Curt Cignetti's new buyout won't scare off potential suitors

Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti has his signature on a brand new contract that will guarantee him at least $100 million from Indiana University should he stay at the school for the remainder of his new eight-year extension.

Cignetti collected roughly $13 million total through this season and last, and is now owed $92 million more over the course of the following eight seasons, $11.6 million annually through 2033, so long as the parties stay engaged on the deal. That's always the tricky part, isn't it? Because, of course, there's also the nature of the buyout language.

As confirmed by Zach Osterman of the Indy Star, Cignetti's buyout if he leaves for another job is now $15 million, a 50% increase from what it would have been this coming December without a re-negotiated deal.

Source tells IndyStar Cignetti's new contract increases the buyout should another school want to hire him to $15 million. It would have fallen to $10 million after Dec. 1 according to the terms of his previous deal. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) October 16, 2025

Let's get this straight: $15 million is the buyout for Cignetti to broach the contract to leave for another team. If Indiana wants to fire Cignetti prematurely, they would owe him whatever is left of his ENTIRE $93+ million deal. That's hard to comprehend.

If Curt Cignetti left Indiana tomorrow for another job, that school would have to pay Indiana a $15 million buyout. But if Indiana were to fire Cignetti tomorrow, they would owe him close to $100 million. Wow. What an amazing and historic contract.

If Indiana fires coach Curt Cignetti without cause during his new deal, his $93.25 million is fully guaranteed, per ESPN sources.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 16, 2025

Buyout won't scare off Penn State, others...

Curt Cignetti's new contract, itself, is absolutely massive. Even the mere fact that Indiana handed out an eight-year deal making their football coach the third-highest-paid in the country is hard to believe. And for sure, it signals that Indiana will match salaries with anyone in the sport at $11.6 million per year.

However, that $15 million buyout leaves the door open. If Cignetti wants to leave for a bigger school, that is simply not a figure that's going to stand in the way as a meaningful hurdle to major programs. Penn State just fired James Franklin for a $50 million buyout, so would an extra $15 million really deter them if Cignetti was their guy? Definitely not.

That's a figure Cignetti's side negotiated, too. Because obviously, Indiana would love to hike that buyout to an exorbitant number to guarantee either Cignetti is in Bloomington for good... or that the school would net an enormous pay day if he did leave. Plus, if Cignetti plans to retire at Indiana, as he stated in his video, then why not allow the buyout to raise even higher?

The only explanation for the buyout staying so relatively low is that Curt Cignetti absolutely isn't done thinking about other jobs. He wants that option, or maybe even just the leverage, to think about walking out that door, on his own accord, for a new gig.

Buyout won't scare off Penn State, others...

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