No. 6 Indiana will begin its title defense Saturday as the Hoosiers welcome North Texas to Bloomington. The Hoosiers enter the season with plenty of expectations after completing a historic 16-0 campaign in 2025 and winning the first national championship in program history.
Indiana will have a different quarterback under center after Fernando Mendoza was selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Hoosiers brought in TCU transfer Josh Hoover, who started 31 games during his four seasons with the Horned Frogs.
North Texas also enters the matchup with significant changes. The Mean Green lost head coach Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker after a 12-win 2025 season, with Neal Brown taking over as head coach. North Texas will turn to former Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson, who was named the starter for the season opener.
How to Watch and Livestream Indiana vs North Texas
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
- TV: Fox
- Live Stream: Fox One
North Texas Mean Green
Head Coach: Neal Brown
Brown begins his first season at North Texas after the Mean Green’s 12-2 campaign in 2025.
Starting Quarterback: Tayven Jackson
Jackson previously played at Indiana before transferring to UCF and then North Texas. He threw for 2,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025 at UCF.
Indiana Hoosiers
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti
Cignetti enters his third season at Indiana after leading the Hoosiers to a perfect record and the national championship last season.
Starting Quarterback: Josh Hoover
Hoover brings significant experience to Bloomington after making 31 starts at TCU. He owns 16 career 300-yard passing games.
Key Players: RB Kaelon Black, OL Carter Smith, DL Mikail Kamara
Indiana returns several important pieces from its championship team, including offensive linemen Carter Smith and Bray Lynch and defensive standout Mikail Kamara.
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