People would literally throw a brick at your head and call you insane if three years ago you told them the Indiana Hoosiers, led by Curt Cignetti, would be whooping Alabama 38–3 for a semifinals spot. With their win over Alabama, Indiana is now forced to strike a new deal with Curt Cignetti just two months after signing his previous contract, all thanks to a “Good Faith Market Review” clause.

With the final whistle being blown, it looks like Indiana University is about to give head football coach Curt Cignetti a $750k bonus and a significant pay raise. Because of the team’s unprecedented success this season and reaching the College Football Playoff Semifinal, his salary is about to skyrocket to put him among the elite in college football coaching pay.

Honestly, even with the raise, it still appears to be a bargain for Indiana.

Cignetti’s contract has a specific “Good Faith Market Review” clause. Essentially, achieving a certain level of success, even like making it to the CFP Semifinal, forces Indiana to sit down and renegotiate its pay.

The goal of this negotiation is to ensure his annual salary is not less than the third-highest among all active college football head coaches nationwide. Currently, he is earning around $11.6 million a year, which is already a reasonable amount, but not quite top-three money yet.

To put this in perspective, here’s who Cignetti needs to match or beat. The current top dogs are Kirby Smart at Georgia ($13.28 million), Ryan Day at Ohio State ($12.58 million), and Lane Kiffin at LSU ($13 million). Cignetti is currently sitting just below Riley and Dabo Swinney. The new negotiations mean Indiana must increase its salary at least to match these figures.

The first thing the university needs to do is sit down with Curt Cignetti to strike a deal favoured by Cignetti. If the university fails to negotiate a new salary that meets that top-three threshold, the consequences are significant for the school.

A failure to agree would void Cignetti’s massive buyout clause, which currently sits at $15 million. This would allow him to simply walk away from Indiana for another job without the school getting any compensation. Must admit it’s a clever bit of contractual leverage laid out by his agent.

Beyond this review, Cignetti has already earned a stack of bonuses this season. It’s almost $1.875 million in extra cash for winning the Big Ten, making the CFP, and earning coach of the year awards. Now, he’s set to join the $12+ million club permanently. Solidifying his status as one of the best-paid coaches in the game.

However, the more important question is, can he lock in on that $2 million natty bonus?

Curt Cignetti’s way to natty and cashing in on $2 million bonus check

The chances of Cignetti cashing that check have surged now that Ohio State is officially out of the playoff bracket. The Buckeyes were one of the most dangerous hurdles remaining. Their elimination removes a perennial powerhouse that Indiana would have likely faced in the final rounds.

With them gone, the “road to the ring” for the No. 1-seeded Hoosiers is slightly lighter.

Right now, the Indiana Hoosiers are the overall favourite to win the whole national championship. Their current odds sit around +170. Against the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl semifinal, the bookies have Indiana favored to win. Next, they’ll need to handle either Georgia, Ole Miss, or Miami.

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They’re listed as a four-point favorite in most sportsbooks.

Additionally, Indiana had already beaten Oregon earlier this season in a Week 4 or Week 5 matchup. If Cignetti keeps this run going for two more games, he won’t just bring Indiana its first football national title. He’ll also trigger every maximum payout in his contract.

You can expect his bonus to increase from $ 700,000 to $2 million. Not bad for a state known for its basketball dominance.