What's behind Indiana University's winning streak

2 days ago 8

Indiana University backmost Fernando Mendoza, who woke up Sunday arsenic this year's Heisman trophy winner, has travel to embody his team.

A fewer years ago, Mendoza was a middling Miami precocious schoolhouse subordinate and the Indiana Hoosiers were the losingest squad successful large assemblage shot history. But this season, Mendoza and the No. 1 ranked Hoosiers are undefeated.They conscionable upset powerhouse Ohio State to triumph the Big Ten Championship, and they are large contenders successful their quest for a nationalist title.

"There's a small spot of an imposter syndrome," Mendoza said. "Whoa, americium I expected to beryllium here? I was a two-star recruit. I wasn't a five-star who's expected to beryllium successful this position, who's expected to beryllium connected the No. 1 squad successful the nation."

Just however atrocious was Indiana football?

Indiana entered this play with much losses than immoderate different Division 1 shot programme – much than 700 defeats.

Last weekend, it clinched the Big Ten rubric for the archetypal clip since 1967. Don Fischer, who's been the team's play-by-play dependable since the 70s, witnessed the squad conflict for decades.

"A large occupation for Indiana was we could not enlistee violative and antiaircraft linemen," Fischer said.

Diehard instrumentality and stone fable John Mellencamp has been watching the Hoosiers suffer ever since his begetter took him to games arsenic a kid. Mellencamp has been successful the stands done heavy and thin, and says astatine points it got "pretty thin."

For years, helium says, the tailgates drew much involvement than the existent games and the stadium was little than fractional full. Mellencamp funded an indoor signifier facility, the Mellencamp Pavilion, successful 1996 successful hopes it would lure recruits.

Becoming a shot powerhouse

Indiana's programme started its crook astir aft a dismal play successful 2023, successful which the Hoosiers went 3-9.

Athletic manager Scott Dolson acceptable retired to resoluteness Indiana's shot woes. In his hunt for a caller caput coach, helium had a fewer non-negotiables.

"We wanted an existing caput coach," Dolson said. "We wanted a manager who was violative minded, who had developed quarterbacks."

Dolson settled connected Curt Cignetti, a little-known manager who'd won often, but had besides been overlooked. Before landing successful Indiana, Cignetti had jumped betwixt assorted programs astir the country. Once an adjunct manager for the legendary Nick Saban astatine Alabama, helium near the large clip to instrumentality caput coaching jobs astatine smaller schools, including Elon University and James Madison.

Cignetti said the ambiance erstwhile helium arrived successful Indiana was, "You can't get it done here." Facilities were neglected and fans were unexcited, helium recalls.

But now, 2 seasons into Cignetti's tenure, the program is unrecognizable. Under Cignetti, Indiana has gone 24-2 without losing a location game.

"There's nary magic here. It's fundamentals," Cignetti said. "You know, I would similar to deliberation the leader, which is me, knows what he's doing and has a blueprint, and a plan."

New rules upend the playing field

Indiana's emergence has been helped by caller rules successful assemblage sports. Athletes are present capable to participate the alleged transportation portal and power schools with ease. Cignetti fortified his roster by bringing 13 players with him from James Madison. Mendoza played astatine Cal Berkeley past season.

There's besides the money. College players can present beryllium paid for the licensing of their name, representation and likeness. And starting this year, they tin get a chopped of squad revenue. Mendoza, who says helium really wrote a insubstantial successful precocious schoolhouse astir wherefore NCAA athletes should not beryllium paid, is reported to beryllium making $2 cardinal this season.

"There's truthful galore antithetic dynamics that were ne'er determination successful assemblage football," Mendoza said. "And I deliberation that's wherefore you spot truthful galore teams either rising oregon fizzling. Just due to the fact that [of] the caller structure, whether it's radical talking astir compensation successful the locker room, which is either uniting oregon dividing a locker room, whether it's radical going to not lone 1 oregon 2 schools similar myself [but] going to 4 schools."

Will Indiana shot enactment astatine the top?

Money is flowing into Indiana's program. In 2024, acknowledgment partially to donors — including alum Mark Cuban — Indiana spent much than $60 cardinal connected football.

"The marketplace is what the marketplace is. And it costs a batch of money," Dolson said. "But we gain that money. We marque it done our gross streams."

He besides noted that if the squad remains successful, it volition person affirmative impacts for the schoolhouse arsenic a whole.

"I've joked before, if I'd person known that winning consistently would person that impact, we should person tried that a agelong clip ago," Dolson said.

The schoolhouse vows to support spending connected shot — acold much than connected basketball. And successful hopes the manager doesn't transportation out, Indiana precocious gave Cignetti an eight-year, $90 cardinal declaration extension, much than 15 times his compensation astatine his past job.

The Hoosiers, the No. 1 effect successful the upcoming College Football Playoffs, play their adjacent crippled connected New Year's Day. Coach Cignetti plans to support adapting and improvising arsenic the crippled demands.

"Attack astatine each times," helium said.