The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Indiana Hoosiers have canceled their future home-and-home football series, per a report from Pete Sampson of The Athletic.
Notre Dame and Indiana were previously scheduled to begin a series at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., on August 31, 2030. The series was set to conclude with the Fighting Irish traveling to face the Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on September 27, 2031.
It’s not yet clear whether the cancellation was mutual, but news of the series’ demise comes on the same day Notre Dame announced it will renew its rivalry with USC in 2030 — a game slated for the exact date previously reserved for Indiana.
Breaking: Notre Dame and USC have agreed to four-year contract to resume their rivalry, beginning in 2030. Games will be played early in the season, Week 1 in Los Angeles and South Bend in 2030 and 2031, respectively.
Notre Dame's home-and-home with Indiana is off, per a source.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) August 3, 2026
According to the terms of the original contract signed in 2021, the canceling party is required to pay a $250,000 fee if the game is canceled more than two years before its scheduled date. That fee increases to $500,000 if notice is given between one and two years out, and rises to $1 million for any cancellation made less than one year before the game.
In their most recent matchup in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff, Notre Dame defeated Indiana in South Bend, 27-17. Prior to that game, the two in-state schools hadn’t squared off since a 49-27 Fighting Irish victory in 1991. The two programs have met 30 times overall with Notre Dame leading the series 24-5-1.
The cancellation of the Notre Dame series follows a trend since head coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington. The Hoosiers canceled games with Louisville and Virginia, replacing them with group of six and FCS opponents. Indiana now has zero future non-conference games scheduled against power opponents.
UPDATE (August 4, 2026)
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reports that Indiana requested to cancel the series with Notre Dame. We requested a copy of the cancellation agreement from Indiana, but have not yet received it.
The Indiana-Notre Dame series set for 2030/31 has been called off, according to sources. Indiana made the request to cancel, per a source. Notre Dame will be playing USC in both seasons.@Matt_Fortuna and @ByPatForde first
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 3, 2026
Football Schedules
It’s very frustrating to see Notre Dame chicken out of playing the reigning national champions.
Just saw a report that it was Indiana that backed out.
That seems to be the case now from multiple sources. I guess Notre Dame waited to announce the cancellation until they had USC lined up.
Try again. Hoosiers cancelled and now have no power 4 teams remaining on schedule. Looks like the ‘reigning champions’ are the one chickening out.
Kevin, if Indiana backed out of the series, as you’ve responded in this comment chain, could you please re-write the story’s headline? Guys like John luxuriate in Notre Dame’s legendary (and illusory) cowardice. No reason to give him extra reason to get agitated!
So what are you trying to say. ND cancelled in order to replace them with USC? If so, then why try to blame Cignitti?
The Big Ten’s TV partners need to put their foot down and demand a requirement for the conference’s schools to play one OOC game against a P4 team every year in order to renew their TV rights.
TV partners generally only count on the conference slate as given (ABC insisting to the ACC that roughly 2 of their 3 teams with the best brand names have to play ND every year in order to get their new TV deal was an exception). It’s part of the reason why you see P4 conferences cancelling more high-profile OOC games. Because they know they aren’t being compensated by their TV partners for their OOC games.
That’s also why ND actually is consistently paid less by NBC than their TV value/worth. NBC only needs to count on a pretty low average viewership of ND home games for that deal to work and anything more is gravy.
Also why something like a permanent annual B10-SEC challenge series would make some (but not a _ton_ more) extra money for the B10 and SEC.
One of the biggest offenders is Kentucky. They haven’t played a P4 opponent in the regular season other than Louisville or Indiana since 1990 when they played North Carolina of the ACC. Their last Big 12 opponent was Kansas State in 1983 (when the Big 12 was still the Big 8), their only ever game against the Pac-12 (no longer a power conference) was Oregon State in 1976 (when the Pac-12 was still the Pac-8), their last game against an SWC (now defunct) team was Baylor in 1978, and their last non-Indiana opponent from the Big Ten was Ohio State all the way back in 1935.
Kentucky playing football games against other “basketball schools” like Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, and North Carolina would be very lucrative.
“Kentucky playing football games against other “basketball schools” like Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, and North Carolina would be very lucrative.”
LOL, no it wouldn’t be. Are you expecting a game like that to draw 5mm viewers or something?
Can’t handle an extra power conference opponent, Curt Cignetti?
Notre Dame isn’t in a conference…
Cig has seen (over several seasons) that you can win a natty as a team in the B10 even if you play 100% tomato cans OOC.
It’s purely incentives.
Give me a break bison bill notre dame or another p4 . Indiana has been skating out of that every year and making it obvious. Big 10 needs to step up if Indiana won’t do it on their own. Obviously Indiana needs a push.
Indiana should be ashamed of themselves. Everyone else is playing. 10 power 4 games. They are the ones who canceled home and homes with Virginia and Louisville. They probably cancelled Indiana also. Why would ND need to cancel Indiana to schedule USC. They did not have a full schedule yet and they play 10 power 4 schools every year.
Cig has seen (over several seasons) that you can win a natty as a team in the B10 even if you play 100% tomato cans OOC.
It’s purely incentives. Shame doesn’t move the need.
