New Indiana University Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti completes his first coaching staff
Pending final confirmation, Curt Cignetti’s 10-man assistant-coaching staff is complete. It’s been less than a week since Cignetti was announced as Indiana’s head football coach. Replacing Tom Allen, Cignetti opted to bring a strong contingent of assistants with him from James Madison. He retained one member of Allen’s staff and pulled the balance from varied backgrounds. His Offensive/Special Teams Staff will include Mike Shanahan, OC/WRs, Tino Sunseri, QBs, John Miller, RBs, Grant Cain, STC/TEs, and Bob Bostad, OL. Cignetti pulled most heavily from his time in Harrisonburg on this side of the ball. Shanahan, Sunseri, Miller and Cain are all presently expected to reprise their roles from the crossover. Cain will handle special teams, as well as tight ends. Bostad is Cignetti’s lone holdover from Allen’s last staff.
His Defensive team staff includes Bryant Haines, DC/LBs, Pat Kuntz, DL/DTs, Buddha Williams, DL/DEs, Ola Adams, S and Rod Ojong, CBs. Cignetti brought two assistants with him from James Madison on defense. Bryant Haines was a Broyles Award semifinalist last season, while Kuntz oversaw the most statistically disruptive line in the Sun Belt in 2023. Kuntz will share responsibilities along that line at Indiana with Buddha Williams, who coached defensive line at Colorado State previously. Adams comes from Penn State, where he was an analyst and marshaled the Nittany Lions’ analytics. Adams also served for multiple seasons as Villanova’s defensive coordinator, before accepting an assistant-coaching position with the Denver Broncos. He’ll work with Rod Ojong, who comes to IU from Charlotte to coach corners. Ojong spent time at Buffalo before that, and he’s been a graduate assistant at North Carolina, and an analyst at Georgia, with FCS stops mixed in. Derek Owings, who served as director of strength and conditioning under Cignetti at JMU, will hold the same position in Bloomington. Further strength staff have not yet been confirmed.
Indiana University Football Wide Receiver Cam Camper enters the transfer portal
Cam Camper becomes the 25th Indiana University Football player to enter the transfer portal after Indiana announced the firing of coach Tom Allen on Nov. 26. Camper transferred to Indiana before the 2022 season after beginning his career at Trinity Valley Community College. He led the Hoosiers with 569 receiving yards in 2022, despite tearing his ACL in his seventh game. Camper logged 285 receiving yards across six games in 2023 before undergoing another knee surgery.
There are six high school players that have decommitted from Indiana since the coaching change. They are Long Snapper Alan Soukup, Wide Receiver Jeremy Bell Jr., Quarterback Timothy Carpenter, Cornerback Judah Jenkins, Athlete Javier Etheridge and Defensive End Shamar Meikle. Left Guard Mike Katic has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and eight players are out of eligibility.
Indiana University Wrestling Hosts Central Michigan Saturday afternoon
Indiana Wrestling is set to compete back in Bloomington this weekend when it hosts Central Michigan on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Wilkinson Hall. This will be the first dual between the Hoosiers and Chippewas since 1997. Central Michigan enters Saturday’s dual with an 0-3 record but have lost to three good squads in No. 21 Oklahoma, No. 22 North Carolina and Illinois. The Chippewas boast three ranked wrestlers in their lineup, including: No. 16 Corbyn Munson (149), No. 23 Johnny Lovett (157) and No. 18 Alex Cramer (174). All three of them were national qualifiers last season with Lovett and Cramer each recording one win at NCAAs. This season, the trio owns a combined 16-4 record in the season’s early window. In addition to them, Central Michigan retains a lot of experience, as it returned five other starters from a year ago in Sean Spidle (125), Vince Perez (133), Tracy Hubbard (165), Cameron Wood (197) and Bryan Caves (285). Last year’s team finished second at the MAC Championships and only fell short from a title by 2.5 team points.
Central Michigan head coach Tom Borrelli is in his 33rd season leading the Chippewas. In his tenure, Borrelli has amassed many accolades. His achievements include 14 MAC Championships first-place finishes, 15 MAC regular season titles and he has been named MAC Coach of the Year 14 times. He was named the conference’s coach of the year as recent as last season. Borrrelli owns a career 406-196 record as a head coach (360-171 at CMU). He ranks second behind only Oklahoma State’s John Smith for most dual victories for active Division I coaches. He has coached one national champion, 45 All-Americans, 92 MAC champions and 10 MAC Wrestler of the Year honorees. In 1998, he was named the National Coach of the Year by the NWCA and Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.).
