Indiana University President Pam Whitten has been instrumental in the unprecedented rise of the football program.
Hired in 2021, Whitten has been cited regularly by IU coach Curt Cignetti as a key player in the alignment across the university that has allowed the football team to thrive.
“We’ve got a president that comes from the South that loves football,” Cignetti said Monday evening after his team’s 27-21 national championship win over Miami.
The following day, Whitten penned this letter to IU students, alumni, friends and family:
——————————————————————
President Whitten: An open letter to Hoosier nation
Dear Hoosier nation,
We did it. We now have 52 weeks to enjoy as reigning College Football Playoff National Champions.
We’ve just witnessed the culmination of a perfect football season that put the world on notice about Indiana University’s excellence.
This victory is one for all of us. Players lifting each other up. Coaches preparing with purpose. Staff working tirelessly behind the scenes. Fans showing up and staying loud from kickoff to the trophy presentation.
And this season, that’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from you. You’re part of this team. You break viewership and attendance records. You out-pride any other fan base. You understand that, as Coach Curt Cignetti said, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
We have the best athletics department in the country, thanks to Scott Dolson and his entire team. And we are National Champions thanks to Coach Curt Cignetti, his staff and our student-athletes with their relentless commitment to excellence.
Fernando became a Hoosier legend. From D’Angelo to Mikail, Elijah, Omar and Charlie, our players — the entire team — delivered unforgettable moment after unforgettable moment. And the likes of Pat and Aiden offered a masterclass in leadership and hard work that was pure joy to watch.
Whether you’ve had season tickets for decades or are our newest fans, you showed up in droves, clad in cream and crimson. Young and old, you carried IU to the very top of college football. And you’ve earned the right to tell your children and grandchildren the story of this run — time and time again for years to come.
But while football has been center stage, it is just the tip of the iceberg of IU’s excellence. At IU, our faculty, staff, and most importantly, our students are constantly pursuing championship-caliber success. They reach the top of their professions, shape industries, advance knowledge, and change lives.
To the world’s largest living alumni-base and the best flippin’ fans in the nation: Thank you. Thank you for your commitment, for believing, and for reminding the world what it means to be a Hoosier.
Make no mistake — we are just getting started.
Go IU!
Pam
Pamela Whitten
President, Indiana University
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
