Few coaches in college football bring the same level of candor and fearlessness as Indiana’s head coach, Curt Cignetti. Since transitioning from JMU to Bloomington, Cignetti hasn’t shied away from making headlines with his straight-shooting remarks. Recently, when Indiana decided to nix its home-and-home series with Virginia in favor of adding an FCS opponent, Cignetti seized the opportunity to make a bold statement about college football scheduling, particularly taking aim at the SEC.
During Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti didn’t mince words: “That scheduling philosophy was set before I got here, but I gave it the green light when I came on board before our first season,” he declared. Cignetti continued, laying out his reasons with the precision of a seasoned strategist.
“Here’s the bottom line,” he emphasized. “With that change, we picked up an additional home game and we’re sticking to nine conference games. Anyone in the know will tell you the two juggernaut conferences in college football are the Big Ten and the SEC. Take a look at the numbers: 12 of the 16 SEC teams tap into three G5 or FCS games in their schedule. Altogether, those teams play 36 games—29 against G5 teams and seven against FCS, along with fewer conference matchups.”
“So, we took a page from the SEC playbook,” Cignetti explained. “Some folks might grumble about it, but my focus is all about those nine hard-fought conference games.”
And when it comes to the College Football Playoff, Cignetti is a staunch advocate for more Big Ten representation, boldly questioning why the conference shouldn’t receive four automatic qualifiers. His rationale? “Ohio State ended up fourth in the Big Ten, while Indiana and Penn State were neck and neck for second place—Penn State took the tiebreaker. Yet, Ohio State went on and clinched the national championship. If you want the cream of the crop in the Playoff, let the best conferences have those spots, but make them earn it with play-in games.”
Cignetti’s straightforwardness is as refreshing as it is provocative, pushing the envelope while championing a competitive spirit that he believes will only elevate the conference and the sport as a whole.
