Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has done something no other coach in college football can say they have done. He has taken a team that once had the most losses in college football history, and in two years, turned the program around to being the best in the country.
The Hoosiers just took down Alabama in the Rose Bowl to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff Semifinals, where they have a date with Oregon, a team they already beat once this season. The win over Alabama meant so much to the Hoosiers, but it also means that Cignetti is about to get a major mayday.
With the win in the Big Ten Championship, as well as now making it to the CFP Semifinals, Cignetti will receive a $700k bonus, which is part of what will be $1.875 million in incentives. Not only has Cignetti made that much money in incentives with Indiana's recent wins, but he has also triggered a Good Faith Market clause in his contract.
In advancing to the CFP Semifinal, Indiana HC Curt Cignetti secures a $700k bonus (he's added $1.875M total based on Big 10/CFP incentives).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 2, 2026
He's also triggered a Good Faith Market Review clause that requires IU to renegotiate his annual compensation up to no less than the 3rd… pic.twitter.com/xRxjxfQPI5
What is Curt Cignetti's Good Faith Market Clause?
When Cignetti signed his most recent contract with Indiana, it included what is called a Good Faith Market clause, which basically is going to make Cignetti even more money than he is now. As of now, Cignetti is making $11.8 million a year from his most recent 8-year, $93 million deal that was signed back in October of 2025.
The Hoosiers wanted to make sure they locked Cignetti in with all of the crazy coaching rumors going on, so they gave Cignetti a big payday. Now, with the Good Faith Market clause, Cignetti will get a new salary that is no less than the third-highest-paid head coach in college football.
This clause was triggered when the Hoosiers made it to the semifinal. The university now has 120 days after the semifinal to renegotiate Cignetti's contract so that he is at least the third-highest-paid head coach in all of college football. If Indiana does not come to terms with Cignetti within that time, he could leave the school without penalty of a buyout.