Curt Cignetti responds to reports of CFB teams spending up to $40 million on roster
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Curt Cignetti is fully aware of the arms race in college football as coaches look to build competitive rosters in the NIL era.
The Indiana head coach, though, cleared the air on just how much his own program is paying.
During an interview with Front Office Sports, Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan stated that some teams across the country are paying upwards of $40 million in efforts to position themselves to win a national championship. That’s not really a surprise as that’s been a number that’s been thrown around in some corners for a while.
That’s not quite the number Indiana paid, however. And the notoriously blunt Cignetti made that clear when responding to a post on X that stated that the Hoosiers “for a fact” didn’t spend that much.
“Correct. Not even close,” Cignetti said.
That’s not to say that Indiana isn’t willing to offer big money. Fernando Mendoza held a reported NIL valuation of $2.6 million. Days before the Hoosiers won their national championship, Mark Cuban donated an increased amount over his 2025 contribution to fund his alma mater’s war chest.
Indiana will have a massive target on its back in 2026 as it looks to win its consecutive national championship. Can the Hoosiers run it back, or will another team ultimately emerge? Kalshi is taking action on who will make up the 12-team College Football Playoff field in 2026.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
