Big Ten🛡️ Ironclad Stability (5/5)

Curt Cignetti

Head Football Coach • Indiana (Hoosiers)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)

$93,000,000

85 months remaining (2587 days)

Annual Salary

$13,200,000

Base + Supplemental Talent

Contract Expires

2033-11-30

Hired: 2023-11-30

Coach Leaves Buyout

$12,500,000

Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival

Daily Amortization

$30,719

Buyout drops each day

University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $93,000,000

Contract buyout as tracked by official reporting: $56,700,000.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments

Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)

Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$93,493,224

Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $12,500,000

If Curt Cignetti accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2033-11-30, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$12,500,000

School Retention Leverage:Very High (Deterrent)

Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works

0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (5/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Ironclad Stability. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability

Level 5 / 5

Ironclad Stability

Untouchable Buyout • $93,000,000 Buyout Firewall

Astronomical buyout penalty renders firing virtually prohibitive without extraordinary outside booster funding.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by official reporting: $56,700,000.

Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)

The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)

Consensus Building

Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

National Championships: 0

Conference Titles: 0

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Curt Cignetti

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

Select Coach (Alphabetical by School)

Curt CignettiIronclad Stability

Indiana • Big Ten • Contract thru 2033-11-30

Annual Salary

$13,200,000

Current Buyout (Today)

$93,000,000

Hypothetical Termination Date

Selected Date: 2026-10-31 (2587 days remaining on contract)

Or pick any exact date:

Buyout Owed on 2026-10-31

$93,000,000

Official USA Today Verified Buyout

Savings by Delaying to This Date

Natural amortization saves $30,719 / day

If Coach Leaves Voluntarily

$12,500,000

Amount coach / hiring team owes Indiana

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)

Important: Curt Cignetti's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Indiana is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $93,000,000. Verified update: annualSalary (11600000 -> 13200000) per Indiana Daily Student: https://www.idsnews.com/article/2026/02/indiana-football-head-coach-curt-cignetti-new-contract-iu-bloomington. Salary updated to $13.2M based on January 2026 reporting. Buyout and end date remain consistent with the most recent verified contract terms.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$5.61M.

Key Contractual Stipulations

•Fully guaranteed unless fired for cause
•Contract runs through November 30, 2033
•Includes significant salary increase following national championship

Verified update: annualSalary (11600000 -> 13200000) per Indiana Daily Student: https://www.idsnews.com/article/2026/02/indiana-football-head-coach-curt-cignetti-new-contract-iu-bloomington. Salary updated to $13.2M based on January 2026 reporting. Buyout and end date remain consistent with the most recent verified contract terms.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (3):

Indiana football’s Cignetti signs new $13.2 million contract after ‘good faith review’Indiana Daily Student • 2026-01-01

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Indiana signs Curt Cignetti new contractThe Athletic • 2025-10-16

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Indiana University and Football Coach Curt Cignetti Agree to New Eight-Year Contract Through 2033Indiana Athletics Official Records • 2025-10-16

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FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Indiana releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.

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