Overview
- Cignetti’s extension totals about $93.2 million over eight years, averaging $11.6 million annually and placing him third among FBS head coaches behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day.
- The buyout is $15 million if he departs before Nov. 30, 2026, drops by $3 million each year to $4 million in 2029–30, is halved the next two years, and ends by 2033.
- A ‘good faith market review’ must occur within 120 days after any CFP semifinal season to keep his pay among the top three, or the buyout to leave falls to zero.
- The contract is fully guaranteed if Indiana fires him, with offset language, and pays a $500,000 base plus $9.65 million in outside income starting Dec. 1, 2025, along with a $1 million annual retention bonus that rises to $1.25 million in 2029 and $100,000 yearly raises.
- Indiana guarantees a staff salary pool no lower than fifth in the Big Ten or top 10 nationally, and the deal was finalized quickly as interest from major programs, including Penn State, was reported.