Sports
The best of Indiana sports history: stars, teams, and moments
THE INDIANA HOOSIERS are having a historic run this college football season. They went 13-0 in the regular season, staking their claim as the only undefeated team headed into the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers took home the Big Ten championship versus Ohio State. To cap their streak of success, their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, also became the first Hoosier to win the Heisman Trophy.
This recent period of prosperity adds to Indiana’s storied legacy in sports. As the Hoosiers prepare to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in this year’s Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, only time will tell if the Midwest state can claim another championship in 2026.
Until then, let’s reflect on meaningful milestones across Indiana sports teams, from the original “Hoosiers” to Caitlin Clark, and everything in between.
March 1954 — Milan High School wins state basketball championship
On a last-second shot from senior guard Bobby Plump, Milan High School defeated Muncie Central 32-30, cementing its place in Indiana basketball history and beyond. The underdog team eventually inspired the beloved 1986 film “Hoosiers.”
January 1968 — Indiana football reached the Rose Bowl
Before the success of the current Indiana football team, there were the 1967 Hoosiers, coached by John Pont. After entering the season unranked, Indiana rose to No. 4 in the country and played in the Rose Bowl, where the Hoosiers lost to USC 14-3.
May 1973 — The Pacers win their third ABA championship
The Indiana Pacers became the most successful franchise in ABA history after defeating the Kentucky Colonels 88-81 in Game 7 of the ABA championship. In 1976, the Pacers were one of four ABA teams that merged with the NBA.
March 1976 — A perfect season
In 1976, Bob Knight coached the Indiana men’s basketball team to a 32-0 record, culminating in the national title with a win over Michigan. No Division I men’s basketball team has repeated the feat since.
May 1977 — Janet Guthrie breaks barriers at Indianapolis 500
In 1977, Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Guthrie finished 29th due to engine issues. The following year, Guthrie made history again by finishing ninth, the best by a woman until Danica Patrick came in fourth in 2005.
March 1979 — Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson
When Larry Bird‘s Indiana State faced Magic Johnson‘s Michigan State in the NCAA championship game, the much-anticipated matchup resulted in the highest TV ratings in college basketball history. It created the foundation for an expanded NCAA tournament and ignited a rivalry between the two players that eventually revitalized the NBA.
March 1984 — The NFL arrives in Indianapolis
After a stadium dispute with the city, Baltimore Colts owner Robert Irsay secretly moved the team to Indianapolis in the middle of the night, packing up the organization in over a dozen moving trucks. In a swift turn of events, the Baltimore Colts are now the Indianapolis Colts.
October 1993 — “Rudy” releases in Theaters
Based on the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a scrappy walk-on who dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame, the inspiring movie starring Sean Astin as Rudy became an instant underdog classic.
May 1995 — Reggie Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds
A flurry of points from Reggie Miller stunned the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Trailing 105-99 with 18.7 seconds remaining, Miller hit two 3-pointers and two free throws to steal a 107-105 win for Indiana.
April 1998 — Colts draft Peyton Manning
It was the beginning of an era. In 1998, the Colts selected quarterback Peyton Manning out of Tennessee with the No. 1 pick. The face of Indianapolis football for over a decade, Manning won a Super Bowl with the Colts and became the first player to be named MVP four times (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009).
February 2007 — Indianapolis Colts win Super Bowl XLI
More than two decades after Robert Irsay relocated the team, the Indianapolis Colts won their first Super Bowl. Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning led the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.
March 2010 & 2011 — Cinderella runs for Butler men’s basketball
Between 2010 and 2011, coach Brad Stevens led Butler University, a school with fewer than 5,000 students, to back-to-back Final Four runs. In the championship game against Duke in 2010, Gordon Hayward’s desperate half-court heave hit the rim, authoring one of sports’ greatest “what-ifs.”
October 2012 — Indiana Fever win first franchise title
Anchored by Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, the Indiana Fever persevered against the defending champs, the Minnesota Lynx, winning the series 3-1.
December 2012 — Indiana Hoosiers men’s soccer team wins eighth NCAA title
Indiana defeated Georgetown 1-0 to win its eighth national championship. The Hoosiers have the second-most national championships in men’s DI soccer.
