Andy Slater Interview: Miami’s Journey to the CFP Championship and the $50,000 Future

Andy Slater is the host of the The Andy Slater Show on Fox Sports South Florida, a prominent figure in Florida sports discourse, and an excellent follow on social media… and he’s also the owner of one of the most interesting and well chronicled futures of the college football season.

On December 3rd Andy placed a $500 wager on the Miami Hurricanes to win the College Football Playoff on Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. The odds? +10000, 100-1.

While this seems like an incredible value now, at the time it was placed the Hurricanes were ranked behind Notre Dame and viewed as outsiders to even make the playoff field.

Slater shared the ticket on social media shortly thereafter expressing his belief in the team, and perhaps more importantly, the CFP committee.

I believe in the Miami Hurricanes and… the College Football Playoff committee 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/LzKD1bfMmR

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) December 3, 2025

And the replies began rolling in.

“Donation”

“Dang $500 down the drain to a team they won’t let into the playoff? Sheesh”

“Imagine thinking they are anything close to OSU”

But Andy wasn’t dissuaded, and just a few days later the Hurricanes were officially announced as the #10 seed.

IT IS ALIVE! https://t.co/ze67GlRNAH

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) December 7, 2025

The Canes title odds immediately plummeted from +10000 to +2000, and the sweat was officially on.

The hard part was over, right? All Miami had to do now was beat four of the best college football teams in the country.

Sweating the $50K Payout

With the bet alive and well, Slater made a custom shirt with his betslip on it and boarded a plane for College Staton to watch the Hurricanes in the first round of the College Football Playoff in-person, behind enemy lines, at Kyle Field.

On my way to College Station.

Let’s go Canes! 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/qlwpaEjJSP

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) December 19, 2025

Neutral observers won’t remember this first-round clash as a classic, but it will live long in the memory of Miami fans – including Andy, who was there to see it live – as the underdog Hurricanes managed a 10-3 victory to advance to the CFP Quarterfinals.

Dethroning a Champion

Next up? Ohio State, the defending national champion. The spread had the Hurricanes as more than a touchdown underdog in the Cotton Bowl against OSU, but it didn’t matter. They took a 14-0 lead into the locker room at half time and never looked back, wining 24-14… and Andy, along with his t-shirt, was there in Dallas to see it live.

Fiesta Bowl: CFP Semifinals

The next hurdle for Miami (and Andy’s $50,000 future) was a January 8th date with Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl… but this time the script had flipped, the Hurricanes were the favorite.

Nice try, @HardRockBet pic.twitter.com/v1kPyjSlLX

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) January 2, 2026

After turning down the early cash out offer Andy flew west to Arizona and watched the Hurricanes punch their ticket to the CFP National Championship Game, defeating Ole Miss 31-27.

The Miami Hurricanes are just one win from a national title, and Andy is just one win from $50,000.

The Official Andy Slater Interview:

This week we were fortunate enough to catch up with Andy Slater for an interview, discussing his $50,000 future, how he’s feeling about the championship game on Miami’s home turf at Hard Rock Stadium, what he’ll remember most from this CFP journey, and what it would take for him to cash out early.

So you placed this bet right before the CFP selections. What gave you the confidence not only that the committee would put Miami in, but that the Hurricanes could actually make a run?

Andy Slater: I was actually more confident that Miami could make a run and beat anybody than I was that the committee would put them in. When I placed the bet, the hardest part was just getting them into the field. Once they were in, I felt like they could beat anyone.

At what point did this go from “this is a fun future” to “this might actually win”?

Andy Slater: Honestly, once the committee put them in I was confident. At first I thought, these are great odds — 100 to 1 — and if they get in, they could win it all. So I took the shot. Once they were in, it became real. When I flew to College Station, I thought, here we go. I’m going to every game. We’ve got one more to go, and hopefully a parade after that.

Miami is an 8.5-point underdog. Does that change your feeling at all?

Andy Slater: I’ll tell you this — Miami was a big underdog against Ohio State. People said there was no chance they could win. I heard the same thing when they were underdogs against Texas A&M. I heard it again against Ohio State, and even when they were favored against Ole Miss. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care if it’s 7.5, 8.5, or 9.5 points. The University of Miami can beat anybody, including Indiana.

You’ve traveled to all these games. Is there a moment from this playoff run that really stands out?

Andy Slater: Kyle Field in College Station. Over 100,000 people, almost all of them rooting for Texas A&M. That place was rocking. I said to myself, this is the toughest environment Miami will play in during the entire playoff. If they can win there, they can win anywhere — especially back home in Miami.

Was that first round atmosphere in College Station very different from the neutral-site games later in the tournament?

Andy Slater: When you have over 100,000 people rooting for one team, it feels like an earthquake. That was nothing like Dallas for the Cotton Bowl or Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. There’s been talk that Indiana fans will take over South Florida, but it doesn’t matter. Miami already played in the toughest place they possibly could.

Do you think playing at Hard Rock Stadium plays a factor?

Andy Slater: They know the stadium. The sideline will be different, but it’s a night game — not as hot, no sun. They’re familiar with the building. Indiana isn’t. But honestly, I don’t think it matters. Wherever they play, the University of Miami can beat anybody.

We have to ask about the shirt — what kind of reactions have you gotten?

Andy Slater: Here’s how it happened. I was looking for gear to wear to the games, and nothing was available right away. I didn’t want to wait two days for a shirt, so I made my own. And what better way to support Miami than a shirt tied to me winning $50,000? That’s the best way to show who I’m rooting for.

You’ve been very clear about letting this ride. Is there any cash-out number that would tempt you?

Andy Slater: I would cash out at $50,000. That’s it. I’ve seen $4,000, $10,000, now almost $12,000. But that’s not why I placed the $500 bet. I put it in to win $50,000, and that’s exactly what I plan to do late Monday night.

Final question — how do you see this game playing out?

Andy Slater: I can’t give you an exact score, but if Miami wins, it’ll be about time of possession. Like the Ole Miss game, where they held the ball for more than 41 minutes. If Miami controls the ball, pounds it, and pressures Mendoza, they’ll be in great shape. He hasn’t faced a defense like Miami’s yet. I believe the Canes will win, and time of possession will be the key.