The Indiana Hoosiers have taken the college football world by storm this season. Undefeated with a 7-0 record, they have emerged as one of the most unexpected contenders. Head coach Curt Cignetti has brought about an incredible shift in Bloomington since taking the helm last season. Despite the positive momentum around the team, he is also keeping the future of the program in mind.

The Hoosiers take on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 25, in what promises to be one of the most interesting matchups of the season. While Indiana is in red-hot form, the Bruins have strung three wins in a row after a dismal 0-4 start. As it turns out, a couple of key prospects will also be in attendance for the game.

According to On3/Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, the Hoosiers will host former Penn State commit Lavar Keys and Bolingbrook (Ill.) High’s TJ Lewis. Indiana is reportedly pushing for Keys, battling Maryland to secure his commitment. Ahead of the visit, the Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha receiver said, “Love the winning culture over there! And I love the coaches. They make me feel wanted!”

While Keys is a 3-star wide receiver from the class of 2026, Lewis is seen as a talented class of 2027 prospect. This will be the running back’s second visit to Bloomington this fall. That said, there are other talented class of 2027 prospects also expected to be present.

The list of prospects with Indiana on their radar includes Lilburn (Ga.) Brookwood safety Julian Elzy, Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side receiver Maalik Moore and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco’s Jailen Hill, among others. Notably, Saturday’s Big Noon Kickoff between Indiana and UCLA will be aired on Fox Sports.

Indiana set to pocket $80 million via new media rights deal

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has been key in changing the Hoosiers’ fortunes. From a side that held a 9-27 overall record in the three seasons before his arrival, to bona fide contenders in 2025, it has been quite the makeover. At the same time, one has to admit that Cignetti’s reputation and influence are not the only factors in Indiana’s success. Their ability to shell out big money in NIL deals and upgrades to training facilities has added to their appeal as well.

Even Cignetti has admitted on multiple occasions that the financial situation in the Big Ten was a notable factor when Indiana came calling in 2023. As  Steve Berkowitz of USA Today highlighted earlier this year, the conference distributed approximately $63.2 million each to 12 of its longest-tenured schools in 2023-24. Which means, aside from the $75 million from the last fiscal year, IU is likely to bag north of $80 million in 2025-26.

This has been made possible owing to the Big Ten’s seven-year media rights agreement with Fox, CBS, and NBC. The deal is set to run from 2023 to the end of the 2029-30 athletic year and will reportedly bring in more than $7 billion to the conference. The media rights deal was also made possible by the addition of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the league.

Thus, a winning culture and the ability to dip into the transfer portal have benefited Indiana well. Players want to win and are tempted by the possibility of earning well while doing it. As it stands, the Hoosiers are shaping up to be a side that can make both of those things happen.