After winning the Indiana Hoosiers’ first-ever natty and backing his “Google me, I win” mantra, Curt Cignetti’s aura has become unparalleled. The word is, the Hoosiers’ head coach is officially taking a victory lap. In a move for Indiana sports, he has been named the honorary pace car driver for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

This has to be one of the greatest moments in college football-Indy crossover. It puts him right at the front of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The head honcho will lead a field of 33 world-class drivers to the green flag. This role is a major part of the pre-race tradition, which includes the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” and a flyover that always gets the crowd of over 300,000 people roaring with excitement.

Cignetti will be driving the all-new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, an American hypercar that is already being hailed as one of the most powerful production Corvettes ever made. It features an electrified all-wheel-drive system and a twin-turbo V8 engine that pumps out a staggering 1,250 horsepower. It’s quite capable of launching from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds.

Putting Cignetti in a 1,250-horsepower hypercar is honestly a fitting sight to witness. He took a sluggish rebuilding roster and pushed it from zero to a national championship at record speed. So, if anyone knows how to handle an aggressive, twin-turbocharged turnaround that leaves the competition in the dust, it’s Curt Cignetti.

Just like Tyrese Haliburton brought the playoff electricity back to the Fieldhouse, Curt Cignetti dragged Indiana football out of the basement and into the national spotlight. Both personalities injected a massive dose of swagger into a state that desperately craved a winner, making this pace car handoff feel nothing less than poetic. He follows in the footsteps of recent celebrity drivers like baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (2024) and NFL legend Michael Strahan (2025, besides Haliburton (2023).

This is a tradition that goes all the way back to the very first race in 1911. Cignetti is only the second coach ever to get the call, following Jim Harbaugh back in 2013. Needless to say, the 2026 race will be historic because it will be the first Indianapolis 500 broadcast by FOX Sports itself. The coverage starts at about 10:00 AM ET, and fans will see new camera angles and technology that make the race feel faster and closer.

After leading the opening laps, Curt Cignetti will head to the pits to watch the pros take over. But getting the keys to the pace car is just the latest piece of hardware in his rapidly expanding local trophy cabinet.

Curt Cignetti’s legendary honours beyond football

It’s one thing to be a legend after multiple decades of success, but becoming the biggest face of the state within 24 months is unheard of. The state of Indiana knows what it has. Earlier this month, around the 4th, Governor Mike Braun awarded Curt Cignetti the Sachem Award. This is actually the highest honor the state can give to a citizen.

He also received a prestigious title called a Sagamore of the Wabash. If you aren’t from Indiana, that sounds like a tongue-twister, but it’s actually a legendary service award that goes back decades. It’s a fancy name for a service award that governors give to people who have made a serious impact on Indiana life.

And honestly, you know you’ve truly ‘made it’ when people start making toys out of you. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum went all out and released a special talking bobblehead of him. This thing is a total fan favorite because it actually plays his now-legendary “Google me” quote from his very first press conference. It’s become a bit of a local catchphrase for being bold and backing it up.

With this, it’s safe to say, Curt Cignetti is the biggest celebrity in Indiana.