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From Underdog to Unbeaten Champions
Above Image: By Owen Graham for TDH / Original source: https://www.thedailyhoosier.com
Indiana Football’s Historic Run through the Humaculture® Topological Model
By Humaculture, Inc.
February 5, 2026
Imagine leading a program long counted out, yet transforming it into a national champion through intentional “cultivation” rather than force. In college football’s competitive landscape, where traditional powerhouses like Alabama and Ohio State have long held sway, the 2025 Indiana University (Indiana) Hoosiers achieved just that: one of the most extraordinary turnarounds ever recorded. Entering the season with the most all-time losses in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history and long odds against them, the program completed a perfect 16-0 campaign, captured its first outright Big Ten championship in decades, earned its first No. 1 ranking, and claimed the national title with a 27-21 victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship game. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner, led the charge with remarkable poise and production.
This achievement did not stem from fleeting talent or chance. It arose from a systematic approach to building a resilient, high-performing organization, closely aligned with the Humaculture® Topological Model. Guided by the maxim “feed the soil, not the plant,” the model treats organizations as interconnected living systems. Enriching the foundational “soil” (Structures, Assets, and Processes within the Organization Domain) creates the conditions for People to thrive and generate abundant Created Value.
Indiana Football’s season vividly demonstrates this principle in practice. Head coach Curt Cignetti focused on enriching the Organization Domain’s “soil” by refining Structures for clear accountability, strategically allocating Assets (including aggressive use of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Transfer Portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities ESPN profile on Cignetti’s scouting and recruiting approach), and tuning Processes like Cultural Nurturing and Performance Nurturing. The result was a dynamic, cyclical system that delivered the Three Promises: Effectual (tangible milestones and dominance), Emotional (deep team resonance and pride), and Economic (substantial increases in revenue from surging attendance, concessions, merchandise sales, and conference playoff proceeds Learfield report on revenue growth including 113% ticket increase).
A Program Facing Long-Term Challenges
The Hoosiers entered 2025 with a legacy of struggle: decades of mediocrity, only sporadic success in the Big Ten, and a recent 3-9 finish before Cignetti’s arrival. Preseason rankings placed them at No. 20 in the AP poll, with media projections in the middle of the conference and national title odds as long as 100-to-1 (or even higher earlier in Cignetti’s tenure). The external Environment Domain, shaped by NCAA rules (including the Transfer Portal), NIL opportunities, alumni resources, climate and weather impacts on scheduling and play, demanding “terrain” in away venues, and a grueling Big Ten schedule, presented real constraints. Many viewed their strong 2024 season (including a CFP appearance) as unsustainable given roster changes.
Yet these pressures became the catalyst for intentional “cultivation,” much like how challenging environmental conditions prompt a garden to adapt and strengthen its “soil.”
Pursuing Sustainable Excellence and Resilient Growth
The driving ambition was clear: build a program capable of consistent, high-level performance and lasting impact. This translated to prioritizing Created Value (game-changing offensive schemes, dominant defensive performances, and program-wide elevation) while fostering resilient People who could endure and excel under pressure through a culture of mutual support, high standards, and earned opportunity.
Cignetti’s approach drew on his proven emphasis on accountability, discipline, and a refusal to accept average performance (compilation of Cignetti’s key culture quotes). This supported Merit-Based Talent Cultivation, ensuring Equality of Opportunity where roles and contributions were earned through performance and fit (247Sports analysis of Cignetti’s production-over-potential transfer philosophy)
Transfers via the NCAA Transfer Portal (a database allowing student-athletes to notify their intent to switch schools, enabling coaches to contact and recruit them directly, similar to free agency rather than professional league trades) like Mendoza highlighted this: the right “cultivated” system does not “fix” people. It provides the “soil” for their inherent potential to thrive.
Navigating Pressure and Avoiding Common Pitfalls
As the season unfolded, challenges mounted against elite competition. A road victory at No. 3 Oregon (30-20) tested composure in a hostile environment. Later, a narrow 13-10 win over No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game (Indiana’s first over the Buckeyes since 1988) highlighted the strengths of their merit-based culture based talent acquisition. The Hoosiers succeeded by avoiding shortcuts, such as bringing in talent that looked impressive on paper but didn’t fit the system’s merit-based culture and Processes, or relying on generic changes without deeper enrichment of the organizational “soil.” Instead, they invested in systemic strength that allowed inherent potential to flourish naturally.
