first half without one of their key players in the secondary. Xavier Lucas was ejected in the second half of the Hurricanes’ Fiesta Bowl win over Ole Miss for targeting and had to serve a first-half suspension because of the penalty.
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Ultimately, it wouldn’t matter. Despite a valiant effort by Miami’s defense, Fernando Mendoza broke through for a late touchdown run and the Hoosiers held on for their first national championship in a 27-21 game after a Carson Beck pass was intercepted late in the game.
Fernando Mendoza takes a shot at Miami after national championship win while coach Curt Cignetti finally smiles
Finally, Curt Cignetti smiled.
The Indiana football coach, who rarely looks anything other than slightly angry on the sidelines, broke out into a massive smile right as time expired on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida. The Hoosiers, a program he completely turned around from just about the bottom of the college football world, had won the national championship.
While he looked a bit angry that some of his players dumped the Gatorade jug onto him as he made his way to midfield following the Hoosiers’ 27-21 win over Miami, that passed.
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Cignetti was hired to take over for Tom Allen at Indiana ahead of the 2024 campaign, and he has now gone 27-2 over the past two seasons. Before his arrival, Indiana had never won double-digit games in a single season. They had only two winning seasons this century. Before the Hoosiers’ blowout win at the Rose Bowl, their last win at a bowl game was all the way back during the 1991 season.
“Let me tell you — we won the national championship at Indiana University!” Cignetti exclaimed on ESPN. “It can be done.”
And, as he typically does, Cignetti stuck to his classic answer with how he’s going to celebrate the win. His smile, though, was bigger than ever.
Fernando Mendoza takes shot at Miami after win
Fernando Mendoza was also incredibly emotional during his initial interview with ESPN, too, but he made sure to throw in a not-so-subtle shot at Miami for not recruiting him.
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Mendoza has plenty of South Florida connections. The Heisman Trophy winner went to Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, grew up less than a mile from the university, and dreamed of playing for the Hurricanes “in the worst way,” his high school coach said before the game, via The Athletic.
But Cal was Mendoza’s only power-conference offer, and he took it. He wasn’t even offered a walk-on spot at Miami when Manny Diaz was running the show. While Miami was interested in him when he entered the transfer portal, Fernando Mendoza opted to go to Indiana to join his younger brother, Alberto, who is a redshirt freshman quarterback for the Hoosiers.
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But after getting Indiana to the championship game, Mendoza went 16 of 27 for 186 yards on Monday night and he ran in a wild touchdown late in the fourth quarter to help push the Hoosiers to the win. Clearly, it all worked out.
“I was a two-star recruit coming out of high school. I got declined to walk-on at the University of Miami,” Mendoza said on ESPN. “Full-circle moment playing here in Miami in front of friends and family.”
It wasn’t exactly what he wanted growing up, but Mendoza got to end his college career with a championship in Hard Rock Stadium after all.
The 5 plays that defined Indiana’s national championship game win over Miami
We are living in a world where Indiana is the champion of the College Football Playoff.
The Hoosiers capped a 16-0 season with a 27-21 win over Miami in the national championship game on Monday night. It’s simply one of the most improbable stories in modern sports history. Indiana was recently the program with the most losses in college football history. Now the Hoosiers are on top of the world.
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Here are the five plays that defined Indiana’s championship in the order they happened.
Mikail Kamara’s blocked punt
The Hoosiers led 10-0 at halftime but Miami snuck back into the game early in the third quarter on RB Mark Fletcher’s 57-yard TD run. The Hoosiers punted twice after Fletcher’s score, but Miami didn’t come close to taking the lead.
And then the game officially got wild. Kamara easily got around his blocker to get his hand on Dylan Joyce’s kick. The ball bounded into the end zone, where it was recovered by Isaiah Jones for a TD.
It was the second straight playoff game with a blocked punt for the Hoosiers. In the Peach Bowl, Daniel Ndukwe blocked a punt in the fourth quarter as Indiana was blowing out Oregon.
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Kamara and Jones are two of Indiana’s key players on defense. But Indiana coach Curt Cignetti isn’t afraid to use his starters on special teams. And that decision paid off handsomely Monday night.
Fernando Mendoza’s TD run
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Mendoza’s touchdown run in Indiana football history. It’s the biggest play ever for Indiana and it’s not even close.
Ahead of the title game, the defining moment of Indiana’s season and Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy was his game-winning TD pass to Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State. Now, Cooper’s toe tap in the back of the end zone has been surpassed by the image of Mendoza diving headlong into the end zone.
It’s an individual effort that stands out in its own right. But the context adds even more greatness. Mendoza’s run came on a designed QB draw on fourth down after Indiana called timeout for the second time in the second half.
