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🇺🇸 United States /Sports

Indiana Hoosiers complete epic turnaround, win first CFP National Championship

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Indiana University's football program, historically the losingest in major college football, achieved an undefeated season and won the CFP National Championship.
  • Coach Curt Cignetti's strategy focused on recruiting productive players through the transfer portal, valuing demonstrated performance over potential.
  • Players, including former linebacker Aiden Fisher, credit the team's turnaround to Cignetti's coaching and a "chip on our shoulder" mindset from being overlooked.

Indiana University's football team has completed an unprecedented turnaround, finishing their season undefeated and securing the first College Football Playoff National Championship in the program's history. This remarkable achievement marks a significant shift for a team that had long been known as the losingest in major college football, having accumulated over 700 losses.

Coach Cig.

— Aiden FisherFisher's concise summary of what's behind the team's winning streak.

Head coach Curt Cignetti is widely credited with orchestrating this dramatic transformation. His strategy involved leveraging the transfer portal to recruit players who demonstrated consistent production over multiple seasons. "I think when you see a guy that's been productive for two to three years, it tells you a lot about his discipline, commitment, work ethic, perseverance, ability to stick with things, and stay on the field," Cignetti explained.

The people [coach Curt Cignetti] brought in have been phenomenal. They want to see Indiana as a winning program.

— Aiden FisherFisher's praise for the coaching staff and their impact on the program's ambition.

Players like former linebacker Aiden Fisher, who transferred to Indiana, attribute the team's success to Cignetti and the mindset of the recruited players. Fisher noted that many players joined the team with a "chip on our shoulder" from being overlooked by other programs. "The chip on our shoulder that we weren't wanted… we're never going to face a team that ever recruited me," Fisher said, highlighting a shared determination to prove doubters wrong.

I think when you see a guy that's been productive for two to three years, it tells you a lot about his discipline, commitment, work ethic, perseverance, ability to stick with things, and stay on the field.

— Curt CignettiCignetti explaining his philosophy of valuing 'production over potential' in player recruitment.

The shift in campus atmosphere is palpable. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza described the change from a time when players were largely unrecognized to an environment now filled with excitement and anticipation for the team's future. The Hoosiers' success has revitalized the program and generated significant enthusiasm among students and fans.

It's basically free agency. And so, you can add and subtract from your roster pretty quickly.

— Curt CignettiCignetti on the impact of NCAA rule changes allowing immediate transfers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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