Building Momentum through Team Cohesion
Throughout the campaign, the emotional tone shifted from past frustration to growing confidence and shared purpose. Players frequently credited the culture of mutual support and high standards for their ability to perform at peak levels.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza embodied this transformation. As a lightly recruited prospect, he faced rejection from over 130 programs (no scholarships, silent inboxes, and even walk-on denials) before a late offer from Cal as essentially a roster filler. There, behind a struggling line and in a system that eventually prioritized another transfer, he endured sacks, losses, and limited opportunity.
Entering the Transfer Portal, many viewed Indiana as “career suicide” (the program with the worst record in FBS history). Yet Cignetti saw untapped potential, promising to build around making Mendoza the best version of himself. In this enriched environment (Merit-Based opportunity, seamless integration, and supportive Processes), Mendoza flourished with over 3,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 182.91. He delivered clutch plays (including a title-game fourth-quarter run through his hometown Miami defenders), won the program’s first Heisman Trophy (and the first for a Cuban-American), and led a 16-0 season.
His drive stemmed from deep Personal Characteristics: resilience forged by his mother’s long battle with multiple sclerosis, a refusal to accept “no” as final, and a focus on team over self. This resonance fostered the Emotional Promise, turning individual motivation into collective strength and pride.
The Decisive Tests: Relying on Enriched Foundations
The playoffs brought the ultimate pressure: dominant wins over No. 9 Alabama (38-3 in the Rose Bowl) and No. 5 Oregon (56-22 in the Peach Bowl), followed by a tense championship battle against No. 10 Miami. In these high-stakes moments, particularly the title game, again near Mendoza’s hometown roots, where his fourth-and-4 quarterback draw spun through defenders for the winning score, the system’s resilience shone through.
Rather than hierarchical overhauls or external pressure tactics, Cignetti leaned on merit-based Processes: flattened Structures for clear accountability, strategic Resource Allocation (leveraging NIL support and portal expertise), and strong emphasis on Cultural Nurturing for teamwork and Performance Nurturing for weekly refinement across Knowing, Wanting, Ability, and Capacity.
The Indiana defense, nationally leading with a +21 turnover margin, reflected this focus with timely plays and disciplined execution rooted in prepared, motivated players.
Measurable Triumph and a Foundation for the Future
The outcomes speak volumes: Indiana’s first national championship, first outright Big Ten title since 1945, first No. 1 ranking, and the first 16-0 season in the modern FBS era (matching Yale’s 1894 mark under different rules). Key metrics included exceptional efficiency and minimal costly errors, signaling reduced “disability costs” (injuries, turnovers) and strong retention.
This delivered the Three Promises in full:
- Effectual: Road upsets (first-ever at Penn State), playoff dominance, and ultimate victory.
- Emotional: A culture of support and pride with players describing joy and purpose in the journey.
- Economic: Substantial revenue growth from surging attendance (including reported 113% increase in football ticket revenue), concessions, merchandise, and playoff proceeds Learfield partnership report, positioning the program for ongoing financial strength.
For leaders in any field, Indiana’s story underscores a core truth: prioritize enriching the “soil.” Adapt to your Environment, cultivate the Organization Domain through intentional Processes, and empower People to flourish. Apply the Dynamic Matrix’s cyclical interactions, embrace Merit-Based Talent Cultivation for Equality of Opportunity, and sustainable growth follows naturally.
Contact: Steve Cyboran at [email protected], Wes Rogers at [email protected], or Caroline Cyboran at [email protected]
Website: humaculture.com
LinkedIn: humaculture-inc
Chronic Condition Surges in the Workforce: Refining “Soil” Resilience
Part 3: Chronic Condition Surges and Workforce Impacts. Refining Organizational “Soil” for Population Resilience
February 5, 2026
By Humaculture, Inc.
