BLOOMINGTON — It’s been an incredible year for the Indiana Hoosiers Football team, and for the thousands of fans in Bloomington and beyond who have supported them through it all.
Monday night, that excitement was clear as fans crowded downtown streets like Kirkwood and Dunn to celebrate this historic season. While Tuesday was a lot calmer, there was still a lot of enthusiasm from students, alumni and fans alike as they reveled in the feeling of being first-time national football champions!
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“It’s surreal, like pinch me. I can’t believe this is real life!" Roahan, a senior at IU, exclaimed.
“We’re still living on the excitement from last night… it was incredible," Wendy, an IU alum, said.
“It’s been a long time since IU sports has won something big," Brian, an IU fan from Evansville, stated. "So I think everyone’s all happy and excited.”
That joy was felt throughout Bloomington the minute the final seconds wore down on Monday night.
“Last night after the game, it was so united," Shashwat, a senior at IU, told WRTV. "I’ve never seen this town united like that before.”
“Everybody was just happy," Jim, an IU alum who came back to watch the game, stated. "And it was just walking through the streets, and you’re high-fiving strangers. Hoo-Hoo-Hoo Hoosiers all the way back.”
That excitement was clearly shown in several videos from last night's celebrations.
WRTV spoke with Bloomington Police on Tuesday, who told us that while the streets were congested, for the most part, fans were just happy and excited.
No severe damage or injuries were reported, and only one arrest was made for operating while intoxicated.
Some businesses did report some minor damage to their buildings, but shops WRTV spoke with told us they were happy to be flooded with fans on Tuesday.
“It’s been great because we’ve had a lot of fans come out," Mike Seybold, Store Director with Academy Sports + Outdoor in Bloomington, said. "We’ve had people that typically don’t come in to buy IU stuff, buying IU stuff. We have people buying online… buying online and picking it up here. It has been phenomenal.”
All of that merchandise is ready for people to buy ahead of the 'Championship Celebration,' which the university will hold this Saturday.
“It's unbelievable how the team turned around and what effect it had for this town," Shashwat said. "[And] hopefully it continues past this year and even longer.”
“We want Cig to stay forever. We want to be a football school forever!" Wendy exclaimed with a laugh.
While fans will hold onto this monumental moment for a long time, they also told us they're excited about the future and to continue to see what Indiana Football can do.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
