Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers are set to face off against the Miami Hurricanes tonight in a highly-anticipated national championship matchup.
Just a couple of short years ago, the Indiana football program was dead in the water. The Hoosiers have always been a basketball school and the football team simply hasn’t mattered. That has changed in just two years under the leadership of Cignetti.
Immediately after taking over the job with the Hoosiers, Cignetti changed the culture. He led the program to a College Football Playoff run in 2024 that led to a disappointing first round loss against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This season, Indiana entered the playoff as the top team in the country and are now playing for a championship.
In the first two games of the playoff this year, Cignetti led his team to wins over both Alabama and Oregon. Those are wins that fans could have only dreamed about before he arrived in Bloomington.
Not only are the Hoosiers in a great position for this season and next year, they’re in great shape for years to come.
Curt Cignetti’s Extension With Indiana and How Much He’s Making
Back on October 16, 2025, Indiana agreed to a very lucrative contract extension with Cignetti. The deal was for eight years with an annual salary of around $11.6 million.
Following the deal being agreed to, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten spoke out about Cignetti and what the extension meant for the school.
“At Indiana University, we are committed to performing at the highest levels in everything we do, and no one has exemplified that more than Coach Cignetti,” Whitten said.
“Put simply, Cig is a winner. From last year’s College Football Playoff appearance to this year’s top-3 national ranking, the IU Football program’s success has been tremendous. Curt and Manette Cignetti are home in Indiana and we are delighted that the Cignetti family will be Hoosiers for many years to come.”
She was 100 percent right. Cignetti is a winner and has gone 26-2 in his first two years with the Hoosiers. A national championship win would be the first in school history and would improve him to 27-2 during his time at Indiana.
Indiana Is Already Looking Like a Contender for 2026
Despite the success that the Hoosiers have had over the last two years, there were some doubters who wondered whether or not what has been happening is sustainable.
Looking ahead to next season, Indiana will likely be losing star quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza to the 2026 NFL Draft. That kind of loss was one that many felt would be difficult to recover from.
Cignetti was able to go out in the transfer portal and find major success. He landed former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to replace Mendoza for next season.
Other names who were brought in via the portal are wide receiver Nick Marsh, running back Turbo Richard, pass rusher Chiddi Obiazor, offensive lineman Joe Brunner, cornerback A.J. Harris, pass rusher Tobi Osunsanmi, and safety Jiquan Sanks. Plenty of other players were added as well.
At the end of the day, the Hoosiers are on the map. Players want to come play for Cignetti.
He has changed everything about the present and future for Indiana football. Hopefully, he’ll be able to bring home a national championship to close out a magical 2026 season.
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