There was only one fitting way that Curt Cignetti would be celebrating the Hoosiers’ first national title after Monday’s 27-21 win over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
By cracking open a cold one.
Harkening back to his viral answer following Indiana’s semifinal beatdown of Oregon, Cignetti was asked by ESPN’s Molly McGrath how he would be celebrating the championship win.
“I’m gonna have a beer,” he said with a chuckle.
It will be a well-earned beverage after he completed one of the greatest sports stories by turning around the Indiana football program in his two seasons at the helm, leading the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 campaign this year, capped by the dramatic win over the Hurricanes.
The Hoosiers led for most of the game, but the Hurricanes made it close, pulling within three points late in the game before a field goal and an interception with just under a minute left, which helped secure the title win.
“We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done,” Cignetti told McGrath on the field as the confetti fell to the turf. “I’m so happy for our fans. Words can’t describe it.”
As for what beer Cignetti will be opening, it isn’t exactly clear.
However, CBS Sports had done an in-depth look into the beer that he likes.
James Ferguson, the director of football operations at James Madison University, ventured a guess based on some knowledge from Cignetti’s time in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
“Used to be Mich Ultra,” Ferguson texted to CBS Sports. “Can’t imagine he changed.”
The obsession over Cignetti’s beer of choice started when he proclaimed on the field after their Peach Bowl win earlier this month and had been talking with ESPN.
“I’m really not thinking about the next game,” Cignetti said at that time. “I’m thinking about cracking open a beer.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
