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Curt Cignetti, Head Coach of the Indiana Hoosiers watching game during a game between Alabama Crimson Tide and Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti has received numerous honors, especially after accomplishing the unthinkable by guiding the historically worst program in college football history to a 16-0 season and the National Championship.
The two-time National Coach of the Year has another honor.
During the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s World Baseball Championship Game between the United States and Venezuela on FOX, Cignetti was named honorary Pace Car driver for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
The 2026 Indy 500 is set for Sunday, May 24, with FOX’s live coverage kicking off at 10 a.m. ET.
“Coach Cignetti will have our field in a special victory lap formation as he leads the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series to the green flag at this year’s Indy 500,” IndyCar and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “His Hoosiers have been nothing short of remarkable, and their National Championship run inspired our entire state. He’s the perfect choice to drive the Chevrolet Pace Car, and I know his introduction on Race Day will bring out a special roar of appreciation from our crowd.”
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The Chevrolet Corvette pace car leads the field off the grid during the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jake Galstad/Lumen via Getty Images)
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Cignetti will drive the all-new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X – the most advanced Corvette ever, designed and built right here in the United States – to lead the field of 33 drivers to the start of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Exact Pace Car details, including the one-of-a-kind Indianapolis 500 livery, will be unveiled at a later date.
Curt Cignetti And Indiana Hoosiers Set The Pace In College Football
Cignetti and the Hoosiers have been on a meteoric and inspirational run following his announcement as head coach in December of 2023. This includes a nation’s-best 27 victories across two seasons, a pair of College Football Playoff appearances and IU’s first national title (2025-26).
Cignetti is the first-ever Division I head coach to start 8-0 or better in consecutive seasons at different institutions and the third ever to begin consecutive seasons at 10-0.
He is also just the third Big Ten head coach to start each of his first two seasons with at least an 8-0 record.
He won 14 of the 17 national coach of the year awards for which he was eligible in his first two seasons at Indiana. Cignetti is the first FBS coach to win consecutive national coach of the year awards from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press, ESPN Home Depot, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation.
Along with the national accolades, Cignetti is the first coach to win both the Hayes-Schembechler (coaches vote) and Dave McClain (media vote) Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in consecutive seasons in conference history.
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Head coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers hoists the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Curt Cignetti Joins Impressive List of Honorary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Drivers
Previous Indy 500 Pace Car drivers include Michael Strahan, Morgan Freeman, Jefrey Dean Morgan, Robin Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Ken Grifey Jr., Tyrese Haliburton and more esteemed Race Day guests.
FOX Sports is the exclusive home of all IndyCar action, with all 18 NTT IndyCar Series races set to broadcast on network television via FOX in 2026. This includes the world-famous Indianapolis 500, annually the largest single-day spectator sporting event on the globe. Coverage of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be extensive for fans across the country, with a six-hour Race Day window on FOX for the second consecutive year.
Tickets for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24 and all other Month of May events are available at IMS.com/Tickets or via the IMS Ticket Office.
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Head Coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on after the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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