The Indiana Hoosiers football team has been a huge topic in sports throughout the 2025-2026 college football season. The Hoosiers finished the regular season undefeated and BIG TEN Champions, beating the Ohio State Buckeyes. On January 1, the Hoosiers played in the Rose Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide, securing their first-ever Rose Bowl victory. Just over a week later, they were playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Oregon, whom they had previously beaten in the regular season 30-20. The Hoosiers brought home another bowl win with a score of 56-22. 

The Peach Bowl drew huge crowds to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with a majority of fans wearing red for Indiana. Because the event was scheduled for a Friday night, numerous Indiana schools rescheduled their boys’ basketball games to later dates, including Paoli. 

“Mitchell’s athletic director reached out to me and asked about rescheduling the game to a later date so our athletes and fans could watch the game,” said Athletic Director Darek Newkirk.

Head Coach Curt Cignetti’s team will face the Miami Hurricanes in the school’s first National Championship game on Monday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m. With the National Championship game taking place so late on a Monday night, some schools have opted to adjust their schedules on Tuesday, January 20, to support their student fans who may stay up late to watch the historic game for Hoosier fans. 

Lanesville Community Schools is using this event to raise funds for Riley’s Children’s Hospital, telling their students in a Facebook post that if the school raised $1,820, there would be a guaranteed two-hour delay on Tuesday. According to the WLKY website, as of January 14, they had exceeded their goal. 

The Monroe-Gregg School Corporation stated on their Facebook page: “If we can raise $2026 for Special Olympics Indiana, the Monroe-Gregg School District will operate on a 2-hour delay on Tuesday, January 20th – the morning after the College Football Playoff Championship Game.” As of January 15, Eventlink reported that the school had received 40 donations totaling $2,193.06, guaranteeing students a delay. 

Here locally, all three Washington County Schools have decided to celebrate the National Championship Game in different ways. 

West Washington Community Schools has decided to hold a virtual day on Tuesday, January 2o. East Washington and Salem Community Schools have both decided to operate on a two-hour delay on Tuesday.

After contacting Superintendent Ed Wagner about a Paoli delay, he stated there was no plan to delay at this time.