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The 10-0 Indiana Hoosiers did not have a game in Week 12 but still made headlines by extending head coach Curt Cignetti for the next eight years. The signing led to Cignetti being brought onto Fox Sports' Week 12 edition of ‘Big Noon Kickoff' despite the Hoosiers having an off day.
With Cignetti being one of the hottest coaches in college football, the 63-year-old addressed fans wondering why he would stay in Bloomington instead of pursuing a bigger opportunity. Cignetti called Indiana the next “emerging superpower” in the country, saying he believes that he has turned the program into a perennial contender.
“Some people say, ‘Why would you do that when [other job opportunities] may open?” Cignetti said on Fox Sports' Big Noon Kickoff. “The fact of the matter is we're the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?”
"We're the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?"
Curt Cignetti reacts to his contract extension with @IndianaFootball 🔴🏈 pic.twitter.com/LwpdRFvlqn
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 16, 2024
Cignetti has led Indiana to its first 10-0 start in program history in his first year as head coach. He joined the school in the summer after leading James Madison to a combined record of 19-4 in 2022 and 2023; their first two years as an FBS team. Overall, Cignetti is 192-35 as a head coach at Indiana, James Madison, Elon and IUP.
With his new $72 million contract, Cignetti went from being the second-lowest paid Big 10 head coach to the third highest. He is now behind just Ohio State's Ryan Day and Penn State's James Franklin in terms of annual pay.
Indiana's two remaining games in 2024 regular season
Currently in prime position to make their first Big 10 Championship Game, Indiana has two games remaining on its schedule. Their next outing, a Week 13 road game against the Ohio State Buckeyes, will inarguably be their stiffest test of the year.
While neither Indiana nor Ohio State has beaten a ranked opponent in 2024, the Hoosiers have yet to even play a team in the top 10. They picked up their best win of the year in Week 11 against Michigan in just their second win against the Wolverines since 2000. Both Indiana and Ohio State will likely enter their matchup ranked in the top-five, making it the biggest game of the week.
The undefeated Hoosiers are tied with Oregon for first in the Big 10 with identical 7-0 conference records.. Entering Week 12, Indiana and Oregon are the only two 10-0 teams in Division I. However, with the teams at the top of the Big 10 separated just a couple of games, both Indiana and Oregon will likely need to win out the rest of the year to face each other in Indianapolis.
