Indiana was once considered the “Basketball Capital of the World.” Now, it might be on the cusp of becoming a football state. Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers are two wins away from securing the program's first-ever national championship, as they get themselves mentally prepared for a mammoth matchup versus Oregon in the Peach Bowl. The community is brimming with excitement, so much that a big scheduling change was forced to take effect.
Indiana high schools came together to move their weekly Friday night hoops games to Thursday in order to accommodate the legions of residents who want to watch Fernando Mendoza and company compete in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, per Front Office Sports. The idea of the Hoosier State prioritizing football above local basketball was once unfathomable. But people now have something they really never did before: a choice.
Although Indiana's college basketball standing has taken a hit in recent years, (things could be looking up), neither Bloomington nor the rest of the state has had much reason to emotionally invest in college football. The gridiron Hoosiers did not have a 10-win season to their name until 2024. They had not claimed a share of the Big Ten title in almost 60 years before this season. The head coach has regenerated the squad.
The support of billionaire Mark Cuban and other wealthy donors has definitely made a noticeable difference in this NIL era, but Curt Cignetti engineered one of the most drastic turnarounds in college sports history. And he did it in just two years. The confident leader infused talent, discipline and vital intensity into a previously ice-cold program. Led by the school's first Heisman Trophy winner, Indiana football is now the odds-on favorite to win the national title.
The No. 1 next to the team's name validates all the success it has achieved to this point, but more than trophies and accolades, the most irrefutable proof of change may just come in the form of all the high school basketball gyms that will be empty on Friday night. The Peach Bowl kicks off at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.
