Curt Cignetti’s iconic headset sets off auction mayhem

The Indiana Hoosiers made history on January 19 after winning their first-ever college football championship. Most credit goes to head coach Curt Cignetti, who led the team in an undefeated 16-0 run. 

As Hoosiers are done with making headlines, now fans want to honor Cignetti in a special way. To do that, someone put his game‑worn national championship headset up for auction on Bison Drop. And the bidding explosion it saw overnight caught everyone off guard. 

Curt Cignetti's championship headset sees overnight bidding explosion

Indiana will run the auction through February 8, with all proceeds directed toward NIL opportunities in partnership with Bison Drop, which works with athletes and coaches through official NIL agreements.

Some folks cast doubt on the headset's originality, but later it was confirmed that Cignetti's AT&T-branded headset comes with authentication documents. He wore it during the Hoosiers' 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes last week.

Just to recap, the 64-year-old coach transformed the program in two seasons. He went 27-2 overall after the program went 9-27 in the three years before his arrival. He even ditched the pro league coaching voicemail from Buffalo Bills  due to his target on Indiana’s National Title. 

So, fans are showering him with love through the headset bid, which has exploded from $4,000 to $11,500 in a few hours. Right now, it's quite hard to predict how much this headset's value will increase, since the bid will remain open for 12 more days. 

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza quarterbacked the championship team. The Miami native threw for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has no competition for being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

But for now, football fans are waiting for the Super Bowl, but Indiana fans will keep their eyes on this bid as well, because it will be a sure blast.

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• Google changes Curt Cignetti search results following Indiana’s CFP title win

• Ex-Indiana QB fires back after portrayal in CBS 60 Minutes interview