Overview

• Indiana paid a $500,000 buyout to cancel its 2027–28 home-and-home series with Virginia and replaced those games with Kennesaw State, Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois.
• At Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas, Cignetti cited the SEC model—where teams play one fewer conference game and three lower-tier nonconference opponents—as his blueprint for Indiana.
• Rival coaches and analysts have criticized the overhaul, warning that a weaker nonconference slate could undermine Indiana’s strength of schedule.
• The scheduling shift underscores a broader standoff between the Big Ten and SEC over conference game counts and the proposed 16-team College Football Playoff format.
• Indiana’s first CFP berth in 2024, achieved with nonconference opponents that went a combined 13-23, highlights how scheduling philosophies affect postseason access.