Mark Cuban Increases His Indiana Football Spending for Transfer Portal

Indiana football’s dream season has helped land another big donation from the school’s wealthiest alumnus. 

Billionaire and Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, a 1981 IU graduate, told Front Office Sports he has made another donation to the school’s athletic department amid the Hoosiers’ undefeated run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. 

“Already committed for this portal,” Cuban wrote to FOS in an email. 

Cuban clarified that he lets athletic director Scott Dolson decide what to do with the money, and didn’t say precisely how much he gave.

“Let’s just say they are happier this year than last year,” Cuban wrote. 

College football’s transfer window opened on Jan. 2 and the Hoosiers made a splash immediately. 

On Sunday, Indiana landed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to replace Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza under center; Michigan State receiver Nick Marsh and Boston College running back Turbo Richard are also headed to Bloomington next season.

Hoover and Marsh were considered two of the top players in the portal.

Cuban, who is worth $6 billion according to Forbes, has given millions to his alma mater over the years. In 2015, he gave IU $5 million for a sports media center and he gave $6 million in October to fund the school’s rugby club. 

But he had never donated directly to the athletic department until Dec. 2024 after Curt Cignetti’s team shocked the college football world by going 11–2. In October, he told CBS Sports he gave “a big number” to the athletic department and said his connection with Cignetti was a factor in his decision. The two are just three years apart and were born in the same Pittsburgh-area hospital. 

Cuban had a suite at the Rose Bowl for Indiana’s 38–3 blowout win over Alabama to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals, where they will face Oregon on Friday in the Peach Bowl.