Over the last century, Indiana University football was defined more by defeat than victory — the losingest program in major college football history with more than 700 losses. That history made the program a national afterthought: half-full stadiums, tailgates that outshone games, and long stretches without conference success. But in a dramatic reversal, the Hoosiers went undefeated this season, won the Big Ten title by upsetting defending national champion Ohio State, and entered the college football playoffs as a top seed.
The turnaround traces to the 2023 search for a coach after another disappointing 3–9 year. Athletic director Scott Dolson wanted an experienced head coach, offensive-minded and skilled at developing quarterbacks. He hired Curt Cignetti, a 62-year-old coach with a long, successful record at smaller programs but no power-conference résumé. Cignetti arrived with a chip on his shoulder and high standards, immediately confronting neglected facilities, dated offices and a campus culture that doubted whether football could thrive in Bloomington.
Cignetti’s approach was pragmatic and steady. He emphasized fundamentals, culture and a clear blueprint for how the team should play. He recruited differently — many players were transfers or overlooked recruits rather than five-star high school prospects — and prioritized player development. The transfer portal and changes in college athletics helped the overhaul: Cignetti brought players from James Madison, and Indiana acquired talent like quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a former middling high-school player and transfer who became the face of the program. Mendoza’s rise culminated in winning the Heisman Trophy — the first in IU history — and drew national attention to the program.
Key moments underscored the transformation. A game-winning touchdown against Penn State on a final play was lauded as the play of the year in college football. Indiana’s season included wins at Memorial Stadium, on the road, in blowouts and in high-pressure comeback situations. The crown jewel was beating Ohio State to secure the Big Ten championship — Indiana’s first conference title since 1967.
The turnaround has many faces beyond players and coaches. Donors such as musician John Mellencamp, a longtime fan, invested in facilities over decades, including an indoor practice facility. Mark Cuban and other alumni helped fund recent investments: in 2024 the university spent more than $60 million on football. That spending has been controversial, coming amid academic cuts and program changes, but university leaders argue the revenue and visibility generated by a winning football program benefit the institution broadly.
Cignetti’s contract reflects the new economics of college football. Indiana gave him an eight-year, $90 million deal to try to keep him from being lured to other jobs — a dramatic jump from his prior pay and an example of how programs now aggressively invest in coaching to sustain success. The landscape of college sports has shifted with the transfer portal, new name-image-and-likeness (NIL) rules and revenue-sharing that allow players to earn and move more freely. Mendoza’s reported $2 million in NIL and revenue deals exemplifies that shift, which has reshaped roster building and competitive balance.
Players and staff describe a team made up of “overlooked” talent — transfers, mid-tier recruits and players who felt they had something to prove. Cignetti called them not “outcasts” but hungry, resilient athletes who responded to a consistent culture and coaching. The locker room’s belief was a hard-won, central theme: from “imposter syndrome” to full conviction that the program belonged among the nation’s elite.
Indiana’s rise raises broader questions about modern college football: the role of donor money versus university priorities, how NIL and transfer rules alter team stability, and whether rapid success can be sustained in a volatile market where coaches and players can leave quickly. Athletic directors and fans contend with the trade-offs — large football budgets and high-profile contracts versus pressures on academics and smaller programs.
As the Hoosiers head into the college football playoffs — with a New Year’s Day matchup next — the joy on campus is tempered with the knowledge that success can evaporate quickly. Still, the transformation from perennial underdog to undefeated contender and conference champion has reignited passion across Bloomington. Memorial Stadium, a limestone-built venue long associated with basketball dominance in the state, now hosts “Hoosier hysteria” and sold-out crowds converging from cities and small towns alike. The season has offered a cinematic underdog arc: new coach, new players, new energy — and a real shot at a national championship before the credits roll.