Flip on the latest edition of EA Sports College Football 27, and you’re likely to be greeted by IU football coach Curt Cignetti.
“EA Sports. It’s in the game,” he says in the game intro, followed by a wink, with the IU fight song playing in the background.
Cignetti was also featured in a two-minute trailer ahead of the video game’s release this summer, and he’s on the cover of the Deluxe Edition of the game.
He has said he’s turned down plenty of endorsements and appearances since winning the national title. So what’s in the game for Cignetti and the IU football program?
Millions of eyeballs and ears.
The return of the game in 2025 brought in 6.5 million unique users in just a few months EA Sports reported at the time, and it remains one of the top-selling games in the nation. Most of the users are young, including potential recruiting prospects.
There are limits on how often coaches can speak to high school and transfer targets, but no limit on how often Cignetti can appear to them in the video game.
“That’s the reason we agreed to it. We thought it would be really good for the program, our brand, and recruiting because a lot of the guys play that game,” Cignetti told Pat McAfee. “So it was fun. It turned out well and so I’m glad we did it. It was good.”
The early returns are favorable.
Since news of Cignetti’s appearance on the cover first leaked in late May, Indiana has added six top-500 recruits, including the program’s first-ever 5-star, in-state receiver Monshun Sales.
EA Sports….@IndianaFootball football style pic.twitter.com/0dmxNLf3dM
— Matt Wilson (@MattWilsonDPP) June 29, 2026
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