Indiana agrees to massive eight-year contract extension with Curt Cignetti

Curt Cignetti is staying in Bloomington for the long haul.

On Thursday, Indiana announced it had agreed to terms with Cignetti on an eight-year contract with a salary of approximately $11.6 million per year. The extension keeps Cignetti with the Hoosiers through the 2033 season. The contract is fully guaranteed, according to Nicole Auerbach from NBC Sports. If Cignetti is fired without cause, he will receive $93 million.

“My wife Manette and I love Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana State, the people we’ve met,” Cignetti said in a video posted to the team’s social media page. “…We’ve accomplished a lot here in a short time, but we still have a lot of work to do. I couldn’t be more proud to be a Hoosier and I plan to retire as a Hoosier. The way this state has welcomed us and our success in football means more to me than anything else. I just wanted to get on camera to let you know that Curt Cignetti is going to work every day to make Indiana the best it can be.

“At Indiana University, we are committed to performing at the highest level in everything we do, and no one has exemplified that better than Coach Cignetti,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said in a statement. “Simply put, Cig is a winner. From making the College Football Playoff last year to finishing top 3 in this year’s national rankings, the success of the IU football program has been tremendous. Curt and Manette Cignetti call Indiana home and we are thrilled that the Cignetti family will be Hoosiers for many years to come.”

This is already the second extension Cignetti has received in less than two full seasons at Indiana. Cignetti initially joined the program on a six-year, $27 million contract. After 10 games last season, they re-signed him to an eight-year contract with an $8.3 million salary as well as a $1 million retention bonus. Less than a year later, he’s already gotten another raise.

Cignetti’s extension comes after an unprecedented start to Indiana’s tenure. He joined the Hoosiers in 2024 and immediately transformed one of the worst programs in the Big Ten into a national contender. Indiana went 11-2 in its first season under Cignetti and earned a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

This season, the Hoosiers continue to leave their mark on college football. They are currently tied atop the Big Ten with defending national champion Ohio State. Indiana is off to a 6-0 start, including wins over Oregon and Illinois.

Cignetti has been successful at each of his head coaching stops, from IUP to Elon and James Madison. Now he’ll prove he can lead one of the best Power 4 programs in the country and turn it around at a remarkable pace.

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