The market has spoken. Indiana University has committed $105.6 million over eight seasons to head football coach Curt Cignetti, according to a memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 4 and released Monday by athletic director Scott Dolson. The deal averages $13.2 million annually — a 54% raise from the $8.5 million Cignetti was set to earn this year.
The revised contract was triggered by a "good-faith market review" clause built into Cignetti's original agreement, activated once Indiana reached the College Football Playoff semifinal. The Hoosiers did more than that — they went 16-0, won the Big Ten's first outright title since 1945, and defeated Miami to claim Indiana's first-ever national championship in January 2026.
The new numbers place Cignetti among the highest-paid coaches in college football, joining Georgia's Kirby Smart and LSU's Lane Kiffin as the only FBS coaches earning $13 million or more annually. With performance incentives — CFP appearances, conference titles, coaching awards — Cignetti could clear $15 million in a strong season.
The contract structure: $500,000 base salary, $1 million annual retention bonus, and the remainder through promotional and marketing income. If Indiana fires him without cause, the school owes the full remaining guaranteed total — a commitment that reflects just how thoroughly Cignetti has transformed a program that once held the most all-time losses in FBS history.
This is his third raise since taking over in November 2024. In two seasons, he's produced the two best records in Indiana football history. He's already said he plans to retire there. At $105.6 million, Indiana is betting he means it.
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