Fourteen years after building the Dallas Mavericks into an NBA-championship winning franchise, billionaire entrepreneur and Indiana graduate Mark Cuban is helping a Big Ten college football team in its quest to win its first-ever national title.
Cuban, who graduated from the Indiana business school in 1981, has poured millions into his alma mater over the years, long before Curt Cignetti took over the football team in 2024 and made it a national contender.
It included 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 said he has donated more money for the current transfer cycle.
Those donations helped build the Hoosiers into a title contender and on Monday, Indiana, led by head coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza, will enter the College Football Playoff championship against Miami as the No. 1 team in the country looking to build on its best season in program history.
“I’ve literally had Centenarians tell me how unimaginable this has been,” Cuban said.
“Players on the ’68 Rose Bowl team tell me the same thing. It’s just all unreal.”
With the NIL era affecting college sports, Cuban’s support for the Hoosiers’ college football program shows that with the right financial backing, as well as Indiana’s ability to attract deep-pocketed alumni and the right celebrities, a transformation is possible and the Hoosiers are favorites to win Monday’s game.
Cignetti hails Cuban’s visibility
“It takes a village. It takes money,” Cignetti said. “But it’s not all about money. We’ve 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’s got instant recognition, which only helps.”
Cuban, who watched up close at the Peach Bowl when Indiana dominated Oregon to punch its ticket to the national championship, has enjoyed the up-close ride but made it clear that simply getting to the title game isn’t the goal.
“An appearance is fun. It’s been an amazing run,” Cuban said. “As someone who has lost (two) NBA Finals and won one, I can tell you losing hurts a lot more than winning is fun.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Liverpool news: Reds frustrated by Burnley at Anfield as pressure grows on Arne Slot
Hoosiers dominant in run to final
The Hoosiers have been 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 won their first Big Ten title in nearly half a century. Mendoza, who has thrown 41 touchdowns this season, led Indiana in steamrolling Alabama (38-3) and Oregon (56-22) in the CFP by an average of 34.5 points.
Their defense, which has been among the nation’s stingiest all season, can also take part of the credit, but a huge factor in the Hoosiers’ success is Cignetti, who is the first back-to-back AP coach of the year.
Cignetti and Cuban are three years apart in age and were born in the same hospital in western Pennsylvania. Additionally, the partnership can help the team reach its destination on Monday.
“If Mark Cuban wanted to give $10 million, that would be like me donating $10,000,” Cignetti said. “But we’re glad that he’s involved. If he keeps doubling his donation, it’ll be big one day.”
The Indiana-Miami College Football Playoff national championship game is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Hurricanes seek to win their sixth national title and first since 2001.
READ NEXT: NCAA amends transfer portal windows for Division I basketball, other sports
Adam Peaker 
Hyacinth Estrada 
Ian Trinidad