​Which college football team is going to be the next Indiana?It’s an impossible dream considering how meteoric the rise was from absolutely nothing to, arguably, the greatest season in over 150 years of college football.Or maybe it’s not so crazy to dream about breaking into the club of the elites.In the modern day of college sports, if you have the funding, the infrastructure, the coaching, and the right match to light to set it all off, it can happen in a snap.Just look at how good Texas Tech became with just a few tweaks to the talent acquisition rules.26 for ’26, No. 16: Finding College Football’s Next IndianaMay 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesMandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesNo, no one can really be the next Indiana – only one lightning strike can be first – but other programs can try replicating how one woebegone football program was able to be successful so fast.Five schools that fit the profile of having the fundamentals in place to be great at football after years of mediocre to non-existent success. What did Indiana have?- A gigantic school. It’s Indiana University. It’s huge, with the largest living alumni base in the country. Which means it has …- The resources. That’s not always a given no matter how large the school, but it had the infrastructure in place to step on the gas once it all got going.- The coaching. Curt Cignetti’s “Google me” line might have been his introduction to the world, but for years he was a deep cuts, college football hipster’s underground superstar coach with a proven track record.- It was – and still is – a great basketball school. That mattered. Indiana knew what success at a major collegiate sport looked like.So with all of that in mind, which five schools fit as many parts of the profile as possible?For example, Indiana has the one national title last season, three conference championships, 27 winning seasons in 127 years, and two ten-win campaigns.It has over 800,000 living alumni, close to 49,000 enrollment – at least on the Bloomington campus – an athletic budget of over $180 million, and despite a rough run lately, it’s a true blueblood basketball school.26 Key Questions for the 2026 Season26: Winningest Programs Yet To Make the CFP25: ACC Key Questions24: Big 12 Key Questions23: Big Ten Key Questions22: Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects21: SEC Key Questions20: What’s Next in Realignment?19. Ranking All 30 New Head Coaches18. Who Has the Easiest Schedules?17. Who Has the Hardest Schedules?CFN Preview 2026: All 138 Team PreviewsThe school size, alumni, and dollar figures are approximations coming from the schools.Nov 23, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) throws a pass against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium.© Tim Heitman-Imagn ImagesArizonaThere have been just enough whispers of great seaso