Mark Cuban is funding a surprising college football program

A somewhat surprising college football program has a billionaire benefactor in the form of Mark Cuban.

The former Dallas Mavericks owner confirmed that he donated to Indiana’s athletics program last year for the first time ever. Cuban graduated from Indiana in 1981, but he had previously donated money for on-campus projects, not to the athletic department.

 Mark Cuban comments on his donation

“I gave some to sports this year for the first time ever,” Cuban told Richard Johnson of CBS Sports. “Typically, I was the exact opposite. I’m not a fan of anything that I believe raises tuition in the least bit. But after getting to talk to (Curt Cignetti) and seeing what was going on, they kinda talked me into it.”

Cuban said he donated a “significant” number and chose to do so after meeting head coach Curt Cignetti during Indiana’s run to the College Football Playoff last season.

“He’s a true blue collar guy who worked his way up,” Cuban said. “He worked for some great coaches, but he went through the grind. It was one step and then he won. Then another step up he won. Another step up he won. That’s hardly heard of anywhere in college sports — football or basketball, volleyball, baseball, whatever. He had a history of winning.”

According to Forbes, Cuban has a net worth of $6 billion. If he intends to make donating to Indiana athletics a regular thing, they’re going to be in line for a lot of cash.

Cignetti revived Indiana’s football program almost immediately, leading them to an 11-2 record in his very first season. Some of that was undoubtedly down to his attitude, but he has kept the success going in his second season despite significant roster turnover. The Hoosiers might need Cuban to cover some of the coach’s salary if the winning continues.