As the transfer portal continues to evolve in the college football world, programs can either adapt or get left behind. In his two seasons at the helm, Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti and his squad have made the transfer portal a crucial step in their success.
Having a renowned coach that athletes want to play for is an easy way to attract players from the transfer portal. Combining that with the ability to spend more money on name, image and likeness deals compared to other programs and getting upgrades to certain facilities is the perfect recipe to bring in players from the portal.
In the three seasons preceding Cignetti at IU, the Hoosiers held a 9-27 overall record and only won three games against Big Ten opponents. Indiana football had been historically bad and remained at the bottom of the Big Ten.
This all changed when they took a chance on a guy who took over a previous Football Championship Subdivision program at James Madison University. Cignetti led it to consecutive eight-plus-win seasons in its first stint playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision, proving his ability to turn a team around.
When coming to Indiana, Cignetti had a strategy: bring his most talented guys from James Madison and build from there. Along with the players from the Dukes, Cignetti brought over six coaches, two of which became the Hoosiers’ offensive and defensive coordinators.
In an interview a month after signing with Indiana, Cignetti talked about how he wanted production right away. He recruits players who can produce right off the bat, which is why he relies so heavily on the portal as opposed to relying on incoming student athletes.
Before the 2024-25 season, Cignetti had acquired 31 players from the transfer portal, though one player left IU before taking the field. He takes players with even just one year of eligibility remaining to maintain veteran leadership. Cignetti has a proven knack for attracting talented players from all over the country as the team continues to succeed.
“I’m looking for guys that have put together a number of years as starters and have been productive, relative injury free, and I’m not afraid to dip down a level to find those guys,” Cignetti said on Query & Company in 2023.
Along with that, he keeps his main pitch simple: winning. A winning atmosphere is the key to a player's heart, and Cignetti has built that and shown his dominance in year two following a 7-0 start with a national championship in mind. Who wouldn’t want to play for Cignetti?
A coach with a winning mentality isn’t everything though. NIL and the transfer portal were primarily created centered around one thing — money. Everyone wants to win, sure, but the real reason most of these players are bouncing from school to school each year is because they want a bigger paycheck while they’re still eligible to earn it.
Collectives like Hoosiers Connect and Hoosiers For Good raise funds from donors, fans and businesses so Indiana can increase its NIL opportunities. With the biggest alumni community in the country, Indiana’s recruiting classes can only get better if the team continues to succeed because donors will be more inclined to help out.
In the summer of 2025, Memorial Stadium installed new turf and expanded the stadium's premium suite opportunities. An indoor lounge called the East Side Club will be available for fans sitting in sections 25-28, in rows 7-20. Also, on the west side of the stadium, two suites that are field-level have been added. Looking ahead, according to the IndyStar, the stadium itself may be renovated in the future with facilities to follow. If Indiana can improve its player facilities and make a stadium that’s more modernized and accessible, the transfers will keep pouring in.
With Cignetti running the show, Indiana is no longer interested in being an afterthought in the Big Ten. By aggressively embracing the transfer portal and leveraging the growing NIL resources available, the Hoosiers are redefining themselves as winners. While there’s still a long way to go to be considered with the longtime powerhouses like Michigan and Ohio State, Indiana football is catapulting itself past the bottom feeders. With a program finally equipped to win, Indiana will recruit its way to the top, one transfer at a time.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the name of Query & Company.
CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to clarify one player transfered to Indiana but left before the season started.
