LAS VEGAS — Indiana football’s scheduling strategy has found plenty of detractors down south, but it became increasingly clear at Big Ten media days the program won’t be the only team in the league to avoid future Power Four nonconference games.
“I’m not interested in scheduling anybody in the Power Four if we don’t have to,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said.
Washington has the second-fewest games scheduled against Power Four nonconference opponents among Big Ten teams through 2029. Indiana doesn’t have any after canceling a series against UVA and the Huskies have one, the start of a home-and-home series against Tennessee that was agreed to before Fisch took over as coach.
Fisch went a step further by boosting a video on social media of Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti‘s speech at the podium from Big Ten media days explaining why the Hoosiers were simply adopting the “an SEC scheduling format.”
Washington’s coach doubled down on his support of Cignetti’s argument while speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon.
“I thought Curt Cignetti was dead on right,” Fisch said. “The fact of the matter is, we are playing nine conference games and the other conferences are going to play eight, then why would we every continue to keep adding a 10th game that you are going to have to another FBS team unless everyone is doing it. You don’t want to be one game behind ever.”
Penn State coach James Franklin is also among the coaches that doesn’t have a problem with anyone in the Big Ten avoiding an additional Power Four opponent.
“The thing that I struggle with is the same thing I’ve been talking about for a long time, everyone has to play the same number of conference games,” Franklin said. “Like, this ain’t that hard. Everybody should be playing eight or everybody should be playing nine.”
Franklin, who was at Vanderbilt when the SEC initially voted against going to nine conference games, understands Big Ten coaches and administrators leaning on a scheduling strategy that best sets them up for success.
“All the criticisms that come in either direction they are great for conversation, and are great for people getting angry and upset, but I’m not angry,” Franklin said.
Get IndyStar’s IU coverage sent directly to your inbox with our IU Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Curt Cignetti on SEC scheduling: Big Ten coaches support IU football coach