The Hoosiers continue to elevate the level of the program’s standard for success with a consistent total of six wrestlers throughout the year who are in the national rankings. Of the six, three of them are ranked in the top-ten of their weight class. The ranked Hoosiers are No. 27 Danny Fongaro (141), No. 13 Garaham Rooks (149), No. 19 Brayton Lee (157), No. 9 Derek Gilcher (165), No. 10 DJ Washington (174) and No. 31 Nick Willham (285). Gilcher and Washington both currently hold undefeated records.
Indiana had a tight and thrilling dual match with the Princeton Tigers last weekend. After commanding an 11-3 lead early on, the Hoosiers would have to dig deep in its final two matches to secure an 18-15 win. Down 15-11 with bouts at 133 and 141 lbs. remaining, graduate students Cayden Rooks (133) and No. 27 Dan Fongaro (141) got the job done for the Hoosiers. Rooks defeated Sean Pierson by decision, 8-3, to make it a 15-14 match. Fongaro, a New Jersey native, excelled in his home state, winning over Tyler Vazquez by major decision, 15-2, and gave Indiana the dual victory. Earlier in the match, DJ Washington (174) had another standout performance, winning by tech fall over Mikey Squires, 19-3 (3:59).
2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Tickets go on sale today
All-session tickets for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT this morning. The Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. will host the tournament March 6-10, marking the second year in a row the tournament will be played in the Twin Cities. The Target Center is home to the four-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx and the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Tickets will be available at the Target Center box office or online at AXS.com.
For the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, fans can purchase all-session tickets at $75 for general admission seating. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets at $115 within their university’s reserved fan block are encouraged to contact their school’s ticket office. All ticket packages are subject to AXS and facility fees. Tickets will also be available through TicketSmarter: The Official Secondary Ticket Resale Marketplace of the Big Ten Conference. Suites and premium seating are available for purchase at the Target Center. For more information on suite and premium seating availability, please contact Minnesota Sports and Events (groupsales@mnsportsandevents.org). Fans looking to elevate their experience with VIP Ticket Packages, including courtside seating, should contact REVELxp by calling (317) 207-5360 or emailing BigTen@revelxp.com.
2024 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Tickets go on sale today
All-session tickets for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. (ET)/10 a.m. (CT) this morning. The Target Center in Minneapolis will play host to the tournament March 13-17, marking the first time in the tournament’s 27-year history that it will be played in Minneapolis. The Target Center is home to the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Lower-level tickets for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Tournament may be purchased through the 14 Big Ten university ticket offices and schools should be contacted directly for on-campus sale dates. General public tickets will be available at the Target Center box office or online at AXS.com.
General public tickets for the tournament will be available for all sessions. All-session tickets for the 100 level are available through the Big Ten university ticket offices for $480. All-session tickets in the 200 level will range from $350-$400 based on location. All ticket packages are subject to AXS and facility fees. All seating for Session 1 on Wednesday, March 13 is general admission. All other days/sessions are reserved seating. The 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament continues to feature a discounted student ticket program. For the 2024 event, students of Big Ten universities may purchase tickets for $25, good for only the session or sessions featuring their school. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating is available in the 200 level and orders are limited to one ticket per student. Details on the discounted student ticket program have been sent to the university ticket offices for distribution directly to students.
Tickets will also be available through TicketSmarter: The Official Secondary Ticket Resale Marketplace of the Big Ten Conference. In addition, suites and premium seating are available for purchase at the Target Center. For information on all-inclusive premium offerings, please contact groupsales@mnsportsandevents.org at Minnesota Sports and Events. Fans looking to elevate their experience with VIP Ticket Packages or large group hospitality should contact REVELxp by calling 317-207-5360 or emailing BigTen@revelxp.com. In addition, fans are encouraged to visit the official Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament web site (bigten.org/MBBT) and follow Big Ten Men’s Basketball on X (formerly Twitter) (@B1GMBBall) throughout the 2023-24 season for more information.
Indianapolis to get a Pro Volleyball Team in 2025
The premier women’s volleyball league has announced the addition of Indianapolis as the tenth market for the League. The team will begin competition in the 2025 season. The Pro Volleyball Federation has stated that Indiana has become known as the “national volleyball hot bed.” There are more than 4,300 high school players taking the courts throughout the state. It is one of the most popular female sports in Indiana, with more than 3,500 girls playing club volleyball in the greater Indianapolis area.
Patrick Talty, President of Indiana Sports Corp. boasted that, “We are thrilled that Indianapolis is the next market to join real pro volleyball.” Talty also explained the current state of Indiana volleyball, “Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in our state and this is a fantastic opportunity to continue growing the sport. We are excited to welcome athletes and fans across the country to experience everything Indianapolis has to offer.” The Indianapolis team will soon make announcements related to its name, logo, coaching, executive staff, and playing venue. The Federation will begin play in Jan. 2024 with seven teams playing 24 matches, 12 at home and on the road. Indianapolis will join Dallas and Kansas City as teams that have begun operations in preparation for the 2025 season.
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