This is the third in a 5-part companion series to ICSL’s analysis of post-COVID health trends and morbidity pressures. In Part 1, we examined the broad crisis of rising chronic conditions driving costs across insurance and benefits programs. In Part 2, we applied the Topological Model to variable-demand operations like trucking, where isolation, sedentary work, and limited nutrition access make health risks hit harder. Here, we focus on real employer impacts—drawing from anonymized client data and industry trends to show chronic condition surges in the workforce—and how the Dynamic Matrix helps you diagnose your unique terrain and refine your “soil” for lasting results.
While ICSL’s article, “Real Employer Impacts – Post-COVID Disability and Cost Surges,” illuminates the clinical and industry realities deepening in 2025, Humaculture® offers the organizational framework for sustainable solutions. We refine Organizational “soil” (Structure, Assets, Processes) so People naturally thrive and produce Created Value.
You’ve worked hard to build a strong team, developing competitive benefits, wellness incentives, and support programs. You’ve done the things leaders do to keep people healthy and productive. But lately, something’s different. Chronic condition surges in the workforce are shifting the landscape. Disability claims are up sharply. Medical costs are climbing. Absence is dragging on performance. The pressure is real, and it’s hitting the workforce you’ve helped develop.
When Traditional Approaches Could Only Slow the Surge
You’ve tried the usual tools, such as expanded EAPs, provided more generous return-to-work programs, broader coverage, bigger incentives. They helped: some claims slowed, some people returned faster, but the surge kept going. Recurring issues lengthened overall durations. Underlying health problems didn’t go away. Frustration set in as the team you’ve built started to feel the strain.
A Diagnostic Path Emerges
That’s when curiosity turned toward a different approach. ICSL showed a better way: early identification, nutrition and fitness focus, behavioral support, integrative strategies. By diagnosing the root drivers behind disability and cost surges, ICSL acts like a “soil” test for your garden. It reveals what’s really wrong so you can fix it right.
Industry-wide data confirms the scale. The number of people with disabilities in the U.S. labor force (in thousands) rose sharply after 2020 and has continues to rise (FRED data). This isn’t an isolated problem. It’s widespread and persistent, touching organizations everywhere.
The Humaculture® Topological Model: A Mentor for Diagnosing and Refining Large Workforces
The Humaculture® Topological Model provides a proven framework. Three Domains interact fluidly without hierarchy to foster purposeful Value Creation. The Dynamic Matrix provides profound insights into the connections (topology) between them. It lets you see leverage points and unintended consequences before problems escalate.
The cultivated “soil” is the Organization Domain (Structure, Assets, and Processes) that enables the “plants” (People) to thrive within the broader terrain (Environment).
- Environment Domain. The broader terrain. Rules (benefits regulations, labor laws), Natural Resources (health plan budgets, vendor networks), Community (employees, unions, regulators, potential employees).
- Challenges: Post-COVID morbidity surge, rising claims across large populations, regulatory constraints on incentives.
- Opportunities: Align external conditions with internal resilience through data-driven plan design and vendor partnerships for preventive support.
- Organization Domain. The cultivated “soil”. Structure (flat governance, administrative hierarchies), Assets (financial reserves, technology platforms), Processes (Leadership and Operational).
- Challenges: Recurring claims lengthening durations, administrative delays, inconsistent support for chronic conditions.
- Opportunities: Reliable execution of these Processes creates a well-functioning operation where people rely on consistent support, fair accommodations, and financial stability.
- People Domain. The “plants”. Personal Characteristics (age, gender, height, weight, behavioral heuristics such as empowerment vs. entitlement focus), Skills/Training/Education/Experiences (health literacy, chronic condition self-management), Created Value (productivity, engagement, service delivery).
- Challenges: Sustained chronic utilization, recurring disability, absenteeism from unmanaged conditions.
- Opportunities: Refined “soil” enables people to manage chronic risks without overload, producing resilient, healthy, productive Talent.
The Decisive Choice: Refine the “Soil”
Think of your workforce like a garden of tomatoes. Some “plants” are struggling: wilted leaves, poor yield. Is it missing nutrients? Too much water? Bad drainage? Variable weather? ICSL screenings are the “soil” test, showing exactly what’s off. The Humaculture® Topological Model helps you refine the “soil” based on that diagnosis to attract and retain the right “plants” that will thrive in the improved conditions.
