MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Mark Cuban understands what this moment means for , probably more than most.
Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur, is a minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He knows what winning looks like. Knows what 鈥� and how long 鈥� it takes to build a successful program. As an Indiana alum 鈥� he graduated from the business school in 1981 鈥� he also has watched its rapid rise from one of the most unsuccessful programs in college football history to the brink of a national title.
Cuban has poured millions into his alma mater over the years, long before , including a $5 million donation in 2015 for a sports media center. Recently, Cuban has become a significant donor for the football program and earlier this year told Front Office Sports he has donated more money for the .
Those donations were intended to help build the Hoosiers into a title contender, but even Cuban couldn’t foresee a rise this dramatic. Indiana will enter as the No. 1 team in the country looking to build on its best season in program history.
鈥淚鈥檝e literally had Centenarians tell me how unimaginable this has been,鈥� Cuban said via email. 鈥淧layers on the ’68 Rose Bowl team tell me the same thing. It鈥檚 just all unreal.鈥�
At a time in college football when name, image and likeness and the transfer portal dominate the landscape, Cuban’s support for the Hoosiers shows how the right financial backing 鈥� and an institution’s ability to attract the right celebrities and deep-pocketed alumni 鈥� can help alter a program’s trajectory.
鈥淚t takes a village. It takes money,鈥� Cignetti said Saturday. “But it鈥檚 not all about money. We鈥檝e got a lot of alums, a lot of rich alums. Mark Cuban is a very visible guy. … We kind of hit it off right off the bat. He鈥檚 got instant recognition, which only helps.鈥�
Cuban has voiced his support for the team over the years and watched up close at the to punch its ticket to the national championship. He has enjoyed the up-close ride but made it clear that simply getting to the title game isn’t the goal.
鈥淎n appearance is fun. It鈥檚 been an amazing run,鈥� Cuban said. 鈥淎s someone who has lost (two) NBA Finals and won one, I can tell you losing hurts a lot more than winning is fun.鈥�
The Hoosiers haven’t given any indication they’re done winning, though.
They’re 26-2 since Cignetti took over and have gone 15-0 this year, earning their first No. 1 ranking in school history. Last month they in nearly half a century. They’ve beaten (38-3) and (56-22) in the CFP by an average of 34.5 points.
Part of that success can be credited to the Hoosiers’ Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has thrown 41 touchdowns this season and has completed 31 of 36 passes in the playoff.
Part is because of their defense, which has been among the nation’s stingiest all season.
But a huge factor in the Hoosiers’ success is their measured, blunt-spoken head coach Cignetti, who is the first back-to-back
鈥淗e is CigGPT,鈥� Cuban said. 鈥淗e and (athletic director) Scott Dolson have redefined how to build a winning team in the NIL era. To IU fans this is everything.”
Cignetti returned the praise to Indiana’s biggest donor. He and Cuban are three years apart in age and were born in the same hospital in western Pennsylvania.
“If Mark Cuban wanted to give $10 million, that would be like me donating $10,000,” Cignetti said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e glad that he鈥檚 involved. If he keeps doubling his donation, it鈥檒l be big one day.鈥�
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