Indiana has '100 percent commitment' from Curt Cignetti in midst of historic rise: 'All the oars are paddling in the same direction'

Curt Cignetti has been in Bloomington less than two seasons and is one of the hottest coaches for every job opening around the country — if not at the top of the list. But for someone who prides himself and his team in ‘controlling the controllables’ and eliminating outside noise, the new factor of external coaching searches has entered the list of potential distractors.

Following Indiana‘s win over No. 3 Oregon on Saturday, and a 6-0 start that correlated with earning a few votes for the top team in the nation, not only did the external noise get louder — but so did the internal belief that Indiana can truly become a ‘perennial power’ in college football.

“It sounds good, I’ll take it. How much does that cost,” Cignetti said joking on The Joel Klatt Show. “But, you know, we’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. Pam Whitten and Scott Dolson have committed to football financially. It takes a strong financial commitment — being in the Big Ten obviously brings a few more dollars. We’ve come a long way but facility wise there are some things we want to do. Obviously with rev share and NIL you want to be in the top third in the league in resources to compete and get to where you want to get to.

“I don’t think that far down the road in terms of perennial this or (perennial) that. I’m more focused on today and trying to get the most out today.”

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Cignetti’s ‘focus on today’ has been one of his mantra’s ever since stepping foot in Bloomington and into Memorial Stadium. His process and approach to being in the moment and not getting too high or too low has translated into one of the most successful and quickest turnarounds in college football — ever.

It’s been documented the lack of success at Indiana before he arrived, just 9-27 in the three years prior to his arrival, and just three Big Ten wins over that time. Since Cignetti’s arrival, it’s been a 17-2 record with a College Football Playoff appearance and back-to-back seasons finding themselves ranked as an AP top-5 program.

Much has been made, as Cignetti touched on, about the financial investment into the program. From investment into Cignetti, to an increased salary pool for his assistants, to facility upgrades.

From day one, Cignetti was open about his goals and aspirations — but also the improvements needed both from an investment perspective and fan involvement perspective. Both have come to fruition.

But both are needed even more with the current landscape of college athletics, and specifically college football.

Amid 6-0 start, Curt Cignetti has complete focus on the week ahead: ‘The key now is our response’

Why? Penn State. The Nittany Lions football program has changed the vibe in college football and the Big Ten. With its job opening, after paying a $50M buyout to part ways with James Franklin, showed it is serious about landing a big name — a name like Curt Cignetti.

But whether or not it’s this year’s Penn State — there will always a next Penn State level opening that will draw eyes and attention.

So with each and every day that passes, and each win that Indiana adds to its record over the course of the next few weeks, that ‘noise and clutter’ will get louder because nobody thinks this Indiana success is sustainable. It can’t be, right? No matter the level of success Indiana has reached in just a year and half, the doubters will remain and externally, the next job will always be thought to be in line for someone like Cignetti.

It’s up to this athletic department, fan base and university to continue to invest in this program because it’s becoming more and more evident with every game — this Indiana football program can absolutely become a perennial power. And, it appears closer than one ever thought.

“All the oars are paddling in the same direction which is important. Our team knows that I have 100 percent commitment to developing this football team to its full potential,” Cignetti said. “I love the people that I report to. I love living here. The people in Bloomington have been great. The response in the state of Indiana has been terrific. But I also understand success is very temporary. Coming off a big win at Oregon … now it’s time to rip of the rearview mirror and the key is our response and next week’s big news will be based on what we do today.

As Indiana rows towards another College Football Playoff appearance — with a legitimate shot to win a National Championship — it’s all business in Bloomington, however. No matter how loud the outside noise gets.

“This team has met every challenge up to this point because of how we prepare and ability to focus,” Cignetti added. “How you eliminate the noise and the clutter and control the controllables.”

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