In large workforces facing chronic condition surges, effective workplaces don’t just happen. They require intentional orchestration of the Dynamic Matrix with meaningful challenge through purposeful work, responsive supervisor support, autonomy over aspects of the job, co-worker backing through peer networks, respect for contributions, work-life fit with predictable recovery time, adequate pay, and opportunity for advancement. Research from the Families and Work Institute shows such workplaces yield roughly twice-better health outcomes relative to low-effective workplaces, reducing chronic stress, fatigue-related risks, and claims severity while strengthening retention and engagement.
The turning point is when you decide to refine the “soil” intentionally. Instead of another generic program or incentive tweak, reallocate Assets toward merit-based Processes, embed practical biometric feedback in Performance Nurturing, adjust benefits administration through Resource Allocation, align Cultural Nurturing with mission and independence, and build peer networks and mentorship to foster belonging and support.
Client data shows this works. Integrative health support improved biometric measures and reduced claims and employee costs year-over-year. In another organization, refined Processes reduced unscheduled absence by 60%. These structures activate within Cultural Nurturing and Community Engagement, helping People connect and become resilient despite ongoing pressures.
Brief daily routines with high adherence have been shown to substantially reduce pain levels and support sustained focus and productivity. Deeply integrated workplace resilience programs focused on empowerment, including coaching for lifestyle, fitness, nutrition, and gut/digestive health, deliver strong returns on investment when designed within a broader initiative. A shift in focus toward merit, health, and empowerment can also attract and retain Talent already inclined toward health and productivity. These yield meaningful improvements in chronic disease risk factors, reductions in symptom burden, and corresponding lower medical spending and claims severity, addressing widespread post-COVID morbidity. Embedded support for health-related absences, when part of broader resilience Processes, significantly shortens disability durations tied to chronic conditions, producing high ROI.
HARS™ (Health, Absence, Resilience Support) is a sub-knowledge set within the Topological Model. It specifically addresses, analyzes, and predicts Process improvements to achieve the Three Promises in health, absence, and resilience areas.
Resolution: Measurable Victory and Renewed Operations
Organizations that consistently feed the Organizational “soil” achieve balanced, lasting success. The resolution is measurable victory: higher People Health Quotient (PHQ) and Organization Healthful Quotient (OHQ), meaningful reductions in disability costs and absence, stronger retention and engagement, substantially multiplied Created Value, and a renewed operation ready for the next cycle.
For leaders managing large workforces facing chronic condition surges, the results include:
- Economic. Strong multi-dollar returns on investment. Meaningful reductions in medical spending, disability costs, and indirect disruptions. Easier recruiting of ideal Talent, reduced turnover, fewer recurring claims, and recovered productivity that directly protects financial stability.
- Effectual. Tangible risk reduction, lower chronic disease progression, decreased utilization severity, faster recovery from health events, and measurable declines in the key post-COVID morbidity drivers.
- Emotional. Authentic resonance through merit-based recognition, constructive challenge, and mission alignment. This builds voluntary engagement and retention rather than dependency or resentment.
The outcome is multiplied Created Value, with Higher retention, more productive teams, more stable operations, reduced absenteeism and disruptions. The organization becomes self-reinforcing. Resilient People produce sustainable fruit cycle after cycle.
Next week, in Part 4, we’ll examine why pharmacology alone isn’t enough. Companion to ICSL’s focused analysis.
Take the First Step
As a starting point, contact Humaculture® for a review of your medical, disability, workers’ compensation, and absenteeism data. We’ll identify leverage points to cultivate resilience and Created Value in your unique terrain.
Read the companion ICSL article for the full view of employer impacts: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/real-employer-impacts-post-covid-disability-9ndme. Join us in building organizations where People don’t just manage chronic risk. They flourish despite it.
Contact: Steve Cyboran at [email protected], Wes Rogers at [email protected], or Caroline Cyboran at [email protected]
LinkedIn: humaculture-inc
Humaculture® — Cultivate Organizations, Grow People.
