Curt Cignetti Officially Staying At Indiana With MASSIVE $11.6 Million Per Year New Contract

You can take Curt Cignetti off the list of potential candidates for Penn State, and even the Florida job that isn’t open just yet, thanks to a new deal with Indiana. 

The school announced on Thursday that Cignetti has signed a new eight-year contract that will pay him $11.6 million per year. This makes him one of the top-5 highest paid coaches in college football, as the Hoosiers fight their way to the college football playoff. 

The buyout is reportedly $15 million, if Cignetti would want to leave for another school. 

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Sorry, Florida, or any other school that was hoping to pry Cignetti away following the season, but he's now at Indiana for the foreseeable future. 

"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," said Indiana University President Pamela Whitten. "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."

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Indiana Is Now Officially A ‘Football School’ As Well

In his second season as the Indiana coach, Cignetti has the Hoosiers at 6-0 this season, coming off an impressive 11-2 record in 2024. This has been one of the best turnarounds in recent college football memory, and this should tell folks that Indiana doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. 

"We are committed to investing in IU Football in such a way that we can compete at a championship level, and the No. 1 priority in doing that is ensuring that Coach Cignetti is the leader of our program," said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. "His accomplishments during the last season and a half have been nothing short of remarkable.  

"As much as anyone, he believed in what was possible with our program, and he's turned that belief into reality. This is a great day for IU Football and Indiana University. I look forward to working alongside Coach Cignetti for many years to come."

This is a massive move for the Hoosiers, as they continue investing in the football program, along with competing in the NIL circle. 

Today's announcement is just another reason why we need to start calling Indiana not only a basketball school, but also a football school. 

Game on.