715 defeats. That’s IU’s unfortunate record for the most losses of any program in NCAA Division I history before entering the 2025 season. But by the end of it, everything flipped, and the journey from those defeats to a national championship was built on a strategic approach. Now, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has opened up about the secret weapon behind that success.

“I’ve never practiced 15 times in the spring yet and never practiced 25 times in fall camp. But we’ll get enough done in 13 days,” Cignetti said during his Wednesday appearance on The Triple Option podcast with Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, and Mark Ingram II.

Not using the maximum of 15 on-field practice sessions over a 34-day window, and even dialing back during preseason camp, signals that the IU coach focused on keeping his players fresh and healthy. That approach left the Hoosiers ready to go with maximum efficiency, which seems to be the secret behind their huge rise this past season.

Interestingly, Curt Cignetti understood that early, and the program made history with an unbeaten 16–0 record, becoming only the second team in modern FBS history, matching the 1894 Yale University Bulldogs. On top of that, Indiana won its first-ever B1G title since 1945 and its first-ever Heisman Trophy this past season.

Now, getting all of this done in a single season, despite having depth issues, clearly shows that Cignetti’s approach worked.

“I’ve never had a team that had enough depth,” added Cignetti.

That lack of depth was especially evident at safety. While Bryson Bonds went down with a knee injury, freshman Byron Baldwin Jr. lost valuable early time to a nagging issue. Then, starter Louis Moore was stuck in a season-long eligibility battle.

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Just like that, for long stretches, the Hoosiers leaned almost entirely on Devan Boykin and Amare Ferrell. Despite all of that, what stands out is that Cignetti made this historic run possible in just two seasons at Indiana. Over two seasons, he owns a 6–2 record against top-10 teams, with statement wins over OSU, Illinois, Oregon (twice), Miami, and Alabama, while only Notre Dame and OSU have slowed him down.

However, Cignetti’s recruiting efforts to build a title-winning roster took a hit from the NIL landscape. The coach believes recruiting through the transfer portal is preferable to high school recruiting. Still, in this modern era, tampering has become an issue.

Curt Cignetti makes an alarming confession on tampering

While tampering has become the transfer portal’s dirtiest word, Curt Cignetti didn’t dodge the topic when Urban Meyer asked him about tampering on The Triple Option podcast.

“We had a guy last year offered $1 million, and you’d be shocked at the school,” said Cignetti. “It’s gone on this year. Guys walk in my office and talk to me, and it’s tough, man. It’s hard.”

Then, he pointed to agents flooding phones and pushing deals everywhere: “How are you supposed to pay those guys? We try to do it the right way, but it’s tough.”

Cignetti’s words clearly suggest that NIL has changed the CFB landscape, and at times, that shift has stung schools. While recruiting takes effort, the lure of money is the only real concern for the Hoosiers’ head coach. This is nothing new, as Miami continues to find itself at the center of the noise.

The Hurricanes were dragged into a legal fight after landing defensive back Xavier Lucas, who had signed NIL extensions at Wisconsin before entering the portal. Now, while Indiana hasn’t been accused of tampering, Cignetti has mastered the portal game.

In three cycles, the 64-year-old has brought in 71 transfers, turning IU into a fast-rising force. Even after a national title, the Hoosiers didn’t slow down, and surely, this year’s class is smaller, just 17 players, but it packs a punch with players like Nick Marsh, Josh Hoover, and Turbo Richard.

For its 2026 transfer class, On3’s Team Transfer Portal Index currently ranks IU No. 1 overall. And it remains to be seen how the program performs under Curt Cignetti in the 2026 season.