Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti has voiced his interest in scheduling a series with Notre Dame, proposing a specific arrangement for future games. This comes despite reports indicating that Indiana requested to cancel a previously scheduled home-and-home series with the Fighting Irish for 2030 and 2031.
Cignetti stated, "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 Hoosiers' coach made these remarks this week, addressing the status of a potential matchup between the two programs.
The Athletic reported earlier in August that Indiana had initiated the cancellation of the non-conference series. Under the original agreement, Indiana was slated to play at Notre Dame in 2030 before hosting the Fighting Irish in 2031.
Following the reported cancellation by Indiana, Notre Dame has re-established its series with USC, adding a significant opponent to its future schedule. The rivalry between Notre Dame and USC, a long-standing matchup, was paused for the current season, except for brief interruptions during World War II and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Indiana, which secured a national championship the previous year, currently has a less demanding non-conference schedule compared to other high-caliber teams. This season, the Hoosiers are scheduled to play North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky before commencing their Big Ten conference games. Cignetti had previously indicated a strategic approach to scheduling, suggesting a focus on conference play. "We figured we would just adopt an SEC scheduling philosophy," he said a year ago during Big Ten media days. "Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused on those nine conference games."
Notre Dame has also faced scrutiny regarding its 2026 schedule, particularly with USC no longer on the slate and several of its expected Atlantic Coast Conference opponents anticipated to face challenges.