Indiana University won its first National College Football Championship last week, topping a historic 16-0 season. While many fans celebrated from the comfort of their homes, some Hoosiers witnessed the victory in person.
Richmond’s Thane Berger, an IU freshman, experienced the flawless season up close as a team manager. The Northeastern High School alumnus described the experience as unreal.
“I would have been thankful for another playoff berth. But, going this far, and only year two of this program, it’s just something I can’t describe in words how special it is to me,” Berger said. He knew things were different with this team after the Big Ten Championship win.
“Once we won that game, I knew this team was special enough for us to go far enough and win the Natty. Ohio State is nobody to scoff at.”
IU defeated archrivals Ohio State 13-10 in a heated matchup to proceed to the Rose Bowl.
B&F Plastics co-owner Justin Scheiben also marked the Big Ten win as a signature moment this season. The season-ticket holder was fortunate enough to attend both the Rose and Peach bowl games. During Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, he left a basketball game in Bloomington to fly to Miami. He said the entire flight experience was amazing, with the flight full of Hoosier fans.
He described the Hard Rock Stadium as a “sea of red” with a surprisingly large IU fan base outnumbering the University of Miami fans 70/30. His favorite moments were the blocked punt, giving a touchdown for IU’s special teams and Mendoza’s game-winning fourth-down TD run.
Berger recalls the last play of the championship game as his favorite moment this season.
“That seals the deal, winning the national championship. I’m part of something that’ll live on for 100 years, for history,” Berger described. With plans to be a manager next season, the sports marketing and management major thinks next year’s team looks great on paper and will be better than this season.
“We have plenty of new guys coming in that Curt Cignetti knows have proven themselves on the field. And I believe we can run it back and make a back-to-back run.”
A version of this article appeared in the January 28 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.