Curt Cignetti. just regret why signing contract with Indiana Hoosiers football due to…

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With each win during its historic season, attention shifted toward the Indiana football team and coach Curt Cignetti.

It started locally, with meager crowds at Memorial Stadium turning into sellouts by Indiana’s fifth home game. And it grew nationally, with ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame shows stationed in Bloomington for one of the sport’s best stories.

Other schools certainly took notice, too, especially ones contemplating hiring a new head coach, as Cignetti turned around a program that went 9-27 the last three seasons to one with a 10-0 record and No. 5 ranking in the latest College Football Playoff chase. That meant Indiana would have to reinforce its commitment to keep Cignetti in Bloomington.

Indiana announced Saturday it agreed to a new eight-year contract with Cignetti, including an average annual compensation of $8 million, plus an annual $1 million retention bonus, through the 2032 season. Cignetti appeared on Big Noon Kickoff later that day and mentioned that Indiana’s administration was proactive in approaching him about the new contract.

“Some people say, well, why would you do that when this one may open, that one may open, and you’re gonna be a hot commodity and blah, blah, blah,” Cignetti said Saturday on Big Noon Kickoff. “And the fact of the matter is we’re the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?’’