Curt Cignetti isn’t shy about how he feels when it comes to Notre Dame, and his latest comments only sharpen the contrast between Indiana’s scheduling approach and the one Mario Cristobal has embraced at Miami.
Speaking during a Big Ten Network appearance, Cignetti said he would still like to see the Hoosiers play the Fighting Irish - but on terms that favor Indiana’s home field.
"I’d like to play Notre Dame. They ought to come to our place twice, and we’ll go there once, since they’re not in a conference."
The line landed after Indiana pulled the plug on a long-planned 2030-31 home-and-home series. The original setup had Indiana opening the 2030 season at Notre Dame, with the Irish heading to Bloomington the next year. Indiana initiated the cancellation, which cleared the way for Notre Dame to renew its rivalry with USC.
Cignetti’s comments about Notre Dame’s independence are familiar territory at this point, but the bigger question is whether Indiana’s own scheduling choices invite the criticism. The Hoosiers have taken heat for soft non-conference slates and for walking away from multiple series in recent years.
Right now, they don’t even have a Power Four non-conference opponent left on the future schedule. Instead, the lineup includes games against North Texas, Howard and Kennesaw State, along with other FCS and Group of Six opponents.
Cignetti has defended that setup by saying Indiana has adopted an "SEC philosophy." That argument is harder to sell now, though, with the SEC requiring its teams to play at least one P4 non-conference opponent every season and moving to nine conference games.
Miami has gone the other direction under Cristobal. The Hurricanes have kept putting themselves in the spotlight with marquee non-conference games, and last season’s opener against Notre Dame was a perfect example.
Miami won that game, and it later proved decisive in the Canes making the College Football Playoff. The teams are set for a rematch in South Bend on Nov. 7, and there have been no signs of that one being pulled.
The Hurricanes’ future slate stays loaded as well, with a game against Utah in Las Vegas in 2027, a home-and-home with Auburn beginning in 2029, and more matchups with Notre Dame on the way.
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