BLOOMINGTON — With three teams ranked in the top 25 this week, Indiana University Athletics is thriving and the reasoning may be centered around NIL.
"The way things have turned out has just been even better than we ever expected, and it's been so fun," explained Indiana University Director of Athletics Scott Dolson when asked about the 10-0 start to the 2024 Indiana Football season.
“We talk about winning a lot, not just because it's great for IU and it's great for our brand and all that, but it's more importantly, great for our student-athletes,” Dolson added.
Dolson was quick to give credit to first-year head coach Curt Cignetti for the team's first 10-win season in school history.
"We knew that Cignetti was, we felt, a perfect fit for us. We felt like we had an opportunity to hit the ground running. Particularly as he started, he hit the ground sprinting, and so we had a lot of positive momentum from the start," said Dolson.
He says much of Cignetti's early success has been thanks to the school's rampant NIL fund.
"Coach Cignetti would not be here if we didn't have a robust NIL program. That's just because you have to have the resources to be able to win. As good as he is, he needs those resources as well," Dolson explained. “The NIL opportunity for us has enabled us to really level the playing field around the country.”
Tyler Harris is the Executive Director of Hoosiers Connect, the official NIL collective of Indiana University athletics.
WATCH | WRTV's Griffin Gonzalez sat down with Scott Dolson
“College athletics is a very competitive industry. And NIL has become no different," Harris said. "NIL is so important to attract talent, to retain talent, and to keep people here who we want."
Harris says the collective can support athletes throughout their NCAA eligibility.
"People are starting to believe that this is a way we can stay competitive, but support our student-athletes to give them a head start in life. Some of these student-athletes here at IU are paying for school, for example, and they can supplement their educational classes with NIL," Harris said.
Both Dolson and Harris agreed that Hoosiers Connect allows athletes to profit off their likeness and serve as community leaders.
"For the most part, our athletes are being very smart with their money and doing some great things," said Harris. "These athletes are taking care of their families, their loved ones, but also giving them to our community."
WRTV asked Dolson about the future of the Indiana Football program following the 10-0 start and whether or not the University would invest the resources necessary to keep Cignetti long-term.
"We don't want this to be able to hit wonder in any way, shape, or form," Dolson said. "The reason Cignetti came here is because he knew from President Whitten, myself, and our entire university, that we're committed to building a winning program here, a consistent program that can compete in the best football conference in the country. We're going to continue to make certain that we provide those resources in every way possible for our program to continue to hopefully have seasons like this again."
Indiana is on bye this week and is set to play Ohio State on Fox on Saturday, October 23.
