"Shortly after the Cubs began celebrating the 10th anniversary of the longest title drought in professional sports, the Indiana Hoosiers captured a national football title with the first 16-0 record in modern history. With all due respect to those who said the Cubs winning is all was the last great American sports story, I think Curt Cignetti and his team might have something to say about that."
"Both groups had a strong mix of veterans who had learned to win elsewhere and passed that down to younger players. Cignetti and Joe Maddon stood in the spotlight to keep it off their players and let them perform without undue pressure. It's also a little ironic that Mark Cuban, who was reportedly frozen out of MLB's boys club when he wanted to purchase the Cubs, was instrumental in filling IU's coffers with NIL funds."
The Indiana Hoosiers captured a national football title with a 16-0 record after entering the season as the losingest program and completing an improbable turnaround. Both the Hoosiers and the Cubs hired new leaders who immediately changed culture, combined veteran winners with young talent, and produced rapid early success culminating in championships. Curt Cignetti and Joe Maddon shielded players from excess pressure. Mark Cuban helped fill Indiana's coffers with NIL funds while Fernando Mendoza played in a Cuban-influenced city. The Cubs began mimicking Indiana's roster-building approach, including deferred salaries and prioritizing culture and leadership alongside statistics.
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