From Worst to First: What Indiana Football Teaches Us About Ministry to Men

From worst to first. As improbable as it seemed, the Indiana Hoosiers have won the Big Ten, gone undefeated in the regular season, and now sit atop NCAA football.

 

As Area Director for Southern Indiana—and a lifelong Hoosier—I know many of you are celebrating with me. But even if you’re not an IU fan, or sports isn’t your thing, stick with me. There’s a bigger story here.

 

As my Man in the Mirror profile relays, I’m a Hoosier through and through. Raised to love IU (and, yes, despise PU), I’m a proud Indiana grad. And let’s be honest—Indiana’s always been a basketball school. Football? For most of our 127-year history, there’s been little to cheer about. In fact, until this year, IU football was the losingest program in NCAA history (that title now belongs to Northwestern).

 

But everything changed with Coach Curt Cignetti. The year before he arrived, IU finished dead last in the Big Ten. What happened next is more than a sports story—it’s a lesson in transformation.

 

Cignetti didn’t just bring a new playbook; he brought a new mindset. He saw the university’s commitment to invest, but more importantly, he challenged a culture content with mediocrity. For too long, “just making a bowl game” was sufficient. Cignetti set his sights higher—championships, not consolation prizes.

 

He refused to accept that IU football was doomed to irrelevance. He cast a vision that inspired belief, required intentional investment, and insisted on a process proven to build winners.

 

Sound familiar? In my work with churches across Southern Indiana, I see these same challenges. Too often, men’s ministry is an afterthought—resources go to “winning” programs like women’s and children’s ministry, while men are left wondering if church is really for them.

 

The result? Men who show up but don’t thrive. Many settle for mediocrity in their faith, lacking authentic brotherhood, spiritual vitality, and a sense of purpose. They feel stuck—at work, at home, in life.

 

But why does it have to be this way? If IU football can turn things around with intentional investment, a compelling vision, and a commitment to a proven process, why can’t our churches do the same for men?

 

The stakes are so much higher. Sports are just games—trophies and accolades fade. But when men win at faith, families are transformed, communities are strengthened, and eternity is impacted.

 

Let’s break free from mediocrity. Let’s call men to pursue the greatest prize imaginable—vibrant life in Christ. We already have the victory in Him. Now it’s time to act like it.