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Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has received yet another contract extension, increasing his annual salary from $11.6 million to $13.2 million on a deal that goes through 2033.
He now has the highest known salary among college football coaches on an average annual basis, passing Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin, whose contracts pay them an average base of $13 million per year.
By reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, Cignetti triggered a “good faith market review” of his contract. That clause said that he must receive a top-three salary or else his buyout would be void. The number Indiana had to beat was $12.5 million, which is the salary of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.
The review required the sides to meet within 120 days of the end of the Hoosiers’ Playoff run. Just 32 days after winning the national title, Cignetti now has a new deal that exceeds Day’s by $700,000.
The extension is the third that Cignetti has received since he signed a six-year, $27 million deal to become the Hoosiers’ head coach in 2024. After starting 10–0 in his first season, Indiana rewarded him with a new eight-year deal, paying him $8 million annually. That deal didn’t last for long, as after the Hoosiers started 6–0 during the 2025–26 season, Cignetti signed a new eight-year extension worth $93 million.
Cignetti’s record contract is another instance of Indiana reinforcing its commitment to spending on football. Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson told ESPN that the school is “all-in” on football after signing Cignetti to his second extension, while wealthy alums like Mark Cuban have continued to up their investment in the football program.
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