June 2013 — Indiana Hoosiers baseball clinches first CWS berth
The Hoosiers baseball team swept powerhouse Florida State in the Super Regional. Indiana earned its first trip to the College World Series.
April 2018 — Arike Ogunbowale’s buzzer-beater
Notre Dame women’s basketball prevailed over Mississippi State in the national title game on Arike Ogunbowale‘s electric buzzer-beater, her second of the tournament. Ogunbowale, who was named Most Outstanding Player, also hit the winner in the Final Four against UConn.
March 2021 — Indiana hosts the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament
For the first time in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, one city hosted the entire March Madness tournament due to COVID-19-related regulations. The games were held in a bubble-like format around the Indianapolis area. The Baylor Bears defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
April 2024 — Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark with No. 1 pick
Fresh off another record-breaking year at Iowa, Caitlin Clark goes No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA draft. The face of women’s college basketball, Clark concluded her collegiate career with 3,951 points, the most in men’s and women’s Division I history. Armed with two consecutive No. 1 draft picks (the Fever selected Aliyah Boston the year before), Clark’s arrival brought hope to a basketball state whose last Finals appearance was in 2012.
August 2024 — Cole Hocker sets 1500-meter Olympic record
The 23-year-old Indianapolis native stunned track and field fans in the Paris Olympics when he surged past heavy favorites Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen on the homestretch to break the 1500-meter Olympic record in 3:27.65.
June 2025 — Pacers reach NBA Finals
After a 10-15 start to the season, the fourth-seeded Pacers clawed their way through the playoffs and into the Finals for the first time in 25 years. Tyrese Haliburton‘s late-game heroics ended in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder when the guard tore his right Achilles tendon in the first quarter. The Pacers ultimately fell to the Thunder 103-91.
October 2025 — Fever rally in playoffs
Despite injuries to key players, including Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson, the 24-20 Fever surged to a winner-take-all semifinal game against the Las Vegas Aces, who went on to win the championship.
December 2025 — Fernando Mendoza wins Heisman
After leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, quarterback Fernando Mendoza is awarded the Heisman Trophy, the first in program history. Entering the playoffs, Mendoza led the country in passing touchdowns (33) and was second in quarterback rating (181.39).
Louisa Frahm, Gueorgui Milkov and Alonzo Olmedo contributed to this story.
Napoli want Real Madrid midfielder Franco Mastantuono on loan, but he won’t be allowed to move this month, while Fulham are interested in signing USMNT and PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s summer grades | Women’s grades
TOP STORIES
– Iraola on Semenyo: If he can play years for us, it’s much better!
– Frank: Spurs will sign only ‘fully committed’ players in January
– Amorim: United ‘cannot make same mistakes’ with transfers
TRENDING RUMORS
– Napoli have been heavily linked with a loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Franco Mastantuono, but Madrid have closed the door on any departure, according to Marca. Mastantuono, 18, only moved from River Plate for €45 million in the summer and has already become Los Blancos‘ second-youngest debutant in the Champions League and their fourth youngest goal-scorer in LaLiga history. Napoli had been enquiring about a loan deal as they seek midfield reinforcements, but their interest was quickly quashed before any concrete offer was made.
– Fulham are interested in signing USMNT and PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi, according to The Daily Mail. Fulham boss Marco Silva is in the market for more firepower up front alongside Raúl Jiménez, 34, and Rodrigo Muniz, who is on his way back from injury. Pepi, 22, has scored nine goals so far this season and was a target for Fulham and West Ham United last summer. He is now the preferred option ahead of Fiorentina striker Moise Kean, but PSV value his transfer at around €40 million.
– Bournemouth are expecting a late bid to sign winger Antoine Semenyo from Liverpool, says The Telegraph. The Ghana forward has seemingly been destined for a move to Manchester City in recent days and wants his future resolved by Jan. 1, as he has a release clause of £65 million that expires in a few weeks. But Semenyo could still be a target for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and could have a big decision to make soon. Meanwhile, Bournemouth are set to replace Semenyo with Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu, 21, who is expected to be available for transfer at around £30 million, according to The Daily Mail.