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With 4 yards needed for the first down, you couldn’t have blamed Cignetti for kicking the field goal for a likely six-point lead. A fourth-down failure could have been a big jolt for Miami. Undeterred by that possibility, Cignetti left his offense out on the field after using the timeout and Mendoza broke multiple tackles before stretching the ball out across the goal line for a 24-14 lead.
Malachi Toney keeps Miami in it
Mendoza’s TD could have been a backbreaker for Miami. It put the Hoosiers up 24-14 with less than 10 minutes to go.
Instead, Miami cut Indiana’s lead to three. Again.
Malachi Toney accounted for 71 yards of a 91-yard drive for the Hurricanes. The eighth and final play of that drive came when Toney took a short pass from Carson Beck and ran 22 yards for a touchdown.
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It was the third time Miami had cut Indiana’s lead to three in the second half. It was also the final time. The Hurricanes never led at any point during the game.
Toney, meanwhile, finished with 10 catches for 122 yards to cap off a stellar freshman season. A player who could still be in high school, Toney reclassified to enroll early at Miami and was the team’s leading receiver as a true freshman in 2025.
Charlie Becker’s back shoulder catches
Sophomore receiver Charlie Becker emerged as a reliable target for Mendoza over the second half of the season. And he continued to make clutch catches on Monday night.
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Just look at this fourth-down grab just plays before Mendoza’s touchdown run.
Becker then made a similar catch over eight minutes later that nearly clinched the game for the Hoosiers.
Becker caught a 19-yard pass on third-and-7 with 2:30 to go to put Indiana at the Miami 33-yard line. Had the pass fallen incomplete, Indiana would have been punting from midfield and Miami would have had all three of its timeouts while trailing 24-21.
Instead, Indiana kicked a field goal to go up 27-21. And by the time that Miami got the ball back with 1:42 to go, the Hurricanes had used all three of their timeouts.
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Jamari Sharpe’s game-sealing interception
Miami nearly made it incredibly interesting though.
Thanks to a roughing the passer call on the second play of the drive, Miami got across midfield with just over 50 seconds to go and a short completion to CJ Daniels put the Hurricanes at the Indiana 41-yard line.
But with the clock running after a first down, Carson Beck tried to go deep to Keelan Marion with a safety closing in from the middle of the field. The ball was underthrown and Sharpe, the corner trailing Marion on the play, was able to easily make the interception.
After kneeling down inside the 10-yard line, Sharpe was penalized for taking his helmet off in celebrating. But after two quick plays to run out the clock, the field position didn’t matter. Indiana had won its first national title.
Fernando Mendoza’s epic fourth-down TD run powers Indiana to its first national title ever
Indiana is a college football national champion for the first time.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza’s incredible touchdown run in the fourth quarter provided the game-winning points for the No. 1 Hoosiers in their 27-21 win over No. 10 Miami in Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game.
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Indiana is the first team to go 16-0 at the top level of college football in over 125 years. The sport barely existed when Yale went 16-0 in 1894.
Mendoza’s daring run came on a fourth-down quarterback draw after Indiana coach Curt Cignetti used the team’s second timeout to eschew a field goal that would’ve put the Hoosiers up six with less than 10 minutes to go.
“The coverage before — they were in the coverage where that play would work,” Cignetti told ESPN after the game. “We put it in for this game. It’s quarterback draw but it was blocked differently. And we rolled the dice and said they’re going to be in it again and they were and we blocked it well and he broke a tackle or two and got in the end zone.”
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It turned out to be the right decision. Miami responded with an eight-play, 91-yard drive capped off by a 22-yard catch-and-run by star freshman receiver Malachi Toney to cut Indiana’s lead back to three.
Toney scored with 6:37 to go. And Indiana came oh-so-close to preventing Miami from not getting the ball back. A false start on second-and-1 with less than two minutes to go gave Miami the opportunity to get the ball back with 1:42 remaining and no timeouts while trailing by six.
But the Hurricanes’ chances of a miracle win were short-lived. Just after Miami got to midfield, Jamari Sharpe intercepted Carson Beck on a deep throw to seal the win and a third straight national championship for the Big Ten after Michigan’s win in January of 2024 and Ohio State’s a season ago.
Beck’s interception was the first turnover of the game for either team.
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Indiana’s blocked punt was massive
The Hoosiers blocked a punt for the second straight playoff game on Monday night. And it put them up 10 in the third quarter.
Edge rusher Mikail Kamara got his arm out to block Dylan Jones’ kick and Isaiah Jones recovered the ball in the end zone. The TD gave Indiana a 17-7 lead after Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. had broken a 57-yard TD run earlier in the third quarter to get the Hurricanes on the board.
