Lebowski

Let's hope he signs and plays in the 812.

Don't let anyone tell you the reason IUFB has been so good is due to the NIL. He talks about taking a pay cut going to IUFB instead of UGA or Miami. We really have Alberto to thank for helping the decision process. Great interview overall and a wonderful look inside his process and current day to day.

"But so does Michigan and Ohio State!" - Coach Cig

Appreciate your link @Pagoda Thanks for sharing. I do know Coach Cig has said multiple times that he wouldn't have taken the job unless there was a guarantee IUFB would stay in the top 3rd of the conference regarding budget resources. He mentioned in his latest interview with Adam Breneman (I think it was this interview) that there was a set amount agreed upon prior to the hire but that changed within the first few months on the job and the top brass made adjustments to fulfill their promised obligation. I see the top 3rd rule giving the staff a competitive chance to retain and bring in proven talent. That was something the previous staff didn't have. As long as Pam Whitten is calling the shots IUFB will be competitive, FINALLY!!! lol. Since the 18 mil comment came from the employee directly responsible for allocating the budget of the whole department I'm taking that value as is. Whether or not he's lying to the media isn't something I am privy of. Regardless, the amount is closer to 15 mil and not 40 mil. It also stays within the top 3rd rule promised to Coach Cig. Regarding the 3-5x jump, that came out of Coach Cig's mouth during an interview. I don't recall where, maybe it was on BTN? I don't recall. And yes, it seems like an exaggeration but I'm going to take what he says at face value. I'm not privy to any of the market jump this year. However, I am somewhat privy to last year's market. It might be a jump specifically for IUFB? Because of the success? Or it might be an actual complete market jump? I don't have a clue but again, I'm taking Cig's word for it.

Good article by Mike Schumann explaining some of Coach Cigs recruiting philosophy and priorities. It links to an On3 article that is behind a paywall. https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/why-doesnt-iu-football-have-a-top-5-2027-recruiting-class-listen-to-curt-cignettis-words/ According to Schumann, in the On3 article Dolson said IUFB spent 18 mil on last year's roster and Coach Cig allocates a 45:45:10 ratio with the budget. 45% retainment, 45% transfer, and 10% high school recruits. With these ratios, last year's budget allocated 1.8 mil to 2026 high school recruits (22 total) averaging 81.8k per recruit. Or maybe that 10% was actually being counted to the 2025 high school recruits(23 total) averaging 78.2k per recruit. Regardless, that doesn't mean each recruit is getting paid that much, it just means that's the average per commitment. Factor in the market jumping 3 to 5 times from last year's market and you're looking at no less than around 235k (3x jump) per recruit for a signing class of 20+. At the lowest (3 times market jump) IUFB would of had to allocate around 30% of its budget from last year to sign high school recruits of that size. That means you don't sign folks like Fernando Mendoza or Pat Coogan. You can now start to see how this might be a cause for concern for IUFB and for most if not all of college football. I just don't see how this can be sustainable. The silver lining, coaching matters and those that sign out of high school have the potential to dip into that retainment allocation should they prove their value. And it absolutely fits the model of Coach Cig's mantra that everything is earned, not given. Does anyone know of a valuable resource/website that shows how some of the these NIL contracts are structured? For example, are they structured a lot like the pros where bonuses kick in for accomplishing certain milestones?

Sorsby and his supporting camp is learning just how bad he effed up. He committed the ultimate no no. Cincy's next. Hopefully an investigation takes place.

Welcome to IUFB prior to Pam Whitten. ;-)

247 On3

Yes, to the OL question. From what I understand any 4* signing to a P4 school is getting a substantial amount of cash. I see Rourke equivalent to Johnny Damon playing for the As and then signing with Red Sox. I think IUFB paid Rourke pretty well.

@Stuhoo, this is Moneyball work right here. LOL!

Coaching matters. Let's hope he signs and plays in the 812.

He does seem to have some blinders on and unable to see the forest for the trees. Hopefully the Big 12 conference humbled him a bit but in my experience this type of person doesn't understand the word humble. I will not be surprised if we see some sort of retaliation to members of the conference. I'm thinking he has Cincinnati marked with a bullseye.

It can be argued the Big 12 saved college football, for now. A "well oiled machine" (pun intended) stacking evidence, calling TTU's bluff, and ready to execute the rules established to not only the football program but the entire athletic department. Most importantly, it showed that the conference is bigger than some oil tycoon billionaire Chairman of the Board. And here's the thing, when the dust settles, TTU has a really good chance to win the conference. They never really needed Sorsby to begin with.

Appreciate you looking into it and doing the leg work. Looks like he's been well traveled in the Cincy area. Solid football is played in that city and the surrounding area.

From way way out in left field, committed to Michigan St.

It says he played for Lakota West last year. Is he playing there this year or is he playing at North College Hill?

Big Mac Bells Zeke OG *Slick All of them are or will be HOF inductees *Bobby Slick Leonard as a coach and I'm counting the ABA as part of his NBA career. I contemplated on whether I should have him at #1 overall because his career in the NBA was at all four levels (player, coach, exec, and media). Straight up legend and state of Indiana treasure. Hoosier through and through.

Tom Allen landed some talent but just never fully got the backing from the top. This directly relates to him unable to keep his staff intact. At one point, IUFB had the current HC and DC at Bama on staff. Ultimately, letting him go and hiring Coach Cig was the right move but at the time there were folks wondering why let him go let alone pay his massive buyout. At the time he was relatively successful for IUFB standards. So this doesn't surprise me in the least. It makes you wonder had that offense stayed intact when Coach Cig arrived just how good they might have been. The front 5 was meshing very well at the end of the 2023 season and looking very bright for the 2024 season. But losing Zach Carpenter, Kahlil Benson and Matthew Bedford really took a hit. Does that 2023 front five under Coach Cig handle O$U a little better? Who knows. But it does make you wonder. Did Benson and Louis Moore wonder as well? They came back and got their Natty in 2025.

Noah Renes is out. This guy gave me Fisher vibes. Bummed about it.

Bummer man, I wish him the best of luck.

That's market value. That's not what Moneyball is. Again, Moneyball is signing Hardy and him being a 0 star. We more than likely paid pennies on the dollar if anything at all for him. His market value changed based on performance and that will shift his value because it's safe to say he's not a 0 star.

That's not what Moneyball is though. Moneyball is a strategy used to build teams by identifying and signing 'undervalued' players based on 'advanced stats' rather than relying on traditional scouting. Your examples aren't undervalued players. All of them were/are ranked towards the top if not the top amongst their peers when they were offered or signed with IUFB. Folks like Drew Evans or Riley Nowakowski or Mario Landino or Rolijah Hardy were undervalued when they committed to IUFB and examples of Moneyball in the true sense of the word.

Emebodi is out.

Bummer man, I wish him the best of luck.

There's nothing Moneyball and/or cost effective about this. The market value jumped 3 to 5 times from last year according to Coach Cig. Coach Cig's brand alone and offer to a recruit jumps the recruit's market value. Whether IUFB is able to stay in the top 1/3 on spending is the bigger question and Coach Cig has sounded the alarms.