Curt Cignetti doesn't want anyone to know it, but it's clear that Notre Dame has gotten under his skin. As the kids today say, the Fighting Irish are living "rent free" in his head. The latest example of this was when he thought he delivered a blistering take on Friday, saying he wanted the Golden Domers and Indiana to work out a scheduling agreement that greatly favored the Hoosiers.
During a recent Big Ten Network appearance, Cignetti was asked about his program canceling a home-and-home series with the Irish. It's clear he thought he was putting the Golden Domers in their place when he said, “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.”
You can almost hear Cignetti congratulating himself in his own head for the "own" of Notre Dame. There's a problem with believing that was a great take. It's, in fact, the Fighting Irish who own Indiana, even if they're the defending national champions.
It's not just that the Hoosiers backed out of the series scheduled to start in 2030. There was also Cignetti's rather brash talk before his team took on Marcus Freeman and Co. in the opening round of the 2024 College Football Playoff. Jeremiyah Love, Riley Leonard and the rest of the squad dominated the Big Ten school in South Bend as they started a run to the national title game.
Curt Cignetti wants Indiana scheduling advantage over Notre Dame football
It's not just recent history either. Notre Dame has dominated the all-time series, currently holding a 24-1-5 advantage in 30 career meetings. That includes the Fighting Irish winning the last seven straight and 21 of the last 22 matchups since a scoreless tie in 1907. Granted, the 2024 matchup was the first time the two programs played since 1958.
Cignetti is, in effect, honoring a time-honored tradition of the Hoosiers ducking the in-state rival. He just likes to pretend like he's not scared.
Someday, Big Ten coaches will understand it doesn't make them look tough to say they should have an advantage over Notre Dame because they belong to a conference. This kind of complaining is the same approach USC used when they backed out of their own series with ND. It's ironic then that IU canceling their 2030 and 2031 games allowed the Trojans and Irish to reschedule the historic rivalry.
Cignetti has never been afraid to run his mouth. He has been doing just that since he first took over in Bloomington. However, on occasion his tough take comes off extremely hollow. It's clear that knowing his program backed out of the games against Notre Dame bugs him.
Still, it wasn't that long ago the Hoosiers coach's comments seemed to clash with his latest proclamation: “I mean, we don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest,” Cignetti said July 30. “We believe everything’s earned, not given. And when we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river, whine, and complain. All right? And that’s why we’re the best.”
If everything is "earned," then why does he believe Indiana should get two home games to Notre Dame's one simply because they're in the Big Ten?
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