IU didn’t become great because of NIL, though that will certainly help sustain it going forward.

Cignetti is an elite identifier of talent, player developer, and game day coach. When he arrived, he didn’t have anywhere near the level of resources (rev share or NIL) that the top of the Big Ten had - and he still doesn’t. (You can’t outspend OSU and Michigan.)

So, the lesson is about the importance of having a great coach, using the opportunity the portal gives you to quickly pivot your roster and then, over time, build a war chest that allows you to compete for 4 and 5 star players.

Congrats to IU.