– Tottenham Hotspur will be active in the January transfer window, and the club have been linked with a host of players. TEAMtalk says Spurs will attempt to beat the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid to the signing of Crystal Palace Adam Wharton, while Bayern Munich‘s Leon Goretzka is also a target as his contract expires in the summer. The Evening Standard suggests that Manchester City winger Savinho appears to be off limits, but lists other targets including Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, FC Porto forward Samu Aghehowa, Juventus star Kenan Yildiz and Barcelona wantaway keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
– Barcelona are looking to find a new left-footed center back in January, with Manchester City reportedly willing to part with Nathan Aké for a fee of around €25 million, according to Sport. Ake, 30, hasn’t played as much first-team football as he would have liked in recent weeks and wants to solidify his chances of playing for Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup. His ability to play at full back would be beneficial to Barcelona, but a number of English clubs are interested in him too.
EXPERT TAKE
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OTHER RUMORS
– Galatasaray are hoping to sign Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte on loan, with a permanent clause added for around €25 million, though Lyon and Napoli are also interested. (Fotomac)
– AC Milan are hoping goalkeeper Mike Maignan will extend his stay at San Siro beyond the end of the season. The 30-year-old France international is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with Chelsea, among others. (Mirror)
– Barcelona are monitoring the situation of Deportivo La Coruna’s 23-year-old left winger Yeremay Hernandez. (Marca)
– A number of Italian and Spanish clubs are keeping tabs on Flamengo right back Emerson Royal. The 26-year-old defender, who can also play in the center, is out of contract in 2028. (Ekrem Konur)
– Olympiacos are monitoring Cruzeiro’s 17-year-old left back Kaua Prates and could offer a fee of around €10m in an effort to fend off interest from Napoli, Juventus, FC Porto and Benfica. (Ekrem Konur)
– Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry is expected to extend his stay beyond next summer and stay until 2028. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Girona are hoping to beat Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa to the loan signing of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 33. (Sport)
– Celtic are contemplating making a move for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan, amid interest from Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. (Daily Mail)
– Spanish side Cadiz have agreed to sign 19-year-old winger Antonio Cordero on loan from Newcastle United. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Ajax have made contact with Burnley about the availability of 24-year-old left back Quilindschy Hartman. The Netherlands defender has four assists this season, more than any other Burnley player. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Roma have offered striker Artem Dovbyk to Leeds United, Sunderland, Everton and West Ham United, as the 28-year-old Ukraine international has been told he’s not in Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans. (TEAMtalk)
– Sunderland are looking to consolidate their position in the top half of the Premier League with the signing of two midfielders; Lille’s 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi and Monaco’s 21-year-old Lamine Camara. (TEAMtalk)
– West Ham United are considering parting ways with boss Nuno Espirito Santo after just 13 games in charge. The Hammers are in the bottom three and could opt for a change in the dugout if their form doesn’t improve. (TalkSPORT)
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has added another feather to his already illustrious career by bagging the Best Middle East Player 2025 award — marking his third consecutive win.
“I still motivate myself to carry on, it doesn’t matter where I play to score goals and keep going,” Ronaldo said in a star-studded ceremony in Dubai.
“I want to win more trophies and reach a number, and I will reach that number,” added the Portuguese footballer.
Taking to Instagram, Ronaldo said that it was a “special moment to end the year on”.
“I carry on with the same passion, commitment and hunger as always to reach my goals,” read the caption of his post with a picture of him with the award.
Furthermore, during the Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo also presented Tennis star Novak Djokovic with the “Globe Sports Award”, with the latter commending the footballer for his pursuit of 1,000 goals.
The remarks refer to Ronaldo’s statement, where he said, “I will reach 1,000 goals for sure, if I stay injury-free,” reported the Gulf News.
Meanwhile, Midfielder Vitinha won the Best Midfielder award, whereas Ousmane Dembele was crowned Best Men’s Player.
Lamine Yamal won the Best Forward Award as well as the Maradona Award with Paul Pogba bagging the Comeback Award.
The Terrapins score the first 17 points — their best start to a game since 2003 —and top the Monarchs, 73-58.
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