A bold take coming from Curt Cignetti is nothing new, and given Indiana’s recent dominance under him, the Hoosiers have every reason to do so. Cignetti decided to fire up the college football world on Friday with yet another bold take on the Notre Dame series being cancelled, triggering reactions from the Fighting Irish faithful.
Curt Cignetti’s Bold Notre Dame Remark Sees Fans Take Aim
Notre Dame and USC recently agreed to revive their historic rivalry with a new four-game series, but the Irish’s scheduled home-and-home game with Indiana has been scrapped. The two programs were originally set to open the series at Notre Dame Stadium on Aug. 31, 2030, before wrapping it up at Indiana’s Memorial Stadium on Sept. 27, 2031.
Cignetti, meanwhile, decided to take a dig at Notre Dame for the cancellation with a bold comment.
“I’d like to play Notre Dame,” Cignetti said, via The Hoosier’s Colin McMahon. “They ought to come to our place twice, and we’ll go there once, since they’re not in a conference.”
Notre Dame indeed competes as an independent, but the scheduling decision also fits Indiana’s recent philosophy under Cignetti. Since taking over, the Hoosiers have leaned towards lighter non-conference schedules, and they currently have no future Power Four opponents lined up outside Big Ten play.
The canceled Notre Dame series had been seen as the big game on Indiana’s future schedule, making Cignetti’s comments an easy target for critics.
Several members of the college football community were quick to respond.
“Lol, careful, Cignetti… starting to sound like you’re whining, complaining, and crying a river about Notre Dame not being in a conference. Remember, you guys don’t do that up there in the Midwest,” BamaOnline’s Clint Lamb wrote.
Lol careful, Cignetti… starting to sound like you’re whining, complaining and crying a river about Notre Dame not being in a conference. Remember, you guys don’t do that up there in the Midwest. https://t.co/PFcETFuHYJ
— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) August 15, 2026
“Wow. No coming back from this one,” Tyler Wojciak of Locked On Irish wrote.
“Lol no,” former Notre Dame star Malik Zaire wrote.
Cignetti’s lone meeting with Notre Dame also doesn’t strengthen his argument, as his Hoosiers fell 27-17 to the Irish in the opening round of the 2024 College Football Playoff. Notre Dame then advanced with postseason wins over Georgia and Penn State before ultimately falling to Ohio State in the national championship game.
Indiana rebounded the following season, capturing the 2025 national title behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who finished No. 2 in PFN’s QB Impact rankings. Meanwhile, Notre Dame narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff in a controversial decision.
However, the Irish own a commanding 24-5-1 record against Indiana, which led many to dismiss Cignetti’s remarks.
“Notre Dame should just say [expletive] it, you’re on,” The Athletic’s Pete Sampson wrote.
Notre Dame should just say screw it, you’re on. https://t.co/HW931RPcIy
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) August 15, 2026
“Given Cignetti is 0-1 against Notre Dame, it’s not surprising he doesn’t want to play on the road against the Irish. Coward,” Notre Dame Recruiting wrote.
“Can’t blame the guy for not wanting to come to ND since he got absolutely railed the last time he came here,” Barstool Irish wrote.
Indiana opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 against North Texas, and all eyes will be on how the Hoosiers perform without Mendoza leading the offense.
Notre Dame will enter the year as one of the leading national championship contenders, with many holding the belief that Marcus Freeman has assembled the strongest roster of his tenure in South Bend.
