Read in Browser [[link removed]]

Morning Edition

January 12, 2026

Tickets for the College Football Playoff title game between Miami and Indiana are climbing toward record highs, with the cheapest resale seats topping $3,500. Between Indiana’s first championship appearance and Miami hosting in its home stadium, demand is off the charts.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]

CFP Title Game Ticket Prices on Pace to Be Most Expensive Ever [[link removed]]

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Miami-Indiana showdown in the College Football Playoff national championship game is trending toward being the most expensive title matchup on record.

Since both teams secured their spots with victories in the CFP semifinals last week, the resale ticket market has been climbing at unprecedented levels.

As of Sunday afternoon, the cheapest tickets on Ticketmaster for the Jan. 19 game at Hard Rock Stadium were selling for $3,565. That’s nearly double the get-in price for Ohio State–Notre Dame last year—$1,830 on TickPick—which was the previous record [[link removed]] for the most expensive CFP national championship game.

The majority of game tickets are allocated to the two participating schools and are originally sold directly through each institution.

The Indianapolis Star A Perfect Storm

Several factors are contributing to the high demand on the secondary market for next week’s CFP finale.

Indiana is playing in its first national championship game in program history. The school has the largest living alumni base [[link removed]-], with over 805,000 former Hoosiers around the world. While that’s roughly quadruple Miami’s living alumni [[link removed]] base of around 200,000, the Hurricanes have a much more storied history, with five AP national championships (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001).

The 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium is the home venue for the Hurricanes (and the NFL’s Dolphins). Miami does not have an on-campus stadium. During the regular season, the Hurricanes averaged 63,834 fans per game. This will be the first time a college football national championship game will take place in a participating team’s home stadium, even though the Hurricanes will officially be designated the visiting team.

Both Indiana and Miami fan bases have traveled well—and many miles—during the CFP tournament. Miami had to visit a hostile Texas A&M environment in the first round before victories at the Cotton Bowl in Texas over Ohio State and the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona over Ole Miss. Indiana had a first-round bye before dominating performances in the Rose Bowl in California over Alabama and the Peach Bowl in Georgia over Oregon.

SPONSORED BY SHEPPARD PRATT

Mental Health in Modern Sports

As the conversation around athlete wellness expands beyond physical performance, mental health has emerged as one of the most urgent and transformative topics in sports and business.

On Feb. 7—just one day before the Big Game—Future of Sports: The Mental Edge, presented by Sheppard Pratt [[link removed]], will convene leaders from across sports, media, and mental health for brunch to explore how organizations can prioritize mental well-being—from the locker room to the boardroom.

Through thought-provoking panels and intimate dialogue, the program [[link removed]] will unpack the evolving dynamics of mental health in professional sports, the growing role of corporate and philanthropic leadership, and how high-profile moments are enhancing mental health conversations on and off the field.

Interested in joining? Request to attend now [[link removed]].

NFL Coaching Searches Heat Up As Harbaugh, LaFleur Rumors Swirl [[link removed]]

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As the NFL playoffs roll on and whittle down to the postseason’s final eight teams, there are also eight franchises still searching for their next head coach [[link removed]], as no hires have been made yet.

But that doesn’t mean the NFL coaching carousel isn’t speeding up, with plenty of intriguing movement taking place over the weekend.

The Man in Charge

John Harbaugh is seen by many as the hottest coaching candidate available.

The Ravens fired Harbaugh [[link removed]], 63, after 18 seasons in Baltimore, which included winning Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season.

Harbaugh told Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer [[link removed]] that while many teams had reached out to him about their openings, he was planning to take the weekend and narrow down to three or four to go interview for, rather than all across the board.

Lambeau Leap?

The Packers are not one of the eight teams with a coaching vacancy, but after squandering a lead and losing to NFC North rival Chicago on Saturday night, the future of Matt LaFleur in Green Bay could be in question.

This is the first full offseason for Packers chairman, president, and CEO Ed Policy, who succeeded longtime team leader Mark Murphy [[link removed]] in July.

As the only publicly owned franchise in the NFL, Green Bay’s CEO is the team’s de facto “owner,” typically making the final call on major decisions like hiring and firing coaches and GMs.

LaFleur was hired in 2019 and signed a contract extension in 2022 that runs through the 2026 season. If he is not offered an extension this offseason, he would begin next season as a rare “lame duck” coach entering the final year of his deal.

Southern Hospitality

The Falcons, who are searching for a coach and GM, are one of the more interesting teams to watch after Atlanta officially hired franchise legend Matt Ryan [[link removed]] as its new president of football Saturday.

“You want to be in the mix—in the playoffs, and it’s been too long there,” Ryan said Sunday [[link removed]] on CBS, where he has served as an NFL analyst for the past two seasons. “And we’re gonna work really hard and find the right people to get us back into that position to be successful.”

The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot [[link removed]] after the season ended, and Rich McKay, the longtime right-hand man of owner Arthur Blank, also stepped down as Falcons CEO [[link removed]].

While there are no restrictions on interviewing free agents like Harbaugh or former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, teams cannot conduct in-person interviews with assistant coaches who are under contract with other clubs until Jan. 19, unless those teams are playing in the AFC or NFC championship game.

Notre Dame Backs Marcus Freeman After Battery Allegations [[link removed]]

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman was accused of battery by a high school wrestling coach stemming from an incident at a recent tournament in Indiana in which Freeman’s son was competing. The university has denied that the head coach engaged in physical contact in the incident.

“Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach,” Notre Dame’s athletics department said in a statement to multiple outlets. “Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are unfounded.”

The incident in question took place during a wrestling meet at Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka, Indiana, on Jan. 3. The altercation was first reported [[link removed]] by the South Bend Tribune.

Chris Fleeger, an assistant wrestling coach at New Prairie High School located in New Carlisle, Indiana, accused Freeman of battery in a police report filed this past week, and the Mishawaka Police Department has turned the matter over to prosecutors to decide if charges will be filed.

Freeman’s son, Vinny, is a senior at Penn High School and lost his match. Afterwards, Fleeger allegedly exchanged words with the elder Freeman and Penn’s head coach. There was alleged “physical contact,” according to the South Bend Tribune, but the severity was not detailed in the police report. Fleeger also had a “shouting match” with Freeman’s wife, Joanna, according to the report.

A Mishawaka police spokesperson confirmed to Front Office Sports that the incident report was referred to prosecutors.

Notre Dame football went 10–2 this season, but was left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish later decided not to play in a bowl game.

Freeman has been discussed as a potential NFL head coaching candidate. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said Sunday morning [[link removed]] that NFL teams “still believe” there is a chance Freeman would make the jump to the professional ranks, even though he has previously announced that he would return to Notre Dame in 2026.

Editors’ Picks Koepka’s Reinstatement Decision Clouds Start of PGA Tour Season [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Koepka has applied for reinstatement just as the new year begins. WNBA Telling Teams They Can Send Free Agent Offers Amid CBA Uncertainty [[link removed]]by Annie Costabile [[link removed]]“Without a real salary cap, no one is going to sign anything.” The Netflix Star Who Makes Sure NBA Players Have Clean Towels [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]How a Nets staffer landed a breakout role on “Black Rabbit.” Question of the Day

Will John Harbaugh be the first NFL head coach hired this cycle?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Friday’s result: 81% of respondents said they’d like to see Miami play Indiana. 19% said Oregon.

Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Games [[link removed]] Show [[link removed]] Shop [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2026 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016