However, Miami didn’t disappear. A punt on the next possession could have been devastating for the Hurricanes. Instead, Miami marched 81 yards in 10 plays as Fletcher scored his second TD of the game to cut the lead back to three points.
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But that was the theme of the game for Miami. The Hurricanes were always chasing. Despite averaging over two yards a play more than Indiana did, Miami had more penalties and was worse on third down (3-of-11 compared to Indiana’s 6-of-15) along with the special teams blunder.
Mendoza’s relatively pedestrian stat line
Mendoza finished the game 16-of-27 passing for 186 yards and failed to throw a touchdown pass. It was just the second time all season he didn’t throw a TD pass. The first came in his first game at Indiana, when he was 18-of-31 passing for 193 yards in a Week 1 win over Old Dominion.
He had a rushing TD in that game, though. And his run for the touchdown on Monday night is immediately the biggest play in Indiana football history.
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The likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft had an incredible season in Bloomington. He finishes with 41 TD passes, 48 total touchdowns and just six interceptions while completing over 70% of his throws.
In Indiana’s first two playoff games, Mendoza had thrown eight touchdowns with just five incompletions.
Mendoza hasn’t officially declared for the draft, but that’s likely a formality as Indiana has already signed former TCU QB Josh Hoover in the the transfer portal. With Oregon’s Dante Moore coming back to school in 2026, the odds are overwhelming that Mendoza will be the Las Vegas Raiders’ choice to begin the draft in April.
Carson Beck gets Miami so close to a national championship
Beck’s move from Georgia to Miami was the highest-profile transfer of the 2025 offseason even as the QB recovered from the elbow injury he sustained at the end of the first half of the SEC title game.
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Despite being unable to throw in Miami’s spring practices, Beck hit the ground running with the Hurricanes as Miami knocked off Notre Dame in Week 1 — a win that ultimately snuck the Hurricanes into the CFP field.
On Monday night, Beck’s arm helped keep Miami in the game in the second half until the interception. He was 19-of-32 passing for 232 yards and a TD as the Hurricanes averaged over 12 yards a completion.
See how it all played out below:
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Yahoo Sports Staff
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Yahoo Sports Staff
We end the night with a quick look at our first shot at the 2026 college football Top 25 because it’s NEVER TOO EARLY!
Here’s who Yahoo’s Nick Bromberg has as No. 1: Way too early Top 25
Now that the 2025 champions have been crowned, let’s look ahead to 2026. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Fans gathered at Assembly Hall in Bloomington to watch the national title game. Here’s what it looked like when they secured the win:
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Fernando Mendoza said the team liked running a QB draw against Miami’s coverage, though it wasn’t a perfect look.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Mark Fletcher was see throwing a punch at an Indiana player after the game. He also seen embracing Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza postgame, so it’s not clear when or what set him off.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/2013467766427128214
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Ed Reed, one of many famous Miami alums in attendance, was seen comforting Miami players after a painful loss.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Indiana QB took a subtle shot at Miami for once declining his walk-on tryout.
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THIS GAME IS OVER!!!
Indiana’s Jamari Sharpe took advantage of an underthrown ball by Carson Beck and sealed the national championship for the Hoosiers!
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Canes got a roughing-the-passer penalty on one of the first plays of the ensuing drive and they’re now out past midfield after another first down with less than a minute left.
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The Hoosiers got inside the red zone and were facing a second-and-1 before suffering a devastating false-start penalty and they ultimately had to settle for a field goal to keep the door open for the Hurricanes.
Indiana 27, Miami 21
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Hoosiers were facing a third-and-7 and Fernando Mendoza went to Charlie Becker on yet another back-shoulder throw and the receiver makes yet another clutch catch.
Indiana is now in scoring range as the national championship game hits the two-minute warning.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Hurricanes get that TD right back on a quick-hitting drive capped off by a 22-yard backfield pitch-and-run from Carson Beck to Malachi Toney.
We have a good one down the stretch!
Indiana 24, Miami 21 | 6:37 left
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The Hurricanes aren’t going away just yet.
They just had a couple long catch and runs by Alex Bauman (22 yards) and Malachi Toney (41) and Miami is back in scoring range just like that.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Hoosiers were facing another fourth-and-5 and Fernando Mendoza scrambled for a 13-yard TD!
What a call by Curt Cignetti and what a run by Mendoza!
Indiana 24, Miami 14
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The Hoosiers are over midfield and in the red zone after Fernando Mendoza found Charlie Becker for a 19-yard gain on fourth-and-5.
What a call and conversion by Indiana.
