Indianapolis, IN
IU lands back in Indiana with extra carry-on: A national championship
IU, Curt Cignetti lands in Indianapolis following CFP championship win
Curt Cignetti offered a wave and a small smile after disembarking a charter plane from Miami to Indianapolis.
The Indiana Hoosiers flew back to Indianapolis on Jan. 20 with one additional carry-on: a national championship trophy.
One by one as the sun was setting, the players on the IU football team disembarked a United charter flight at the Indianapolis International Airport and boarded a handful of coach buses to take them the rest of the way back to Bloomington, where celebrations will continue into the coming days and weekend. Some players wore shorts as they stepped out into the bitter Indiana cold while others were bundled up in pajama pants.
Starting quarterback and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza had on shorts and a pair of shiny gold headphones as he exited with his team.
And less than 24 hours after he led his team to a perfect 16-0 season and the first national championship in program history, IU football head coach Curt Cignetti, known for his dour expressions, offered a wave and a slight smile to a small crowd of local media as he walked the short distance to the bus.
Though there was no iconic trophy lift as the team exited the plane, the hardware will be arriving in Bloomington soon enough.
A handful of fans used some savvy flight tracking skills to find the team’s flight and braved the cold to see a glimpse of the buses leaving the private charters terminal on the north side of the airport.
Karen and Mel Fletcher from Greenwood staked out a spot outside the airport as they waited for the team to land and head to Bloomington. Between the two of them, the couple had three kids graduate from IU, and the pair have been waiting decades for a national championship.
“We came out early and just hopefully, we could see them,” Karen Fletcher said.
The Fletchers had high praise for the Hoosiers as the motorcade passed by.
“It was a great team, a great bunch of guys. Fantastic coach. And they did it,” Karen Fletcher said.
Alysa Guffey writes business, health and development stories for IndyStar. Have a story tip? Contact her at amguffey@usatodayco.com or on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews.