Miami Beach

Football fans have their own place to go in Miami Beach. See what’s happening

By Vinod Sreeharsha

Updated January 16, 2026 6:48 PM

Patrick Rohan poses at a photo booth while visiting the Playoff Fan Central at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Miami Beach, Fla. Fans can visit the event ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers and enjoy a variety of family-friendly interactive experiences. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

What to know about the Canes-Hoosiers game

Tickets, transporation, parking, watch parties and fan events.

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Visitors come to Miami Beach for the ocean breeze and nightlife. But on Friday morning, hundreds of guests entered the Miami Beach Convention Center to practice their running, passing and kicking skills, and to get as close to the college football national championship as most of them can.

The College Football Playoff fan festival, called Playoff Fan Central, kicked off at the convention center and runs until Sunday evening.

In addition to the football skills challenges, fans can absorb college football history and get autographs. And on Sunday, they can attend pep rallies. The UM rally is at 2 p.m. and Indiana whoops it up at 3.

By noon Friday, over 1,000 people had entered the convention center, including groups from local elementary schools.

Before the crowds arrived, Harris Harrigan, 45, of North Miami Beach, and his 13-year-old son Noah were already milling around the convention floor. Decked in UMiami shirts, they took selfies at the exhibits.

With their Hurricanes playing in the national championship, “it was a no-brainer that we came” to the festival, Harrigan said.

Playoff Fan Central, which is free, may also be the closest they get to the actual game, given the high ticket prices.

“They’re unaffordable, even parking,” Harrigan said.

The National Championship Trophy is on display for guests at the Playoff Fan Central at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Miami Beach, Fla. Fans can visit the event ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers and enjoy a variety of family-friendly interactive experiences. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

Indiana University fans Jamie Hall, 58 and from Indianapolis, and her partner Deron Lavin, 55 and from Bloomington, walked up and down the convention floor in Hoosier garb and soaking in the vibes.

The two attended the recent Rose Bowl with friends. They also attended the Peach Bowl. They love their IU team.

But they won’t be around for Monday night’s game — they’re taking a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean from PortMiami. They’d booked the cruise in advance — “three months ago I had no idea they’d be playing in the national championship game,“ Lavin said of the Hoosiers.

They thought about postponing their voyage but then realized “the cruise was cheaper than tickets to the game.”

What fans will find at the event

Isabella McCarthy, 9, kicks a football while visiting the Playoff Fan Central at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Miami Beach, Fla. Fans can visit the event ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers and enjoy a variety of family-friendly interactive experiences. — Isabella McCarthy, 9, kicks a football while visiting the Playoff Fan Central at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

Allstate Field Goal Kicking, Goodyear Tire Throw; Chick-fil-A football skills; Capital One 40 yard dash; Dr Pepper Samples and FanZone; Huge football field for skills camp for kids; Dodge truck display; Many interactive games from PlayStation; National Championship Trophy; Heisman Trophy; Souvenir store.