Indiana’s history hits the auction block. The iconic headset that head coach Curt Cignetti wore while leading Indiana to its first-ever national championship with a perfect 16-0 record is now up for auction. Now, fans have a rare chance to bring home a piece of the Hoosiers’ legacy.

As per Front Office Sports reports, Curt Cignetti’s championship-winning headset is up for auction, holding a current bid of $4,000. The bids are taking place at Bison Drop, and the prices keep increasing within moments. The bid went up from $4,000 to $5,030 on the site. So, now with twelve days left in the auction, the price might go up really high.

The rapid rise is a result of Cignetti’s massive turnaround from a three-win 2023 season to an undefeated season. Bison Drop also offers other national championship memorabilia, which includes a game-used water bottle and several towels from the Hoosiers’ historic season.

Just like Curt Cignetti’s headset, even UNC head coach Bill Belichick’s Patriots headset, which he used during the first Super Bowl in 2018, was sold for $10,200. Even Tom Brady’s 2002 SI Super Bowl magazine was sold for $13,800 in March 2022. This shows how much game moments and things related to their favorite coach and players mean to fans.

Now, Indiana’s turnaround feels more special to fans because no coach from Lee Corso to Tom Allen could bring the kind of change that Cignetti brought. He didn’t rely on blue chippers; he got 13 of his JMU players with him, building the team’s backbone. His QB came in from Cal, and altogether they made a solid team.

One of his JMU players, linebacker Aiden Fisher, valued Cignetti’s mentorship too.

“Coach Cig changed my life,” Fisher said. “From a kid that felt like I was under-recruited, that I deserved more attention than I got. … The amount of confidence he built in me, the trust and belief he had in me — I mean, why would you leave that? When a coach cares that much about you and sees so much for your future.”

In his very first season, Cignetti took the Hoosiers to an 11-win season, marking the school’s first double-digit win season. They also earned the no. 10 seed in the playoffs and began 10-0, which made him the first Division I head coach to start with 10-0 in consecutive seasons at different schools after his stint at James Madison in 2023.

That success didn’t just make him a fan favorite but also got him a lifetime beer supply from Upland Brewing. Their win against Miami got him endless Hoosier Lagers. This shows how much this big turnaround means to the fans. Now, let’s keep our eyes on the bid for his headset, as their offense goes through a major transition.

Curt Cignetti faces offensive shakeups

Indiana is already taking a hit, losing their Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza to the NFL, and now another key playmaker, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., has also declared for the NFL draft, letting go of his final year of eligibility.

Losing Cooper is a massive blow for Indiana, as he stepped up and held them at a tough time. With top wideout Elijah Sarratt sidelined by injury, he turned into a playmaker for the team. His best performance came against Penn State when Cooper hauled in the game-winning TD.

He finished the season with 937 yards on 69 catches. He recorded 13 receiving touchdowns, which is the second most behind Sarratt. Now, with Cooper’s departure, Curt Cignetti got his troops ready.

Cignetti already acquired a pair of receivers in Nick Marsh and Shazz Preston. On top of that, they are also returning Charlie Becker and Tyler Morris next season. So, now it will be interesting to see how well the receivers gel with new QB Josh Hoover.