And here now we have proof again that Cuban didn’t donate to IU athletics or NIL before…but he has now for the first time last December. It’s not before Cignetti won but the after when he took them to the playoffs and then believed his words…Google me I win.
Basically sounds like what I said…average resources but now after such a great year Cuban is jumping on board and revenue sharing is a big deal like I said it would be for most schools.
That initial team wasn’t “bought” with some 20M NIL funded by Cuban but like I said just guys following their coach like you see all over CFB.
From the article:
Mark Cuban enters the financial chat
Indiana football isn't one billionaire's plaything; it's an example of how the rev share era unlocks different ways for a properly-aligned and properly-coached institution, no matter their history, to become a reliable playoff contender.
However, having a billionaire around sure helps, and Indiana does in 1981 graduate Mark Cuban. Cuban has donated to his alma mater before, whether it's the $5 million gift to create a sports media and technology center or $6 million to IU's club rugby team.
But he had never donated directly to IU athletics until that Friday night in South Bend last December.
"I gave some to sports this year for the first time ever," Cuban told CBS Sports. "Typically, I was the exact opposite. I'm not a fan of anything that I believe raises tuition in the least bit. But after getting to talk to Cig and seeing what was going on, they kinda talked me into it.
Cuban declined to say how much he donated, but did say it was "a big number," and he didn't specify where the donation should go within the athletic department.
The fact that Cig has said I win everywhere I go, I didn't believe him, but he showed it against all odds, he proved that he was a true Yinzer," Cuban said. "He's a true blue collar guy who worked his way up. He worked for some great coaches, but he went through the grind. It was one step and then he won. Then another step up he won. Another step up he won. That's hardly heard of anywhere in college sports -- football or basketball, volleyball, baseball, whatever. He had a history of winning. And, you know, he had a bunch of **** to him. He's a Pittsburgh guy, and that's what I really like. Maybe if he wasn't a Pittsburgh guy, I might not have done it. But, you know, we had that connection."
Cignetti told Dolson if he had
average resources he could turn IU into a winner, a tall task for a program that had only had fleeting success and one top 25 finish since 1988.
Indiana football is poised to thrive in the new era of college football
www.cbssports.com