#big-ten

#big-ten

Indiana has reached a new eight-year contract with Curt Cignetti, which will make him one of the highest-paid football coaches in the FBS with an annual average salary of about $11.6 million, the university announced Thursday. Cignetti guided the Hoosiers to a 10-2 record and a surprising College Football Playoff appearance in his first season at the school in 2024. This season, the No. 3 Hoosiers are 6-0 heading into Saturday's game against Michigan State.

The two schools discussed their shared skepticism during the call. One sticking point: The deal doesn't address the root issue -- soaring costs -- that have made the need for cash so imperative for athletic departments. Just providing short-term money, sources said, does not solve that issue. The schools also noted pending federal legislation that makes predicting the future of college athletics difficult, as well as a general apprehension at selling equity in a university asset (the conference media rights).

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who left the Nittany Lions' stunning 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday, is out for the season, coach James Franklin said in his postgame media availability. Allar hobbled off the field after a third down play in the fourth quarter, and was eventually carted off to the locker room. He was replaced by Ethan Grunkemeyer. "Drew will be done for the year," Franklin said.

Especially to those who questioned whether the 2024 Hoosiers belonged in the College Football Playoff, despite the dominance displayed for most of the season. "[The media] controls all that stuff, I just got to get them ready and then we all play our games and see what shakes out at the end of the year," Cignetti said diplomatically.

"Do I want to play the game? Hell yeah, I want to play the game," Riley said. "It's one of the reasons I came here. But also, my allegiance and my loyalty is not to Notre Dame and not to anyone else. I'm the head coach of USC."

If we're going to do something monumental, do something monumental. Think outside the box. It's a very easy approach. ... We've all complained. The commissioner got up and complained. Coaches got up and complained about the selection process, which is understandable. It's a human system that has no standard of picking. There's going to be implicit bias. Why would we add more to that? I don't understand that.

SEC coaches favor adding one nonconference game against the Big Ten but need a partner to move forward with this scheduling agreement.

Katz's top-10 list showcases the increasing confidence in Purdue's roster, emphasizing their prospects for not just a successful season but a deep NCAA Tournament run.