A wide view of Hard Rock Stadium before Indiana-Miami. Ishika Samant / Getty Images
Follow our live coverage of Indiana-Miami in the national championship game.
The get-in price for Monday’s national championship game hovered somewhere around $4,000 per ticket, so it made sense that fans at Hard Rock Stadium wanted to soak up every bit of the experience.
That certainly was the case for two fans in particular, who picked up some traction — and some fans — on social media for the cameos they made on ESPN’s 4K broadcast.
Unlike the traditional broadcast, ESPN’s 4K broadcast does not cut to commercial breaks and instead fills the gaps with a still shot of the stadium. During the first half of Monday’s Miami-Indiana game, that wide shot of the stadium prominently featured the heads of two fans sitting right in front of the camera.
Live footage of the couple on ESPN’s 4K stream opening texts of themselves and realizing they’ve been the center of this camera for the last hour.
This is hilarious pic.twitter.com/WDeHrnedmK
— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) January 20, 2026
At first, the couple didn’t seem to understand they were on national television as they laughed, kissed, checked their social media accounts and enjoyed a few adult beverages. Yet, midway through the second quarter, it was clear they were in on the bit. Cameras caught them opening up a slew of text messages, presumably from family and friends, with pictures of them as they zoomed in on their semi-viral moment.
Midway through the second quarter, the woman turned around, stuck her tongue out at the camera and waved. Alas, the camera operator immediately moved the camera up a few inches to cut them out of the frame, but here’s to a fun night they may be able to celebrate forever.