Miami will technically be the visiting team when it takes its home field at Hard Rock Stadium in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and if Indiana’s newly-rabid fanbase has anything to say about it, the Hurricanes’ homefield advantage could turn into a red nightmare.

Indiana is playing for a national championship for the first time, eschewing its reputation as Big Ten bottom-feeders in two short years under Curt Cignetti and igniting one of the nation’s largest alumni bases in the process. That was evident at last week’s Peach Bowl, during which Indiana fans filled nearly every seat for the CFP semifinal victory over Oregon.

While the Hurricanes have location to their advantage, Indiana fans have already made their presence felt in South Florida ahead of Monday’s showdown, turning out in numbers for Saturday’s media day and fan events.

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When asked if he had a message to fans ahead of the season finale, Cignetti had one simple suggestion — get here however you can.

“If you’re not sure you can make it down, find a ride,” Cignetti said. “Yeah, the Big Ten Championship, last week against Oregon and the Rose Bowl. Indiana fans, largest alumni base in America. A lot of people didn’t know that. It’s been huge for us.”

Indiana has been considered a basketball powerhouse for much of its history, in turn becoming one of the losingest power-conference football programs. That all changed under Cignetti, who has the Hoosiers on the cusp of college football’s first ever 16-0 campaign.

IU fans have rewarded the team, showing out in force for the past two seasons once it became clear this wasn’t the same old Indiana. Cignetti believes that will continue come Monday.

“I think we’ll have a great showing. It probably won’t be like the Peach Bowl, but we’ll have a great showing,” Cignetti said. “I have not been surprised the way they’ve traveled because once we got rolling Year 1, we were selling it out and they couldn’t get in, and it’s only grown and grown.”

ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe has seen that growth firsthand. Upon arriving Thursday in Fort Lauderdale for her game week preparations, Rowe said she wound up in line at a Starbucks behind 50 people, all in Indiana gear.

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“If they’re descending on South Beach on a Thursday at Starbucks, I feel like you’re going to have a pretty good representation,” Rowe said.

“I was at the Rose Bowl and I took a very interesting video right after the game ended, postgame celebrations going on. The Alabama fans had all filtered out and I took a video of the entire Rose Bowl and it was 75% still full, and that told me that those were the Indiana fans that stayed to watch the postgame ceremony.

“And I was like, ‘Wow.’ This was even more than we anticipated in the game. This was 75% Indiana fans and I saw it with my own eyes.

“So I would not be surprised if this is a lot of red in Hard Rock.”

The Hoosiers might have the advantage in the stands, but Cignetti is making sure his team doesn’t take the Canes lightly on the field.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum, but we’re playing a great football team in Miami. Tenacious up front on the defensive line, really physical on the offensive line, big running back, athletes everywhere, playmakers at wide receiver. Special teams are very good.

“They’re playing on their home field. They didn’t have to travel. It’s a big mountain we have to climb.”