IRVING, TEXAS (Jan. 24, 2026) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame yesterday formally presented the Indiana University football team and head coach Curt Cignetti with the MacArthur Bowl, the organization's national championship trophy for the Football Bowl Subdivision, during the National Championship Celebration on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
 
2022 NFF Chris Schenkel Award recipient and the Voice of the Hoosiers for more than 50 years, Don Fisher emceed the event and NFF Trustee Jason Hanold made the presentation on behalf of the organization. Coach Cignetti accepted the award on behalf of his 2025 Indiana football team in front of a joyous crowd of around 15,000 fans who braved brutally cold weather and an impending snowstorm.
 
"You're more than among the greatest teams, you're arguably the greatest team," said Hanold. "This two-year turnaround is unprecedented, and you're the first team in the modern era to go 16-0, a feat last accomplished in 1894. There are many great Hoosier stories to be told, but I think this is the greatest. So, on behalf of the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, our Chairman Archie Manning, CEO Steve Hatchell, our board of trustees and over 1,300 Hall of Fame inductees, I am pleased to present the MacArthur Bowl championship trophy for the first time ever to Coach Cignetti and his incredible Indiana Hoosier team."
 
"Thank you very much, this was a group effort and you can't get it done without great people and great fans," said Coach Cignetti. "Go IU!"
 
"There simply aren't enough adjectives in the dictionary to quantify what this coach, his coaching staff, the support staff, the managers and the administration have done to resurrect a program that was on life support two years ago, and now they are the national champions of all of college football." said Fisher.

Several community leaders made remarks on stage, including IU's Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten, AFCA Executive Director Craig Bohl, Heisman Trophy Trust CEO Jeff Price, . Indiana mega fan and legendary singer John Mellencamp also graced the stage belting out a rendition of his iconic ballad "Hurts So Good."
 
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who had a historic season, becoming the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy, spoke along with several other players.
 
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you Hoosier Nation," Mendoza said. "Playing here has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Thank you so much and again, myself, my teammates are forever indebted to you guys. God bless. Go Hoosiers!"
 
The NFF recognized Indiana (16-0) as the recipient of the 2025 NFF MacArthur Bowl National Championship Trophy following the team's 27-21 victory over Miami (FL) in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Presented by AT&T before a sellout crowd of 67,227 fans on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
 
The 2025 Hoosiers' name will now be etched alongside the greatest teams in college football history on the MacArthur Bowl Championship Trophy, marking the first time Indiana has claimed a national title since fielding a team in 1887. The Hoosiers became the first team in the modern era to go 16-0 and finish undefeated, a feat last accomplished by Yale, which posted a 16-0 season in 1894. The trophy is housed at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and has been presented since 1959.
 
Presented to every national champion since 1959, the MacArthur Bowl represents the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, and each year during its 67-year history a new name has been etched alongside the greatest teams of all time. The trophy, a replica of a football stadium, features archways with space to engrave the names of 100 teams and miniature goalposts. The trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of early NFF leader General Douglas MacArthur. It took eight months to make, and the trophy features MacArthur's famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory."
 
During college football's Poll Era, the NFF MacArthur Bowl Committee selected the recipient of the trophy. With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998, the national championship game has determined which team claimed the MacArthur Bowl, a tradition that continues under the College Football Playoff. Alabama has the most CFP national titles during the CFP era with three. Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State have each claimed the crown twice during the CFP era, rounding out the group of teams with multiple CFP titles.
 
Twenty-five different schools have claimed the MacArthur Bowl at least once during its 67-year history. Alabama has hoisted it the most, claiming it 10 times. Ohio State and Notre Dame have the second most wins with five each while Miami (FL), Southern California and Texas have each etched their names four times on the trophy. Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska and Oklahoma each boast three trophies. Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State have each won the trophy twice.
 
First presented in 1959, NFF National Champions and MacArthur Bowl recipients include: Syracuse 1959, Minnesota 1960, Alabama 1961, Southern California 1962, Texas 1963, Notre Dame 1964, Michigan State 1965, Michigan State/Notre Dame 1966, Southern California 1967, Ohio State 1968, Texas 1969, Ohio State/Texas 1970, Nebraska 1971, Southern California 1972, Notre Dame 1973, Southern California 1974, Oklahoma 1975, Pittsburgh 1976, Notre Dame 1977, Alabama 1978, Alabama 1979, Georgia 1980, Clemson 1981, Penn State 1982, Miami (FL) 1983, Brigham Young 1984, Oklahoma 1985, Penn State 1986, Miami (FL) 1987, Notre Dame 1988, Miami (FL) 1989, Colorado 1990, Washington 1991, Alabama 1992, Florida State 1993, Nebraska 1994, Nebraska 1995, Florida 1996, Michigan 1997, Tennessee 1998, Florida State 1999, Oklahoma 2000, Miami (FL) 2001, Ohio State 2002, LSU 2003, Vacated 2004, Texas 2005, Florida 2006, LSU 2007, Florida 2008, Alabama 2009, Auburn 2010, Alabama 2011, Alabama 2012, Florida State 2013, Ohio State 2014, Alabama 2015, Clemson 2016, Alabama 2017, Clemson 2018, LSU 2019, Alabama 2020, Georgia 2021, Georgia 2022, Michigan 2023, Ohio State 2024 and Indiana 2025.