Curt Cignetti shot down any discussion he would leave Indiana football for a job in the NFL.
Speculation the 64-year-old coach could make the move over to the NFL has come from several of media personalities throwing his name out in the mix for NFL head coaching openings in recent weeks amid the Hoosiers’ run to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
‘I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago when I went with Chuck Amato to NC State in 2000. I had a chance to go with the Packers,’ Cignetti said Saturday, Jan. 17 from CFP media day in Miami. ‘… I declined the opportunity. I almost took it. That’s when I made the final decision, and I’ve always been more of a college football guy.’
Cignetti’s name being thrown into the mix for NFL jobs began shortly after the first round of firings, which included the Las Vegas Raiders’ firing of Pete Carroll. The Raiders hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, where they are widely expected to use that pick Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winning QB Fernando Mendoza.
The backing of Cignetti to the Raiders idea was floated out by Rich Eisen on Jan. 5 during his weekly radio show, and later endorsed by ESPN’s Peter Schrager during an appearance on ‘Get Up.’
Following Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down from his post with the Pittsburgh Steelers, former NFL defensive end and ‘NFL Live’ analyst Marcus Spears threw Cignetti’s name into the mix of candidates in Pittsburgh, Cignetti’s hometown.
‘Cignetti out of Indiana. I think his personality would fit with Pittsburgh,’ Spears said on ‘NFL Live’ on Jan. 13. ‘Now I’m not sure how all that business part goes, but what I’ve watched this dude do at a university that was absolutely not even thought of potentially ever winning a national championship in this landscape of college football and the rapport that he has as a head coach and what he has done with this team would make him a very enticing hire.’
In two seasons at Indiana, Cignetti is 26-2 and has orchestrated one of the more remarkable turnarounds in college football, as he has taken the Hoosiers from the sport’s losingest program to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, where they are one win from winning their first national championship.
He was awarded a new eight-year deal that is worth $93 million back in October, which came around the time there was speculation he was being targeted for Penn State’s open coaching position. Cignetti’s new contract with the Hoosiers has made him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football with an average annual value of $11.6 million per year.
When, where is CFP national championship Indiana vs Miami time?
Date: Monday, Jan. 19
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The 2026 CFP national championship game between No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Monday, Jan. 19.
Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
The 2026 CFP national title game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which is coincidentally the home stadium for the Hurricanes. The venue is also home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
How to watch CFP national championship game Miami vs Indiana:
TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
The CFP national championship game will air live on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial. ESPN2 will have an alternative viewing with ‘Field Pass with ‘The Pat McAfee Show,” while ESPNU will have a ‘Film Room’ telecast.
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