The magnitude of Friday night’s College Football Playoff opener between Notre Dame and Indiana became apparent immediately after the bracket was announced.
The matchup has enormous national implications; the winner advances to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. It resonates locally as the first meeting between these two in-state teams since 1991. And it has historical value as the inaugural game of the 12-team Playoff era — at Notre Dame Stadium, one of the most historic venues in sports.
Which got this Indiana native wondering: Where does this game rank among the biggest in state history?
I’ll wait until after the final whistle to decide. Until then, and in honor of the expanded bracket, I’ve come up with a list of the 12 biggest sporting events the state has hosted. I considered the competition’s local relevance, national impact and historical legacy while including games only on Indiana soil (which is why you won’t find any of Reggie Miller’s heroics against the Knicks).
12. Hoosiers stay perfect
The top-ranked, unbeaten Hoosiers trailed Michigan by 10 at halftime but fought back in their February 1976 showdown at Assembly Hall. Kent Benson’s tip-in just before the buzzer forced overtime in an eventual 72-67 Indiana victory. It makes our list because of what happened next — not just the school’s third national championship (and first under Bob Knight). This ended up as the closest game for the Hoosiers, who finished 32-0. No team has finished a season undefeated since.
11. 1980 Final Four
Eleven years to the day that UCLA beat Purdue for the national championship, the Bruins and Boilermakers met again in the Final Four at Indianapolis’ Market Square Arena. Joe Barry Carroll’s Boilers weren’t quick enough to top UCLA, which won 67-62 in the semifinal. Two nights later, Denny Crum coached Louisville past UCLA for the Cardinals’ first national championship.
10. 1973 ABA Western Division final
Almost all the Indiana Pacers’ biggest series-clinching games were on the road, so that means their contribution to the list is Game 6 of the ABA’s Western Division final against the Utah Stars. George McGinnis’ 23 points at the fairgrounds’ Coliseum helped the Pacers pull away for a 107-98 win that sent the team back to the league final. Indiana then beat the Kentucky Colonels in seven games to win their third ABA championship under Bobby “Slick” Leonard.
9. 1982 Indianapolis 500
The 66th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” had almost everything. A record 109 entrants. A who’s who of drivers — three of the four legends who have won the race four times (A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr.), plus Mario Andretti and Chip Ganassi, who has become one of the top team owners in North American motorsports. And its status as an iconic event during its glory days. The race itself wasn’t bad, either, as Gordon Johncock edged Mears by 0.16 seconds in what was then the closest finish in Indy 500 history.
8. 1994 Brickyard 400
NASCAR was surging in nationwide popularity when it made its first stop at one of America’s most storied venues, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The inaugural event featured a record purse ($3.2 million), record entry list (80-plus cars vying for 43 spots) and an announced crowd of 350,000 spectators. It helped that the winner grew up in Pittsboro, Ind.: Jeff Gordon, a 23-year-old hot shot who grew into a four-time series champion.
7. Game of the Century (1993)
The buzz around No. 1 Florida State’s visit to No. 2 Notre Dame was so intense that ESPN’s “College GameDay” made its first road trip to any campus for this matchup of undefeated teams. The Fighting Irish eked out a 31-24 victory when Shawn Wooden knocked down the last-gasp pass by FSU star (and eventual Heisman Trophy winner) Charlie Ward. Notre Dame’s glory was short-lived. The Fighting Irish lost to Boston College the next week, opening the door for Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles to win their first national championship.
6. Catholics vs. Convicts
A top-five, undefeated showdown between the Fighting Irish and the reigning national champions with bad-boy reputations. After Miami scored in the final minute, head coach Jimmy Johnson went for two and the win. The pass was broken up, and the Fighting Irish held on for a 31-30 win — a victory that helped propel them to a perfect season and the 1988 national title. The game inspired a “30 for 30” film and still echoes. In 2017, Miami receiver Braxton Berrios celebrated a touchdown against Notre Dame by putting his hands behind his back as if he had been arrested.
5. Georgia’s drought ends
There were no local ties here, but the magnitude of a national championship game puts this on the list. Georgia scored three touchdowns in the final nine minutes — including Kelee Ringo’s 79-yard pick six — to beat Alabama 33-18 at Lucas Oil Stadium in January 2022. Kirby Smart’s first national championship as a head coach ended the Bulldogs’ 41-year drought and handed Nick Saban a rare defeat against one of his former assistants.
4. Milan Miracle
This is a relic of Indiana high school basketball’s heyday when every team competed in the same tournament instead of being divided into classes. Milan (enrollment: 161) upset Muncie Central (enrollment: 1,662) on Bobby Plump’s jumper in the 1954 state championship. The 32-30 triumph set off a celebration that drew 40,000 fans to the tiny town. You might know it as the inspiration for the classic sports movie, “Hoosiers.”
3. 2010 Final Four
Brad Stevens’ Butler Bulldogs picked a great time for their first Final Four run; the games were at Lucas Oil Stadium, a few miles from Butler’s campus. The Bulldogs edged Michigan State in the semifinal and faced Duke for the national championship. The finish was unforgettable but heartbreaking: Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave rimmed out, sealing Duke’s 61-59 victory and Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski’s fourth national title.
2. Colts-Patriots AFC Championship
Peyton Manning entered 0-2 in the playoffs against Tom Brady’s Patriots, and 0-3 looked likely after his Colts fell behind 21-3 at the RCA Dome in January 2007. But Manning rallied Indianapolis and led an 80-yard drive in the closing minutes. Joseph Addai’s short touchdown rush gave the Colts a 38-34 lead, and Marlin Jackson’s interception in the closing seconds sealed Indianapolis’ first trip to the Super Bowl. The Colts beat the Bears two weeks later for the state’s first major professional championship in three decades.
1. Super Bowl XLVI
The Colts were not playing in this game at Lucas Oil Stadium, but local fans could enjoy a Manning (Eli) beating the Patriots. Manning sparked the Giants’ fourth-quarter comeback with a 38-yard throw down the sideline to Mario Manningham. It’s best remembered for the bizarre final touchdown. Leading 17-15 in the closing minutes, New England intentionally tried to let Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw score to get the ball back with a chance to win. Bradshaw realized it, tried to stop at the 1 but fell into the end zone, anyway. New York held on for a 21-17 victory in one of the most watched games in U.S. history and the biggest sporting event Indiana has ever hosted.
Honorable mention: Indianapolis’ 1987 Pan-Am Games attracted participants from more than 30 countries and featured stars like Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and David Robinson. … Jalen Suggs’ Final Four buzzer-beater in the 2021 COVID-19 bubble sent Gonzaga over UCLA and into the national championship. … Reggie Miller’s 3-pointer for the Pacers with 0.7 seconds beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls in Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. … Notre Dame beat UConn in the 2011 Women’s Final Four at Conseco Fieldhouse but lost to Texas A&M 76-70 in the title game. … In July, Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark recorded the first triple-double ever by a WNBA rookie, against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. … UNLV’s perfect season ended against Duke in the 1991 Final Four.
(Top photo: John Biever / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
