JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – From Southside to Orange Park, Jacksonville’s sports bars transformed into spirited outposts of college football fandom as Indiana and Miami supporters gathered to watch their teams battle for the national championship.
At Miller’s Ale House on Southside, Indiana University alumni and fans created their own slice of Bloomington atmosphere. The venue expected between 65 to 75 Hoosier faithful to attend their watch party.
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“We love the Jacksonville community. It’s a wonderful place to live, and there’s a lot of IU alumni fans here,” said Leslie Zimmerman, who helped organize the Indiana watch party.
For recent graduates like Elyse Appelblatt, class of 2018, the championship appearance marks a dramatic turnaround for the program. “Went through some bad years of Indiana football but always knew we’d be here,” she said.
The gathering represented more than just a viewing party for the Indiana faithful. “It’s really wonderful being able to get together with fans from the school that we graduated from and cheer on our team to victory,” Zimmerman said.
Across town at the Ale House in Orange Park, Miami Hurricane supporters packed the venue with a sea of orange and green. The watch party continued a three-decade tradition of Miami fan gatherings in Jacksonville.
“It’s wonderful because it feels like we’re in Miami and these people have become family to me because a lot of them have been coming for 30 years,” said Shelli Maroe, who has been organizing Hurricane watch parties in Jacksonville for 30 years.
For Miami fans, the championship game offered a chance to reclaim past glory. “Are you kidding? We’re overdue. We’re way overdue,” Maroe said about the possibility of a championship victory.
The championship game brought together two passionate fan bases, each maintaining their collegiate traditions and community ties hundreds of miles from their home campuses.