(Bloomington, IN) – Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has received another significant pay increase, further solidifying his position among the highest-paid coaches in college football, according to multiple reports Friday.
The latest agreement does not extend the length of Cignetti’s current contract with Indiana University but increases his annual salary by approximately $1.6 million.
Cignetti is already under contract through the 2033 season after signing an eight-year extension in October 2025 worth about $93 million, an average of roughly $11.6 million per year. The newest raise would push his compensation even higher relative to peers nationwide.
The pay bump comes after one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history. Indiana went 11-2 in Cignetti’s first season in 2024 — the program’s first 11-win campaign and first College Football Playoff appearance.
The Hoosiers followed that with a historic 2025 season, finishing 16-0, winning the Big Ten championship and claiming the program’s first national title with a College Football Playoff victory over Miami.
Cignetti, hired in November 2023 after a successful tenure at James Madison, has compiled a 26-2 record at Indiana entering the 2026 season. His rapid success has dramatically altered expectations for a program that previously struggled to compete consistently at the highest level of the Big Ten.
University officials have emphasized the importance of maintaining competitiveness in the conference amid escalating coaching salaries across the sport. Cignetti’s rising compensation reflects both market pressures and Indiana’s commitment to sustaining its recent success on the field.