Winning a national title changes things. Curt Cignetti just got the proof in writing.
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Indiana rewarded its head coach with a significant raise following the program's first NCAA football championship. According to ESPN, Cignetti's average annual salary jumps from $11.6 million to $13.2 million, putting him squarely among the sport's top earners.
The bump came through a good faith review clause in Cignetti's contract, triggered when the Indiana Hoosiers reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Indiana did more than qualify. It finished the job.
Cignetti now joins rare company. Only Kirby Smart at Georgia and Lane Kiffin at LSU average at least $13 million per year. That is not aspirational territory. That is elite.
The contract runs through 2031 and carries a $15 million buyout. Indiana did not hesitate to protect its investment.
Cignetti also made it clear where he stands. Two days before the title game, he said flatly that he is not an NFL guy. Ten pro teams hired new coaches this cycle anyway. Even so, given how quickly Indiana flipped from afterthought to champion, it would have been malpractice not to call.
Indiana did not wait around. They paid the man who changed everything.
