Curt Cignetti: Indiana's Memorial Stadium Has to 'Look a Lot Different' In the Future

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In an era of college football dominated by shiny NIL deals and one-year transfer portal solutions, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti still prioritizes recruiting, development and retention.

On the heels of an 11-2 season capped by a College Football Playoff berth, the Cignetti-led Hoosiers are reaping the rewards on the recruiting trail and within their facilities.

"We've done some nice enhancements here in the offseason," Cignetti said July 22 at Big Ten Media Day. "We rebranded the indoor; new turf on the stadium; rebranded the coaches' offices."

In the summer of 2024, Indiana began renovations by replacing the turf inside Mellencamp Pavillion, its indoor practice field.

This offseason, the Hoosiers committed $3 million to further upgrading the facility. Indiana installed a new HVAC system, replaced the lighting to remove a distinguishable, lingering buzz and updated the branding on the walls, according to The Herald-Times.

Indiana also updated the playing surface inside Memorial Stadium, an estimated cost of $1.1 million, per The Herald-Times.

The Hoosiers still have bigger upgrades coming. Cignetti said he's currently focused on the 2025 season, and he and Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson will talk once the campaign concludes.

But further renovations remain on the table.

"We'll do more moving forward," Cignetti said. "(Dolson has) a bucket list, and he walks in and says, 'What would you (do next)?' Now, down the road, that stadium's got to look a lot different than it looks right now."

"And before I retire, that press box has to come down."

Cignetti's final comment was tongue-in-cheek, but his preceding remarks weren't. Indiana has been outspoken this summer about using its historic 2024 season, the first 10-win year in school history, as a springboard to sustained high-level success.

For the Hoosiers to level-up on the field, they need their off-field resources to match the new tier of competitors they're fighting against, Cignetti said.

"We've got to keep progressing, getting better," Cignetti said. "Our infrastructure needs to improve. I mean, ultimately, you've got to be able to win battles, occasionally, against Oregon and Tennessee and Florida and those people. You know what I'm saying? I mean, we did win a few of those."

But Cignetti doesn't like losing. He wants to turn "a few" into more frequent occurrences. Indiana took steps in the right direction this offseason — yet it still has another leap coming.

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