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.
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.
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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.
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.