2025 IUFB Season

[CSP]

NIL-- an incredible phenomenon 

[Hovadipo]

Mel Kiper (big huge idiot, but a loud one with a large platform) has Fernando in the top-5 of his first big board, according to him on ESPN radio this morning. That’s becoming a trend. 

[Lebowski]

5 hours ago, Pagoda said:

I know this isn't exactly want you want, but I've never seen a better source on where IUFB stands than this interview with Cig where he flat out says where we are going into this season.  This is probably as good as talking to Scott Dolson.  Cig is just a straight shooter.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/the-race-to-keep-up-with-40-million-rosters-is-shaking-college-football/

...

Thanks for sharing. I really wish the public had access to the true numbers. 

[str8baller]

On 10/8/2025 at 5:22 AM, Pagoda said:

Cig says the top teams are $40M NIL and rev share, which matches up with what a lot of other sources say (usually $40-45M is the high end quoted).  He even lists examples of these top spending programs, "Right now I understand that is Oregon, Ohio State, Texas. ... Texas Tech because of their oil money. I think Notre Dame's up there pretty good right now, too. Miami, of course."

On top of that you always have one or two teams who have a booster go all out in any given year. O$U was reported to be considerably higher than #2 last year. I don’t know where UM was the year before but that one billionaire (Ellison maybe) reportedly shelled out like $3-5mil for their QB because his new girlfriend was a UM grad and wanted him too.  I had read somewhere that this might be Texas this year. 
 

So you could probably draw a distinct line between the top 5-10 and everyone else and then again between the top 1-2 spenders in any given year when an ultra- wealthy booster gets frisky. 

[Pagoda]

53 minutes ago, str8baller said:

On top of that you always have one or two teams who have a booster go all out in any given year. O$U was reported to be considerably higher than #2 last year. I don’t know where UM was the year before but that one billionaire (Ellison maybe) reportedly shelled out like $3-5mil for their QB because his new girlfriend was a UM grad and wanted him too.  I had read somewhere that this might be Texas this year. 

So you could probably draw a distinct line between the top 5-10 and everyone else and then again between the top 1-2 spenders in any given year when an ultra- wealthy booster gets frisky. 

Yea, well put, it's definitely fluid to some extent.  Cody Campbell is the latest frisky donor.  Word is he's got to pay a premium to get top kids to Lubbock -- not surprising.  And he is doing that.  And it seems to be working.  

Just for the heck of it, I made a list of top roster spend programs.  This is a total eyeball/finger in the wind list, and there is no way it's actually right, but the point is how easy it is to list 20 programs that definitely spend big money (how they exactly rank who knows).

Top Tier (3): Texas, Oregon, OSU
Also Top Tier or Close to It (9): Michigan, Georgia, Miami, Alabama, TAMU, LSU, ND, Tennessee, TTU
Second Tier, Still Big Spenders (9): Auburn, Florida, PSU, FSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, Clemson

There's 21.  CFB is so competitive.

Then there are a ton of schools in some sort of third tier that still spend some pretty serious money, some examples are: Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Carolina, Mizzou, etc.   This is the tier I think IU is trying and starting to break into going into 2026.

Anyways, spend this and spend that, IU is somehow competing with the big boys at the moment!

[Pagoda]

The Wall St. Journal!

 

The media coverage IU gets from being good at football is unprecedented for the school and program.

Here is the link, it’s paywalled unfortunately, but here it is anyway: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/fernando-mendoza-indiana-cal-2bd2445e

[Lebowski]

1 hour ago, Pagoda said:

The Wall St. Journal!

 

The media coverage IU gets from being good at football is unprecedented for the school and program.

Here is the link, it’s paywalled unfortunately, but here it is anyway: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/fernando-mendoza-indiana-cal-2bd2445e

It's freakin' awesome no doubt. I do recall IUFB getting some media coverage during the days of AT carrying the rock during his Heisman run. I don't know if it's all up in your face like it is today but we also didn't have access to the internet back in those days like we do today. Bottom line, coaching matters. 

[TheWatShot]

Kennesaw State is 4-2 after beating Louisiana Tech 35-7. 

[OliviaPope40]

On 10/9/2025 at 8:30 AM, Pagoda said:

The Wall St. Journal!

 

The media coverage IU gets from being good at football is unprecedented for the school and program.

Here is the link, it’s paywalled unfortunately, but here it is anyway: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/fernando-mendoza-indiana-cal-2bd2445e

I read that on the way home last night while being delayed waiting on a plane.

[southsidehoosier]

 

[Pagoda]

Another enjoyable read.  Maybe others knew this, but Cuban is a bit more involved than I thought, which is great.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/indiana-football-mark-cuban-curt-cignetti-success-nil-revenue-sharing/

[cthomas]

3 hours ago, Pagoda said:

Another enjoyable read.  Maybe others knew this, but Cuban is a bit more involved than I thought, which is great.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/indiana-football-mark-cuban-curt-cignetti-success-nil-revenue-sharing/

For as long as I can remember, I have been a basketball first guy. At this point, I hope we do everything we can to give Cignetti what he wants to build this program. Football, since Coach Cig arrived, is the most fun I have had in a very long time. I love the way Cig's teams play. The precision that they play with reminds me of the best CBK basketball teams. Poetry in motion. Football played well is a beautiful thing.

[Lebowski]

Game 6 in the books. IUFB 30 Oregon 20

The D. That is all.  

Bowl eligibility. 

Next game: Old Brass Spittoon

[AZ Hoosier]

For as long as I can remember, I have been a basketball first guy. At this point, I hope we do everything we can to give Cignetti what he wants to build this program. Football, since Coach Cig arrived, is the most fun I have had in a very long time. I love the way Cig's teams play. The precision that they play with reminds me of the best CBK basketball teams. Poetry in motion. Football played well is a beautiful thing.

I heard the announcers say that usually at this point of the season, IU fans are donning their basketball jerseys. It’s been true for many/most of us for years. And look at us now… BOTH/ AND!!!

[Pagoda]

[Pagoda]

A few observations:

Our odds to make the playoff went from -115 (53% chance) before Oregon to -2000 (95%) after.

I didn’t track this until now, but we are now +200 (33%) to win the B1G Championship game.  OSU is -155 (61%).

Wild stuff.

Of course we have a lot of football left to play and nothing is a given, but these are just what the old betting markets are saying.

[LIHoosier]

Top Three-diana in the coaches poll, one 1st place vote...has to be a first for us

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/ncaaf/coaches-poll

[Stuhoo]

1 minute ago, LIHoosier said:

Top Three-diana in the coaches poll

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/ncaaf/coaches-poll

Holy guacamole…

The Indiana Football Hoosiers just got a FIRST PLACE VOTE in the coaches poll after week 6.

Good god.

[J34]

[Doctor Jones]

15 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Holy guacamole…

The Indiana Football Hoosiers just got a FIRST PLACE VOTE in the coaches poll after week 6.

Good god.

I see Cig is one of the voters.  Are you allowed to vote for your own team or did we get that vote from Lanning?