Noah Brown, the Hoosiers, and Championship Goals

All American sporting eyes will be locked on Monday night as the Indiana Hoosiers face off against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the College Football National Championship. Few will be watching more intently than Chicago Hounds flyer and proud Indiana alum Noah Brown.

“They’ve put the belt to ass the last two teams they played,” Brown laughs. “I’m definitely backing them.”

While he’s gearing up to cheer on Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the USA Eagle is also preparing for a brand-new Major League Rugby season with the Hounds. Drafted out of Indiana in the 2023 MLR Draft, the former Hoosiers outside back reflects on what makes Bloomington such a special place — and why Midwest sport, across the board, is on the rise.

“Bloomington is a full college town,” says the Indiana native. “When school’s not in session, it’s under 20,000 people. When it is? Seventy, maybe eighty thousand. The whole place just comes alive.”

That contrast, he says, is the magic.

“It somehow pulls people from sunny California or big cities like New York into this small Midwestern town. There’s just something about it.”

Indiana may always be known as basketball country, but Brown is quick to point out that the Hoosiers’ sporting success now runs much deeper.

“You’ve always had great basketball,” he says, “but now soccer’s great, swimming’s really strong, football has completely taken off. There’s a whole list of sports that are thriving.”

And rugby, he adds, has been right there alongside them.

“Despite limited resources, Indiana rugby has stayed strong for over a decade thanks to an unbelievable alumni network. People are proud to say they came out of Indiana.

“I remember the program’s 60th reunion when I was a senior. We had over a hundred guys show up, some who played back in the 1970s. That tells you everything about how tight that network is.”

No conversation about Indiana rugby is complete without mentioning one of its most famous alumni: Shark Tank star Mark Cuban.

Brown mentions that Cuban’s recent investment in the rugby endowment has allowed Indiana to offer partial scholarships for the first time. A massive step forward for a club program.

“That was huge,” says Brown. “We give out now two scholarship awards, and that’s a total game-changer.”

Cuban has also poured an undisclosed, but very noticeable, amount of money into the football program, helping propel Indiana back onto the national stage. For Brown, the rise of football doesn’t compete with rugby; it feeds it.

“As football gets bigger, you will get guys who come in thinking football’s the path, realize it’s not for them, and then they find themselves on a rugby pitch. That’s a win for everyone.”

Brown sees that same growth happening across the Midwest, from college rugby all the way up to Major League Rugby. Brown is a textbook example of the pathway system: developed at Indiana, selected fourth overall in the 2023 MLR Draft by the Chicago Hounds, and now firmly established at the professional level.

In two seasons, Brown has scored seven tries in 29 appearances and earned Chicago Hounds Rookie of the Year honors in 2024. Achievements built on grit, something he says defines Midwest sport.

“Growing up in the Midwest, you feel like nobody cares,” he explains. “So when you go to national events, you’ve got that chip on your shoulder. It makes you work harder, makes you tougher. The cold winters, the hot, humid summers — it all brings teams closer together.”

That toughness is on full display in the Hoosiers’ championship run, where they head into Monday night as clear favorites. And it could be a familiar story for Brown’s Chicago Hounds in the 2026 MLR season.

With marquee signings like Tavite Lopeti and Ruben de Haas, alongside key re-signings including club captain Lucas Rumball and fellow Hoosier Peyton Wall, the Hounds are shaping up as serious contenders. Brown can’t wait to get started.

“I’m super pumped,” he says. “This is the longest break I’ve ever had, and I’m starting to go crazy not playing. Everyone’s buzzing.

“With fewer teams in the league, there’s no room for a slow start. Every game matters. There’s skin in the game from week one. No time to mess around — it’s a sprint. You’ve got to get your stuff together fast, and that’s a challenge I’m excited for. Chicago’s buzzing.”

If Monday night ends with a Hoosiers football National Championship, Brown’s 2026 could hardly begin on a better note — a perfect surge of momentum heading into the new MLR campaign. A campaign that the Chicago Hounds and Brown are equally eying up championship success.