"We are the emerging superpower": Curt Cignetti makes his stance clear after signing a massive contract with Indiana

The Indiana Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti made some big news on Saturday morning ahead of the Week 12 slate as the two sides have agreed on an eight-year $72 million deal. Cignetti was expected to be one of the top coaching candidates in the 2024 offseason coaching cycle but this deal officially locks him in with the Hoosiers for a while.

Cignetti appeared on FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff" during their open week and discussed what happened to make the deal work and propped up the 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten) Indiana Hoosiers.

"Honestly, they came to me, they were very proactive," Cignetti said on Saturday. "Some people say, ' Why would you do that you when this one may open, that one may open, you would be a hot commodity. Blah, blah, blah.' The fact of the matter is that we are the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?"

Curt Cignetti has been a force with the Hoosiers in his first year with the program. As a coach with the IUP Crimson Hawks, Elon Phoenix, James Madison Dukes, and Indiana Hoosiers, he has a 129-35 career record. It will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers do going forward.

Can Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers remain undefeated in the regular season?

The No. 5-ranked Indiana Hoosiers are a perfect 10-0 and are the top team in the Big Ten Conference. They have two regular season games remaining, including a Week 13 road matchup against the No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Hoosiers are likely going to be underdogs in this game and it will be intriguing to see what the betting line looks like when it becomes available. Curt Cignetti has coached in big games before but this arguably will be his biggest challenge yet. It is difficult to see the Indiana Hoosiers remain undefeated and this is going to be a massive game.

Their final regular season game will be at home against the Purdue Boilermakers.