Column: It Seems Indiana Has Figured Football Out with Cignetti Hire

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

I will preface this by saying that success in college football is not guaranteed and that there is still plenty of work to get down before the Hoosiers open up the 2024 season on August 31st against Florida International. However, the events that have transpired in Bloomington over the last week has inspired confidence that the IU administration has a plan for the football program and is executing it.

It started with IU paying former head coach Tom Allen just north of $15 million to buy out the remainder of his contract. This was a move that, at the beginning of the season, I did not think would happen.

Next, it was athletic director Scott Dolson and the administration hiring a search firm to vet their potential candidates. Indiana is doing things that serious football schools do.

The hiring of Curt Cignetti gives Indiana legitimacy. If the Cignetti era flops, it is not because IU failed to act. Cignetti was one of the hottest names in the cycle and Indiana landed the big fish.

Cignetti has won at every stop. He transitioned JMU from the FCS to FBS successfully. He was a recruiting coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama and received a ringing endorsement from Saban. His teams win.

NIL is the name of the game in recruiting now and IU had a plan lined up. Collectives such as Hoosiers Connect and the Hoosier Hysterics both launched football only campaigns on Thursday to try and capture the momentum of the hire. That’s what programs who have figured it out do. Strike while the iron is hot.

IU also emailed season ticket holds for deposits and offered two free seats to two of the first three home games with a deposit before December 31st. This is taking advantage of momentum.

Momentum has been fleeting in Bloomington surrounding the football program and opportunities have been missed to capitalize in the past.

However, it seems that this hire has a different feel to it.

Success on the field is not guaranteed, but it sure seems like IU is putting plenty of resources and effort into making sure the program has the tools to change the stigma of Indiana football.