Indiana gives Cignetti 8-year extension

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Curt Cignetti needed 10 games to make good on his promise to change the direction of Indiana football.

Now he'll have eight more years to continue working his magic.

The Hoosiers' 60-year-old coach was rewarded on Saturday for the first 10-0 mark in school history with an eight-year contract that will run through 2032 and pays him an annual average salary of $8 million plus a $1 million annual retention bonus.

"I love Bloomington and am grateful for how the IU community has embraced us," Cignetti said in the athletic department's statement announcing the new contract. "I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football."

Cignetti has done what many thought impossible — leading the Hoosiers, who are No. 5 in both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings, into the top five and putting them on the precipice of a playoff spot in his first season.

Indiana hired Cignetti from James Madison last December and the former Alabama recruiting coordinator under coach Nick Saban immediately started making waves.

First, at his introductory news conference he proclaimed: "I win. Google me." Then at a basketball game, he riled up crowd by shouting "Purdue sucks," referencing Indiana's long-time in-state rival, before declaring "so does Michigan and Ohio State."

All Cignetti has done since then is win at a historic rate, just like his late Hall of Fame coaching father.

Indiana is 10-0 for the first time in school history and has its first double-digit winning season, too. It has produced the most lopsided victory in school history, 77-3 against Western Illinois; matched the largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game, 56-7 against Nebraska; and didn't trail this season until falling behind 10-0 at Michigan State in its ninth game of the season.

Last week, the Hoosiers beat Michigan for just the second time since 1988, and next Saturday they will put their 7-0 conference mark on the line at No. 2 Ohio State. If they win in Columbus for the first time since 1987, Indiana likely would play in its first Big Ten championship game. Indiana's only conference crowns came in 1945 and 1967.

But Indiana is playing for something bigger — a spot in the expanded 12-team playoff. Its No. 5 ranking on Tuesday by the selection committee puts it in position to host a postseason game for the first time in school history.

Ball State fires Neu

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State fired coach Mike Neu on Saturday following four straight losing seasons since winning his only Mid-American Conference title.

Athletic director Jeff Mitchell said offensive line coach Colin Johnson would replace Neu for the Cardinals final two games this season. Johnson, like Neu, is a Ball State alum.

Neu spent nine seasons in Muncie, Indiana, but only produced one winning season — going 7-1 (5-1) when he led the Cardinals to the 2020 MAC crown during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. The Cardinals finished the season ranked No. 23.

Neu's teams won five games in 2019 and 2022 and six in 2021 but failed to win more than four in any of his other five seasons. Ball State dropped to 3-7 with Tuesday's 51-48 loss at Buffalo, leaving Neu with a career mark of 40-63.

North Texas fires DC

DENTON, Texas — North Texas fired defensive coordinator Matt Caponi on Saturday, a day after the Mean Green allowed 681 total yards while losing their fourth consecutive game.

The Mean Green lost 48-27 at UTSA on Friday night. The Roadrunners became the fourth consecutive opponent to have a 150-yard rusher against them.

Caponi was in his second season as UNT's defensive coordinator. Linebacker coach Brian Odom was named interim defensive coordinator for the remainder of this season.

North Texas (5-5), which has to win one of its final two games for bowl eligibility, has allowed 159 points in its four-game losing streak. That is just under 40 points per game, and that even includes a 14-3 home loss to undefeated No. 16 Army last week.