Overview
- TIME named Cignetti to its first TIME100 Sports list this week, placing him as the only college football coach included and highlighting his rapid rise at Indiana.
- The cover recognition follows Cignetti’s turnaround of Indiana from a 3-9 season before his 2023 hire to a perfect season and a national title in January.
- Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman and was taken No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, also appears on TIME’s list and helped amplify the program’s profile.
- Cignetti’s profile has crossed into commerce and pop culture through an EA Sports College Football 27 cover appearance and a Google search Easter egg celebrating the title.
- The surge in attention builds on Cignetti’s success at James Madison and is likely to boost Indiana’s recruiting, sponsorship and media opportunities by making the program more visible to recruits and fans.