John Mellencamp is among those celebrating the University of Indiana’s College Football National Championship.
The “Jack and Diane” singer, 74, posted to Instagram after Monday night’s game on Jan. 19 a video clip of the crowd at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium singing along to his 1982 hit “Hurts So Good” along with the caption, “Miami vs Indiana “Hurt So Good” National Champions 16-0! #hoosiers#hurtsogood#indiana#champions” following the Hoosiers triumph over the University of Miami Hurricanes.
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Fellow fans were thrilled by Mellencamp’s post. “Undefeated season. John Mellencamp on the speakers. Indiana just feels right tonight. ❤️🤍 #HoosierPride,” one wrote in the comments.
“Congratulations JM! Must be an incredible feeling sticking with that team and then having 70,000 people sing your song as they win the National Championship Game! Maybe there is a future song and some lyrics in this experience?!?!” another added.
“Awesome! One of the Best nights of my life! 50 years waiting for this!” a third added.
“Hoosiers fought authority, but this time Hoosiers win! John Mellencamp is a National Treasure, Indiana Hoosiers are National Champs! Gets No Better Than This!” another fan posted.
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The post was just one of three dedicated to the Hoosiers on Mellencamp’s Instagram account. He also shared a clip from the CBS Evening News in which new host Tony Dokoupil called Mellencamp “the team’s most famous booster.”
He also posted a carousel of photos including one of him in the snow wearing an oversized Indiana letterman’s jacket and a black-and-white photo of a young Mellencamp dressed up in his football gear.
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Mellencamp, who recently announced his Dancing Words Tour: The Greatest Hits, was recently profiled in TheWall Street Journal about his love and connection to Indiana under the headline “The Chain-Smoking Rock Star Who Made Indiana Football Hurt So Good.”
The piece, written by Robert O’Connell, details Mellencamp’s longtime support of the losingest team in the history of Division 1 college football, including his regular appearances at the team’s Saturday games and his $1.5 million donation to construct the team’s practice facility, dubbed the John Mellencamp Pavilion.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer started going to Indiana games when he was a child growing up in Bloomington and his brother attended the university. These days, Mellencamp has his own wooden box at the top of the Hoosier’s stadium where the “anti-social guy” can watch the game in privacy.
“I set up there, nobody bothers me,” Mellencamp told O’Connell. “And I can smoke.”
