Updated on: August 9, 2026 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News For decades, Indiana University's college football program was the stuff of legend, but not in a good way. Correspondent Jon Wertheim was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, where IU is located. "For many, many, many years, this was a really lousy football program," Wertheim said. Indiana started this past season as the losingest program in major college football history, having racked up over 700 losses. But in an epic turnaround, the Hoosiers finished their season undefeated, winning the first CFP National Championship in the history of IU football. Former quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza said the vibe on Indiana's campus was "electric," a complete change from what it once was. "In January [2025], I would be [walking around campus] and no one would even blink an eye, no one would even know who I was, even if I introduced myself," Mendoza said. "They were like, 'Oh, cool.
Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open CBS News โ
SN
Scoop News DeskIndiana ยท Published Updated
Media link supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app.
Scoop News reporting summary
The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.
When Fisher was playing for James Madison University over two years ago, news broke that Cignetti, his coach at the time, had just been hired by Indiana University. "All my friends looked at me and they're like, 'You're going to Indiana,'" he told Wertheim. "I was only in my second year, so [it was] kind of a weird thing." According to Fisher, he and other players who transferred from lower-ranked schools have a certain "mindset" from being overlooked. "The chip on our shoulder that we weren't wanted… we're never going to face a team that ever recruited me," he told Wertheim. "And I think a lot of the guys in that locker room — they weren't recruited by anybody… and the people standing across the sideline, they think they're better than you." Wertheim asked Fisher if he ever took a moment to appreciate how far the team had come. "The Big Ten Championship is nice, 13-0 feels good.
