Curt Cignetti Should Be 'Embarrassed' By Indiana's Future Schedules

Curt Cignetti talks a big game and backs it up. Indiana went to the College Football Playoff in Year 1 and won the national championship in Year 2 of his tenure. But, while Cignetti is understandably confident, his scheduling decisions reflect something else.

Indiana schedules scared.

While college football power houses like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, etc. will often play big-time non-conference games, Indiana refuses to do so. The Hoosiers will not be playing any major opponents in the non-conference moving forward.

Indiana has cancelled future non-conference series against teams like Notre Dame and Virginia, replacing them with low-level programs instead.

“We figured we would just adopt SEC scheduling philosophy,” Cignetti has said. “Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused in on those nine conference games.”

The SEC, though, consistently has teams scheduling huge non-conference games. Texas played Ohio State this year, LSU played Clemson, Oklahoma played Michigan.

Indiana is undoubtedly one of the biggest power programs in the country at this point – an incredible feat for Cignetti – but the Hoosiers should start scheduling like it.

“Curt Cignetti loves to be boisterous… and he loves to say Google me I win, but then when it comes time to act like they’re the big dog in college football they run from competition,” Barstool Sports’ Brandon Walker said.

“Curt Cignetti loves to be boisterous… and he loves to say Google me I win, but then when it comes time to act like they’re the big dog in college football they run from competition” -Brandon Walker on Indiana’s non conference scheduling pic.twitter.com/buF6mSrC7K

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 7, 2026

Ultimately, it’s the fans that suffer.

College football fans would love to see Indiana playing a school like Alabama or Texas or Florida or Miami in the non-conference at some point in future years.

However, Cignetti has made it clear that the Hoosiers have no interest in doing that, which is just sad.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Oct 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.