The best of Indiana sports history: stars, teams, and moments

THE INDIANA HOOSIERS are having a historic run this college football season. They went 13-0 in the regular season, staking their claim as the only undefeated team headed into the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers took home the Big Ten championship versus Ohio State. To cap their streak of success, their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, also became the first Hoosier to win the Heisman Trophy.

This recent period of prosperity adds to Indiana’s storied legacy in sports. As the Hoosiers prepare to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in this year’s Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, only time will tell if the Midwest state can claim another championship in 2026.

Until then, let’s reflect on meaningful milestones across Indiana sports teams, from the original “Hoosiers” to Caitlin Clark, and everything in between.

March 1954 — Milan High School wins state basketball championship

On a last-second shot from senior guard Bobby Plump, Milan High School defeated Muncie Central 32-30, cementing its place in Indiana basketball history and beyond. The underdog team eventually inspired the beloved 1986 film “Hoosiers.”

January 1968 — Indiana football reached the Rose Bowl

Before the success of the current Indiana football team, there were the 1967 Hoosiers, coached by John Pont. After entering the season unranked, Indiana rose to No. 4 in the country and played in the Rose Bowl, where the Hoosiers lost to USC 14-3.

May 1973 — The Pacers win their third ABA championship

The Indiana Pacers became the most successful franchise in ABA history after defeating the Kentucky Colonels 88-81 in Game 7 of the ABA championship. In 1976, the Pacers were one of four ABA teams that merged with the NBA.

March 1976 — A perfect season

In 1976, Bob Knight coached the Indiana men’s basketball team to a 32-0 record, culminating in the national title with a win over Michigan. No Division I men’s basketball team has repeated the feat since.

May 1977 — Janet Guthrie breaks barriers at Indianapolis 500

In 1977, Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Guthrie finished 29th due to engine issues. The following year, Guthrie made history again by finishing ninth, the best by a woman until Danica Patrick came in fourth in 2005.

March 1979 — Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

When Larry Bird’s Indiana State facedMagic Johnson’s Michigan State in the NCAA championship game, the much-anticipated matchup resulted in the highest TV ratings in college basketball history. It created the foundation for an expanded NCAA tournament and ignited a rivalry between the two players that eventually revitalized the NBA.

March 1984 — The NFL arrives in Indianapolis

After a stadium dispute with the city, Baltimore Colts owner Robert Irsay secretly moved the team to Indianapolis in the middle of the night, packing up the organization in over a dozen moving trucks. In a swift turn of events, the Baltimore Colts are now the Indianapolis Colts.

October 1993 — “Rudy” releases in Theaters

Based on the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a scrappy walk-on who dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame, the inspiring movie starring Sean Astin as Rudy became an instant underdog classic.

May 1995 — Reggie Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds

A flurry of points from Reggie Miller stunned the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Trailing 105-99 with 18.7 seconds remaining, Miller hit two 3-pointers and two free throws to steal a 107-105 win for Indiana.

April 1998 — Colts draft Peyton Manning

It was the beginning of an era. In 1998, the Colts selected quarterback Peyton Manning out of Tennessee with the No. 1 pick. The face of Indianapolis football for over a decade, Manning won a Super Bowl with the Colts and became the first player to be named MVP four times (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009).

February 2007 — Indianapolis Colts win Super Bowl XLI

More than two decades after Robert Irsay relocated the team, the Indianapolis Colts won their first Super Bowl. Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning led the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.

March 2010 & 2011 — Cinderella runs for Butler men’s basketball

Between 2010 and 2011, coach Brad Stevens led Butler University, a school with fewer than 5,000 students, to back-to-back Final Four runs. In the championship game against Duke in 2010, Gordon Hayward’s desperate half-court heave hit the rim, authoring one of sports’ greatest “what-ifs.”

October 2012 — Indiana Fever win first franchise title

Anchored by Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, the Indiana Fever persevered against the defending champs, the Minnesota Lynx, winning the series 3-1.

December 2012 — Indiana Hoosiers men’s soccer team wins eighth NCAA title

Indiana defeated Georgetown 1-0 to win its eighth national championship. The Hoosiers have the second-most national championships in men’s DI soccer.

June 2013 — Indiana Hoosiers baseball clinches first CWS berth

The Hoosiers baseball team swept powerhouse Florida State in the Super Regional. Indiana earned its first trip to the College World Series.

April 2018 — Arike Ogunbowale’s buzzer-beater

Notre Dame women’s basketball prevailed over Mississippi State in the national title game on Arike Ogunbowale’s electric buzzer-beater, her second of the tournament. Ogunbowale, who was named Most Outstanding Player, also hit the winner in the Final Four against UConn.

March 2021 — Indiana hosts the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament

For the first time in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, one city hosted the entire March Madness tournament due to COVID-19-related regulations. The games were held in a bubble-like format around the Indianapolis area. The Baylor Bears defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

April 2024 — Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark with No. 1 pick

Fresh off another record-breaking year at Iowa, Caitlin Clark goes No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA draft. The face of women’s college basketball, Clark concluded her collegiate career with 3,951 points, the most in men’s and women’s Division I history. Armed with two consecutive No. 1 draft picks (the Fever selected Aliyah Boston the year before), Clark’s arrival brought hope to a basketball state whose last Finals appearance was in 2012.

August 2024 — Cole Hocker sets 1500-meter Olympic record

The 23-year-old Indianapolis native stunned track and field fans in the Paris Olympicswhen he surged past heavy favorites Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen on the homestretch to break the 1500-meter Olympic record in 3:27.65.

June 2025 — Pacers reach NBA Finals

After a 10-15 start to the season, the fourth-seeded Pacers clawed their way through the playoffs and into the Finals for the first time in 25 years. Tyrese Haliburton’s late-game heroics ended in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder when the guard tore his right Achilles tendon in the first quarter. The Pacers ultimately fell to the Thunder 103-91.

October 2025 — Fever rally in playoffs

Despite injuries to key players, including Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson, the 24-20 Fever surged to a winner-take-all semifinal game against the Las Vegas Aces, who went on to win the championship.

December 2025 — Fernando Mendoza wins Heisman

After leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, quarterback Fernando Mendoza is awarded the Heisman Trophy, the first in program history. Entering the playoffs, Mendoza led the country in passing touchdowns (33) and was second in quarterback rating (181.39).

Louisa Frahm,Gueorgui Milkov and Alonzo Olmedocontributed to this story.