Indiana has apparently decided it does not want to lay any no conference opponents with a pulse. Pretty sad to schedule like this.
Cig has seen (over several seasons) that you can win a natty as a team in the B10 even if you play 100% tomato cans OOC.
It’s purely incentives. Shame doesn’t move the need.
in fairness the voters have proven they will reward cupcake non conference scheduling..so why not play all cupcakes?
Exactly. That’s why Indiana is doing it.
Looking at future Big 10 Schedules that are complete:
Indiana: NO scheduled games against non-conference power teams.
Nebraska: No non-conference power teams in 2026 or 2027.
Ohio State: No non-conference power teams in 2029.
Oregon: No non-conference power teams in 2027. (If we don’t count Oregon State, 2029, as well.)
Penn State: No non-conference power teams in 2026.
Rutgers: No non-conference power teams in 2028.
USC: No non-conference power teams in 2026.
Washington: No non-conference power teams in 2026 and 2028 if Washington State doesn’t count.
The Big Ten is clearly scheduling like this on purpose.
Compare to the SEC where they all are playing a power 4 out-of-conference opponent. Many are playing two in some years
For the upcoming 2026 season, it is true that all SEC teams play one P4 OOC team. Of these 16 games, 7 are at home, 7 are away, and 2 are at a neutral site. That is a much more competitive schedule than the B10 teams. However, no SEC team has two P4 OOC teams on the schedule. In fact, all but one of the SEC teams have two additional HOME games against a G6 team and an FCS team. Kudos to Texas for being to only SEC team NOT to have an FCS team on the schedule. If you want to look at what a real FBS schedule is then you can look at Notre Dame with 12 FBS opponents (only 6 home games, 4 away games, and 2 neutral site games). 10 of these opponents are against P4 teams while 2 are against G6 teams. No FCS cream puffs. Granted, the SEC is the best overall conference in the FBS, however, they sure don’t schedule like it.
Oregon State and Washington State can no longer claim to be “POWER TEAMS” because they aren’t in a P4 conference and if you look at the remainder of the PAC 12, only Boise State really can claim to have consistent winning records.
You also cannot just hand the accolades of best conference in FBS to the SEC when they didn’t even have a team in the championship, and only one in the semifinals.
We’ve had our disagreements but this is something I won’t argue with you about. This is ridiculous.
“However, no SEC team has two P4 OOC teams on the schedule.”
Well, I didn’t say they were playing two this year. What I said was:
Compare to the SEC where they all are playing a power 4 out-of-conference opponent. Many are playing two in some years
SOME years.
Seems pretty easy to understand.
Florida has two power 4 non-conference teams scheduled in 2028, 2029, 2031, 2032, and 2033
Georgia has two scheduled in 2028, 2029, 2030 (where they have THREE scheduled), 2031, 2032, and 2033
Missouri has two in 2031 and 2035
Vanderbilt has two in 2028
Sure, some of those may not be played, but they are scheduled at this time.
These isn’t another conference that schedules that type of schedule.
Not rocket science shedule 1 p4 team 1 g6 and 1 fcs team oc schedule At the minimum. Seems like the Big10 is trusting their members too much because Indiana is ruining for everyone! Big 10 will be forced to make a rule on this. USC needs to comply better also.
The Big 10 needs to mandate a non-conference P4 opponent. I really don’t like this at all.
Fully agree with you BYUfan
It’s asinine for Indiana to back out of a home and home against Notre Dame. ESPECIALLY when they just won the national title.
Matt, it’s _because_ they’ve won a natty.
Cig has seen (over several seasons) that you can win a natty as a team in the B10 even if you play 100% tomato cans OOC.
Why would he change what has proven to work?
I get his strategy Richard and I might do the same thing. I still really don’t like playing a bunch of nobodies. Every P4 team should have to play 10 P4 opponents. I don’t care who you are or who you play. That should be required.
Fully half of the preseason ranked Big Ten teams do not have a P4 out of conference opponent: Indiana, USC, Penn St (definitely shouldn’t be ranked after last season), and Washington.
The Penn State hype absolutely needs to put the brakes on. They were not good last year and their team this year is essentially Iowa State from last season. That was a solid and respectable team but they did lose four straight at one point including a loss to Colorado. This team isn’t a Big 10 title or CFP contender
so the ONLY power 5 team on Indian’s non conference schedule in YEARS is no more
I have a feeling that Notre Dame knew for awhile that Indiana was going to pull out of their agreement because the timing of the announcement that they would resume their rivalry with USC happening on the same day is too coincidental.
I’m wondering if someone stepped in an convinced Indiana to back out out of their series with Notre Dame because between a series between Indiana and Notre Dame and a renewed series between Notre Dame and USC which series would have more juice so to speak?Yeah right now Indiana is the reigning champions and a powerhouse but in 2030 they might not be and so a home and home series between Indiana and Notre Dame may not have the same juice than it might have now while a revival of the USC and Notre Dame rivalry could have juice.
kevin, thanks for the update. So the cancellation was mutual?
Indiana reportedly was the one to cancel. Haven’t received the agreement yet, so don’t know if it was mutually canceled or if IU had to pay.