'All Good Things Come to an End': But IU Football is Just Beginning It's Journey Under Curt Cignetti

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Indiana head coach walked into his postgame press conference late Friday night and told a life truth after Indiana’s 27-17 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

“All good things come to an end. And when you're my age, you've seen it all. And I have a lot of guys hurting in there but a part of life is learning how to deal with disappointment the proper way and come back a stronger person because of the experience. You never get everything you want in life. That's how life is.” Cignetti said.

The Hoosiers 11-2 season ended with a dud, but that should not tarnish what was an historic season that saw IU reach unprecendented heights. In fact this should be the start of a successful run for the football Hoosiers. In this era of college football, it may be hard to set a permanent foundation, but Cignetti has built that foundation as best as one could.

“You are what your record says you are. So, 11-2. Tied for second in the Big Ten. Made the College Football Playoff. And packed the stadium. Made a lot of people proud. And had a historic season. So setthe foundation for hopefully what's to come.” Cignetti said when asked about how he wants this team to be remembered.

Everyone knows the history of Indiana football. It has been thrown in the faces of the IU fan base for years and by everyone. Indiana center Mike Katic knows the highs and lows of that history. After beating a top-10 Penn State team in his first career start and going 6-2 in 2020, Katic and the Hoosiers cratered the next three seasons. Then 2024 happened and Katic, who came back to IU to leave it a better program than he found it, accomplished that.

“I'm going to remember this team as the closest team that I've ever been a part of. Just a group of guys that came to work every day and left everything out there. I'm so happy that I could have been a part of it. I'm so happy that I made the decision to come back.” Katic said. “And I think fans and everyone should see what we did this year. We changed the trajectory of Indiana football. We changed the way people think about Indiana football. And I'm just so happy that I could have been a part of it.”

The trajectory for Indiana football has never really been brighter. The fanbase is bought in, Cignetti signed a long contract extension and the school administration is pouring money into the program.

While the loss stings and 2024 has come to an end, this should just be the beginning of a successful Indiana football program under the watch of Curt Cignetti.