Over its long 127-year history, Indiana football has rarely been a program associated with consistent success. For most of its existence, the Hoosiers struggled to compete at a high level in the Big Ten, often finishing near the bottom of the conference. Across the first 136 seasons of the program, Indiana posted an overall winning percentage of just.418, never recorded a single 10-win season, and spent only seven total weeks ranked in the AP Top 25. Those numbers clearly reflect how difficult sustained success had been in Bloomington.
That reality makes the transformation under head coach Curt Cignetti even more remarkable. Prior to his arrival, Indiana went 3–9 in 2023, continuing a stretch of losing seasons and uncertainty. In just two years, Cignetti completely changed the trajectory of the program. In 2024, the Hoosiers surged to an 11–2 record and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff, a milestone moment in program history. Instead of taking a step back, Indiana elevated its play even further in 2025, finishing a perfect 14–0 season, winning the Big Ten, and capturing both the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl on the way to a national championship.
The contrast between Indiana’s past and present could not be clearer. Under Cignetti, the Hoosiers now hold an incredible.926 winning percentage, a massive leap from the program’s historical average. In just two seasons, Indiana has already produced two 10-win seasons, something the program failed to accomplish in more than a century before his arrival. The national recognition has followed as well, with Indiana spending 11 weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 during Cignetti’s tenure, more than the program managed in the entire stretch before him.
Beyond the statistics, Cignetti has changed the culture of Indiana football. The Hoosiers now play with confidence, discipline, and belief, traits that were often missing in previous eras. When viewed against the full history of the program, the last two seasons stand as the most dramatic and impactful turnaround Indiana football has ever experienced. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers didn’t just improve, they rewrote what was thought possible for the program.
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