You need either a lot of money, good conenctions or clout to see the Canes take on the Hoosiers in Monday’s college football championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. That said, you may not be there but President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be, according to Axios,.

Trump hasn’t picked a favorite, but has praised Miami- born, Columbus alum, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, this year’s Heisman Trophy winner. Trump’s granddaughter, Kai is committed to play for UM’s golf team.

Rubio, a Miami native, is 100% “all about the U,” plus, he’s buds with Canes head coach Mario Cristobal

Kickoff for Monday’s game is at 7:30 p.m. at the Miami Gardens stadium, the home site for UM football and the Dolphins. Mississippi native and breakout soul artist Jamal Roberts will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  The National Anthem Ceremony will begin with the presentation of the Nation’s Colors by a Joint Armed Forces Color Guard from the Military District of Washington, including members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard, followed by the unfurling of a giant American flag by volunteers from the Miami-Dade community.  As part of the CFP’s salute to the armed forces, the anthem ceremony will include video feeds of U.S. troops stationed oversees with service members deployed in Romania with the 4-3 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, and in the Middle East with the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, U.S. Air Force, all watching the national championship game. The ceremony will be further honored by a flyover from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami in Opa-locka.

 “America the Beautiful,” before the anthem, will be performed by members of the Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale under the direction of Dr. Argarita Johnson.

17-year old Brianna Therve, a junior at Barbara Goleman High School, will perform “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language (ASL), and 18-year old Maria Pernalete, a senior at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” in ASL.

Global superstar Pitbull will headline the Capital One Music Stage at Allstate Championship Tailgate, bringing his high-energy performance to kick off the 2026 national championship game day festivities.