'We're the emerging superpower' Curt Cignetti makes bold statement on why he chose to stay at Indiana
The most surprising storyline in the world of college has been the Indiana Hoosiers. They are sitting at 10-0 with arguably the biggest game in program history next Saturday when they head to Columbus and take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. If they get the win, the Hoosiers will secure a spot in the Big […]
The most surprising storyline in the world of college has been the Indiana Hoosiers.
They are sitting at 10-0 with arguably the biggest game in program history next Saturday when they head to Columbus and take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. If they get the win, the Hoosiers will secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.
First-year head coach Curt Cignetti has been a renaissance for the Hoosiers program. Before the season, Cignetti told reporters to "Google him" because he had won everywhere he'd been. Needless to say, Cignetti has backed that up tenfold.
Early Saturday morning, reports surfaced that Cignetti had signed a massive eight-year extension worth $72 million. That locks him in through the 2032 season and questions quickly arose about why he would choose to stay.
Cignetti had the perfect response for that question on Big Noon Kickoff.
"We're the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?"
That's an incredibly bold claim from Cignetti, especially since Indiana has been mostly an afterthought in the college football landscape. There have been some good years, including the pandemic year of 2020 when Michael Penix Jr. led the Hoosiers to wins over Penn State and Michigan. However, you have to go back to the days of Antwaan Randle-El to where they had a player who was a star.
It's going to be interesting how Cignetti builds this program. This season's success is mostly due to transfers, including many who joined him from James Madison. Can he continue using that strategy? Will high school recruits buy in? Over the next few seasons, Indiana will be a program to watch.
