The Penn State Nittany Lions shook the College Football landscape on Sunday when they fired Head Coach James Franklin. The move created a new vacancy in College Football and as one of the best jobs in the Country opened up, everyone began to wonder who could be next in line for the Penn State job.
Everyone immediately put together the ties between Matt Rhule and Penn State making him one of the top candidates. Penn State fans that were dreaming however, looked to a name they thought could be a bigger fit in Curt Cignetti. The issue for the Nittany Lions is that Cignetti realizes the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Curt Cignetti ends Penn State rumors with Indiana extension
As the chatter on the Penn State side started to pick up as the fanbase wanted Cignetti to lead this program, he shut it down in the best way possible. On Thursday, Curt Cignetti inked a 8-year extension worth $11.6 million per year which will keep him in Bloomington through the 2033 season.
Indiana & Curt Cignetti agree to new 8-year, $11.6 million per year deal thru Nov. 30, 2033. Sorry, Penn State, Florida, etc., etc.
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 16, 2025
The deal doesn't just send a message to Penn State but, it sends a massive statement to the rest of the College Football world. Curt Cignetti has brought a swagger to Indiana Football and the program seems to have adopted it making a significant commitment to Cignetti announcing this isn't just a flash in the pan.
Through 19 games at Indiana, Curt Cignetti is 17-2 with an 11-1 record in Big Ten play which would've seemed impossible when they hired him. This season, the Hoosiers have proven they're the real deal and look like a serious National Championship contender. The next 8 years should be incredible to watch as Cignetti keeps ascending and could build Indiana into a yearly power in the Big Ten.