Fans Laughing At Indiana After Embarrassing Crowd Turnout At Championship Celebration

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Indiana Hoosiers just made history by winning their first national title this season, beating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 and finishing with a 16-0 record.

But Saturday’s championship celebration at Memorial Stadium got harshly ridiculed on social media. Aerial shots surfaced online showing a bare minimum number of people attending the spectacle as wind chills dropped below zero degrees after heavy overnight snowfall.

The optics looked brutal from every angle of the official video captured from the event, where head coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza could be seen walking on the snowy field. Meanwhile, most of the sections in the stands looked nearly empty when the broadcast camera panned to the crowd’s side. 

Reports claimed attendance of around 15,000 in a stadium that seats over 50,000, which is embarrassingly less than one-third of the capacity. But according to previous reports, IU had expected more than 40,000 fans. 

However, the extremely cold weather changed everything. It felt like 0 degrees at Memorial Stadium, per Colin McMahon from IU Sports Media. Still, fans of other college football teams couldn’t let it slide without mocking the Hoosiers’ fan base.

One fan wrote, “For those of you who may not have known the context: It was cold. Like negative temperatures cold.”

Another one added, “Wow, that’s embarrassing. Cignetti defies all logic and somehow wins a championship for INDIANA and they can’t even show up to the celebration?”

A third fan noted, “First national championship in schools history and this is the turnout…? Surprising”

The fourth viewer penned, “Now this is #iufb as I remember it.”

A fifth fan remarked, “Even in the greatest season in the history of your entire existence the ‘fans’ couldn’t even show up.”

In fairness, Hoosiers fans turned out for their team’s College Football Playoff games, reportedly outnumbering Miami Hurricanes fans in their own stadium for the title game and Alabama Crimson Tide fans at the Rose Bowl.

Despite the uncomfortable weather, the celebration went on as planned. University president Pam Whitten addressed the stadium crowd, promising this wouldn’t be their last football championship. However, there is no denying that Saturday’s celebration just couldn’t match that energy due to the cold weather.

Related: Fernando Mendoza’s Parents Are Major Inspiration for Indiana QB

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos