Major ACC Program Named One of the Most Disliked Teams in College Football

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after a play. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Miami Hurricanes were once looked at as the bad boys of college football. There have been several ESPN documentaries made about "The U" that discuss its past issues.

Despite all of that, the Hurricanes have also been a very good program in their history. Miami has won five national championships and nine conference championships. But they fell on tough times after winning their last national championship in 2001. Since then, they've had just five double-digit win seasons.

Miami Is Relevant Again

Two of those have come in the last two seasons with Miami alum Mario Cristobal leading the team. He finally managed to get the program back to relevancy, leading them all the way to the national championship game last season, where they lost to the Indiana Hoosiers.

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"The Film Guy Network" host Brooks Austin discussed the Hurricanes heading into the 2026 season. He was ranking the most hated teams, and after some debate about where to rank Miami, he placed the Hurricanes at No. 6.

Fans Love Watching Miami Stumble

"I think it's fun to root against them when they're up," Austin said.

"And now that that's back, I think people rush to their screen when Miami's down seven in a game that they can't afford to lose. You are going to say that's everybody, I think there's a special vibe about the fact that they might do it at home in front of 30,000 people."

The U has always had a level of arrogance. So, that's why Austin is right to say many fans love to root against the Hurricanes when they are up.

That arrogance has become what they are known for. However, when they were down, it wasn't fun to root against them anymore. But now that they are back up, fans are relishing that, at any time, Miami falls to someone it shouldn't.

Mario Cristobal Wants a Different Miami

The disagreement lies in the fact that the Hurricanes are hated for their history, but what about this upcoming season? There haven't been many people who say they hate Miami this season. Austin is basing his ranking on the program's history, but this Hurricanes team has a different vibe than those in the past.

Cristobal has talked in the past about wanting to change the narrative about Miami. He even admitted he cringes when he hears people say, "The U is Back."

“That’s what you heard for years. ‘The U is back,’” Cristobal previously said. “I cringe. There is no going back.”

Cristobal wanted to return to build Miami back to what it once was on the field, but not to what it was off the field, or to its bad reputation. That's why fans likely don't hate them as much as they once did.