President Donald Trump has spent a variety of time occupied with the present state of faculty sports activities. There have been two-hour-long roundtables and government orders, all with the said purpose of fixing a system by which gamers can switch freely each season and the place there are few guidelines round identify, picture and likeness compensation and program spending.
Whereas Trump would possibly intention to vary school sports activities, on Monday, he hosted the soccer program that has capitalized on this new period essentially the most: Indiana, which visited the White Home to have fun its 2025 nationwide championship (the primary in program historical past) and 16-0 season. And he had some enjoyable with it, too.
“Who’s Curt? Curt Cignetti? The place is Curt Cignetti?” he joked, maybe a reference to the Indiana coach’s now-famous line of “I win. Google me.”
And whereas Trump repeated his criticism of the system, he acknowledged Cignetti’s prowess inside it.
“NIL, boy oh boy did the courts screw (that) up,” Trump mentioned. “That’s alright. No matter occurred, it appears to be working for you.”
Trump didn’t have to Google Cignetti earlier than Monday’s occasion. He attended Indiana’s 27-21 victory over Miami within the School Soccer Playoff Championship sport at Onerous Rock Stadium in Miami. The Hoosiers’ win accomplished one of many biggest turnaround tales in sports activities historical past. Till late within the season, Indiana had extra losses than some other program in school soccer historical past.
“I watched that sport. I watched these guys. They will play,” Trump mentioned of the Hoosiers, “They have been slightly underestimated … however they’re not underestimated anymore.”
The Hoosiers have climbed out of that gap due to Cignetti. He has gone 27-2 in two seasons at Indiana, taking the Hoosiers to the Playoff twice. Cignetti has benefited from Indiana devoting extra assets and spending on soccer than ever earlier than, each from an infrastructure and roster perspective, and by utilizing the switch portal, the place the Hoosiers have been in a position so as to add a number of standouts.
With Cignetti standing to Trump’s left on Monday, the president mentioned: “Curt Cignetti … I believe he’s the coach of the final decade. As a result of he took a group — no person knew him, no person knew the group — and he ended up taking this group all the best way. … He took over in 2023 following a extremely bleak 3-9 season and instantly set a tone that few individuals have seen, I believe, within the historical past of faculty soccer.”
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who grew to become Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner earlier than the Las Vegas Raiders made him the No. 1 choose within the NFL Draft, didn’t attend the ceremony, not too long ago saying that it interfered with Raiders group actions.
Trump highlighted another members of Indiana’s title group, like heart Pat Coogan, who was Offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl, and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.
“The place’s Pat?” Trump requested. “Oh, he’s at coaching camp. … 15 gamers in coaching camp. Wow.”
“The place’s D’Angelo?” Trump requested earlier than Cignetti and his gamers advised him Ponds was at coaching camp. “No marvel you gained.”
Indiana beat Ohio State for the Large Ten championship after which beat Alabama, Oregon and Miami throughout its Playoff run. These applications are all family names.
“You went by means of a variety of nice groups … and actual soccer powerhouses over time,” Trump mentioned. “ …. The coach I believe he’s simply unbelievable. I believe it’s an unbelievable story.”
When Trump requested Cignetti how his group could be this 12 months, Cignetti mentioned: “Effectively, we’ve bought an opportunity if we commit and if we have now self-discipline and a terrific work ethic and if we are able to deal with success and we are able to deal with failure and we’re constant day in, time out, we would have an opportunity.”
Indian opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 towards North Texas.
