Curt Cignetti has never been shy about how he wants Indiana to build its schedule, and the latest move only pours more gas on that debate.
On Monday, a future home-and-home series between Indiana and Notre Dame was officially cancelled. The two games had been set for 2030 and 2031.
That’s a notable development for two in-state programs that last met in the 2024 College Football Playoff, when Notre Dame beat Indiana in South Bend before going on to lose to Ohio State in the National Championship Game. Indiana, of course, answered with a title of its own the following season.
The cancellation likely ties back to another scheduling shake-up: Notre Dame and USC are renewing their historic rivalry. After a couple years away, that series is set to return in 2030 and 2032, with both games slated for Week 1. That probably made the Indiana-Notre Dame dates harder to keep on the books.
For Cignetti, though, the bigger picture hasn’t changed. The Hoosiers have already given him plenty of cover, and then some.
Since arriving at a program that had the most losses in college football history, he’s gone 27-2, won a Big Ten title, produced a Heisman Trophy winner, and delivered a National Championship. All of that came in just two seasons at Indiana.
That’s the kind of turnaround that makes the schedule talk feel small. Especially when the results have been this loud.
Last season alone, Indiana beat No. 9 Illinois by 53 points, ended Oregon’s 18-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium, went 9-0 in Big Ten play, took down the defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the conference title game, crushed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, beat Oregon again by 34 points, and finished by beating Miami (FL) in the National Championship Game.
Those wins came on the biggest stages. That’s the point Cignetti can lean on.
The criticism about Indiana’s non-conference scheduling isn’t going away, especially now that the Notre Dame series is off. But with the way the Hoosiers have performed, Cignetti doesn’t need to spend much time worrying about the noise. His résumé at Indiana already speaks plenty loudly.
In Other News...
Mikail Kamaras NFL Shot Just Hit A Brutal New Obstacle
Mikail Kamaras path to the NFL took another hard turn this week after the former Indiana edge rusher, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft, was sidelined in training camp. Kamara had earned his chance to stick with the 49ers after his college career in Bloomington, but his first summer in the league quickly turned uncertain once he went down on the practice field.
San Francisco later waived Kamara with an injury designation, leaving his immediate future murky and no recovery timeline announced. For a player still trying to turn a post-draft opportunity into a roster spot, the setback is a frustrating one, and it leaves open the question of what comes next once he gets healthy enough to resume his push. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Faces Indianas Next Big Culture Test
When Curt Cignetti arrived at Indiana, he brought familiar faces with him from James Madison, but most of that group is now gone, leaving redshirt senior defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker as the lone holdover from that original wave. It is a familiar reality in modern college football, where roster turnover can wipe out the comfort of old ties just as quickly as it creates them, and it puts even more weight on how a coach builds something lasting beyond the transfer portal.
Cignetti has made that part of the job feel intentional, leaning on a culture where leadership is supposed to surface from within rather than be handed out from the top. He does not name captains, preferring to let those roles develop naturally, and he believes the players now in the program have the kind of character that can keep the standard in place even as the roster keeps changing. For Indiana, the next test is not just replacing production, but proving the locker room can police itself the way a winning program requires. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Could Decide More Than Just The Starting Job
Fall practice has a way of clarifying what a team thinks it has, and for Indiana, the quarterback spot is one of the most watched jobs heading into the season. The Hoosiers are trying to find stability at the most important position, and the player stepping into that role is doing so with a heavy load of expectation attached to him.
Around the sport, Alabamas quarterback competition is drawing plenty of attention because it could shape more than the depth chart, but Indiana is dealing with its own version of that pressure. The Hoosiers need their new starter to settle in quickly, and how he handles the coming months will go a long way toward telling the story of the offense and the season that follows. [Read more 🡒]