Curt Cignetti

The annual “Polar Plunge” — Special Olympics-Indiana’s main fundraising event — dates back to 2001. Groups from all over Indiana compete each year to out-fundraise each other, culminating in the annual plunge into the frigid water.

The Hoosier have added 11 players through the transfer portal for next season, including Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

One of the main reasons Cignetti was able to turn Indiana from an also-ran into a top-10 team in his first season was due to the transfer portal.

IU finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation and will play at Notre Dame Friday night in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoffs.

Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti is expecting a better performance by his team Friday against Notre Dame than in last month’s loss at Ohio State.

Cignetti took a team that won just three Big Ten games in the past three years and went 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference, tying for second with Penn State.

The 66-0 win over the rival Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington comes one week since IU’s only loss of the season, against Ohio State. Thousands of fans braved frigid temperatures to attend the nighttime game.

The new deal runs through Nov. 30, 2032, and is worth $8 million per year and includes an annual $1 million retention bonus.

The Hoosiers are 10-0 this season. This latest poll has the team up three places from No. 8 to No. 5.

With three games left in the regular season, IU’s football team has its best-ever record, 9-0. For players from the 1967 team, this season has been a thrilling and nostalgic ride.