Curt Cignetti turned Indiana into NATIONAL CHAMPIONS in two seasons.. and somehow the Hoosiers are still scheduling nonconference games like they’re just trying to get bowl eligible.
Look at their 2027 schedule: Kennesaw State, Indiana State and Jacksonville State. In 2028, it’s Austin Peay, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio). They already canceled a home-and-home with Virginia, and the planned Notre Dame series for 2030 and 2031 is gone too.
Cignetti defended the philosophy last year by saying Indiana was basically copying the SEC. Well.. the SEC now plays NINE conference games, just like the Big Ten, and still requires a Power Four or Notre Dame opponent outside the conference. That excuse doesn’t work nearly as well anymore!
Now I understand the strategy. Indiana already has Michigan, Penn State and USC on its Big Ten schedule in 2027. Why risk another loss when the College Football Playoff is the ultimate goal? From a coaching standpoint, I get it.
But MAN, this is what sucks about modern college football. Indiana just went 16-0 and won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Cignetti beat Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami down the stretch. Nobody can seriously tell me that man is afraid of competition.
Indiana spent decades being a football afterthought, and now they’re one of the programs everybody wants to watch. Imagine getting Indiana and Notre Dame playing each other with both programs actually competing for national championships. THAT is the kind of game college football should want!
I can’t blame Cignetti for understanding how to work the system. I just hate that the smartest scheduling decision for a national champion might be giving fans three September games nobody outside those fanbases is particularly excited to watch.
