PASADENA, Calif. – When Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti took over the program in December of 2023, he sensed doom and gloom. It was understandable, considering Indiana continued to be a dormant Big Ten program with nothing to look forward to. It had five winning seasons since the 1994 season and had not won a bowl game since 1991. There was no reason to get behind the football program.
He made his mission abundantly clear: change the way people think about Indiana football.
Two years ago, crowds were empty. Pride was nowhere to be seen. Calls to cheer and chant were not answered. Indiana had reached rock bottom.
On Thursday, 70,000 Indiana fans stayed packed in the Rose Bowl after Indiana’s 38-3 domination of Alabama, watching Cignetti give his postgame victory speech.
“I only have one thing to say,” Cignetti exclaimed to finish his speech. “Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”
For decades, Indiana football fans had no reason to finish this call and response with pride. They dreamt of being able to finish the chant when Indiana won a couple of conference games. After winning the Rose Bowl? To move onto the College Football Playoff Semifinals? It was unfathomable. Indiana football would never reach those heights.
“HOOSIERS!”
As the blast reverberated beneath the San Gabriel mountains, it spread in spirit to millions of college football fans worldwide. A school that had been so quiet for decades finally got to make itself heard to the masses.
Jubilation. Pride. Joy. Satisfaction. It wasn’t just a celebration. It was a declaration. No longer is Indiana thought of as one of the worst programs in college football history. No longer do fans have to go into games with the expectation of losing. No longer do fans have to dream of watching Indiana play on the biggest stages of college football.
It is impossible to neglect the brilliance of Cignetti’s program. Indiana fans will make sure of it.
Indiana is 25-2 under Cignetti in two seasons with a Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl victory, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, a No. 1 ranking and the top odds to win the 2026 national title.
Cignetti wanted to change the way people think about Indiana football.
The Indiana football program that’s identity was built on being a free win for most solid opponents. The Indiana football program that had no national prominence. The Indiana football program with a fanbase eagerly waiting to proudly represent its team at the biggest of stages.
Well, he did it pretty quickly. Now, fans get to show off what they have been dreaming of their entire lives. They’ve been waiting for a while and it’s not wearing down any time soon.
How could you possibly not change the way you once thought about Indiana football? Beats me.
