INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Mike Braun on Wednesday honored Indiana University football Coach Curt Cignetti with the 2026 Sachem Award, recognized as Indiana's highest honor.
Every member of the championship-winning Indiana Hoosiers Football team was also awarded with the Sagamore of the Wabash. The honor was accepted on behalf of the team by Coach Cignetti and IU President Pamela Whitten.
"Never daunted, Coach Curt Cignetti represented the state of Indiana on the national stage and showed the world that the Hoosier values of grit, perseverance, and no-excuses hard work are the way to victory," Governor Braun said. "I'm honoring Coach Cignetti with Indiana's highest award, and awarding the whole championship Hoosiers team with the Sagamore of the Wabash to celebrate their historic achievement for our state."
First Lady Maureen Braun, an Indiana University alumna, joined the Governor in presenting the award. She graduated from IU in 1976, the last time a Hoosiers team went undefeated.
The Sachem is one of Indiana's most prestigious awards, reserved for individuals who have profoundly shaped the state through character, leadership, and service. Only one award is presented per year, chosen personally by Indiana's Governor.
Cignetti led the Hoosiers to a historic undefeated 2025 season, putting Indiana football on the national map in a way the program had not seen in nearly five decades.
