Overview

• James Franklin’s firing has opened the Penn State job, with media linking Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti as a potential target.
• Indiana’s 2024 extension runs through 2032 and carries a $13 million buyout if Cignetti resigns before Dec. 1, dropping to $10 million the next year and down to $1 million in the final season.
• Liquidated damages above $2 million are split into two payments, and Indiana sources report no amendments have been made to the deal since it was signed.
• Compensation and resources include more than $8 million in annual salary, a $1 million yearly retention bonus, and an $11 million guaranteed staff salary pool, placing him among the higher‑paid Big Ten coaches.
• It is common for a hiring school to cover a departing coach’s buyout—Indiana paid Cignetti’s $1.2 million to James Madison in 2023—while commentary ranges from Paul Finebaum urging him to consider Penn State to others arguing he should stay, and there is no confirmed formal outreach reported.