‘Not Done with Hard Rock’: How Miami Resolved to Return Home for Title Game
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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The chance to end the season where it started has been on Miami’s mind for months.
Hurricanes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe said the team discussed the possibility of playing for the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium — their home turf — in the summer. After a season-opening win over Notre Dame in South Florida, it looked like Miami was up for the task. A rugged romp over Florida reinforced that notion. However, a home loss to Louisville in October cast doubt on that possibility. And when the Hurricanes capped off the home portion of their regular-season slate with a victory over NC State, there was no guarantee they would be back.
“We knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Bissainthe told reporters Saturday at the Miami Beach Convention Center, “so we just went to work every week. And look where we are at now.”
No. 10 Miami will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Hard Rock Stadium against No. 1 Indiana on Monday. For all intents and purposes, this is another home game for the Hurricanes. However, they are technically the road team — and definitive underdogs — against the undefeated Hoosiers, whose fans have traveled in impressive numbers through their postseason run.
“It will be interesting being in a different locker room, being on the opposite sideline of the one you’re usually on,” said Miami quarterback Carson Beck, who said he’s excited to wear white jerseys. “At the end of the day, it’s still the same field, still the same game of football that we’ve always played.”
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The Hurricanes (13-2) had to win at No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round of the CFP, knock off defending national champion No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinals and defeat No. 6 Ole Miss in the semifinals just to get to this point. And before all that, it wasn’t a given Miami would even be selected for the 12-team field.
That midseason loss to Louisville and a subsequent defeat to SMU on the road put the ’Canes on the wrong side of the playoff bubble. Back in South Florida, they responded with a statement against Syracuse and a blowout over NC State on senior night. That’s when Miami resolved to return home for the championship game two months later.
“We made a deal that we’re not done with Hard Rock yet,” offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa said. “That’s going to be our last game at Hard Rock for this season, so we’re not leaving anything behind.”
From there, the Hurricanes kept on winning. They blew out Virginia Tech and a top-25 Pittsburgh team on the road in the regular-season finale to make a compelling case to the committee. Due to a tiebreaker rule, Miami missed out on a spot in the ACC Championship Game. But when push came to shove, the ’Canes jumped Notre Dame — the same team they beat to kick things off at home back in August — for the final at-large spot in the CFP.
“When we had the chance to go into the playoffs, that’s all we needed, “Mauigoa said. “This is a team that fights to the end. We have that mentality where if there’s still time left, we still have a chance.”
Miami center James Brockemeyer said the Louisville game was particularly disappointing. That was the ’Canes’ first loss, and they still had a chance to force overtime or win outright despite their worst showing of the season. Afterward, Brockemeyer said running back Mark Fletcher Jr. reminded the team what was on the line should Miami rally and make a playoff run.
“‘Like guys, the national championship game is in the Hard Rock,’” Brockemeyer recalled Fletcher saying. “That would be brutal to watch that game, two other teams playing in our home stadium, and not be a part of that.”
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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