Indiana Football Adds 2 Future Non-Conference Opponents; Won't Play High-Major Until 2030

Indiana football has filled the last two vacancies on its non-conference schedule through 2029.

The Hoosiers will face Howard University in 2026 and Miami (Ohio) in 2028, an Indiana Athletics spokesperson confirmed to Indiana Hoosiers On SI on Monday night. The news was first reported by FBSchedules.com.

Indiana's game against Howard replaces a previously scheduled — and since cancelled — matchup with Virginia and cements the Hoosiers facing a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent in each of the next five seasons.

Currently, Indiana doesn't have any non-conference games scheduled with Power Four opponents, though the Hoosiers are slated to play a home-and-home with Notre Dame in 2030 and 2031. Indiana's trip to South Bend in 2030 is its lone out-of-conference road game still left on its schedule.

Here's a look at Indiana's non-conference schedule through the end of the 2020s ...

2025:
Vs. Old Dominion
Vs. Kennesaw State
Vs. Indiana State

2026:
Vs. Colorado State
Vs. Howard
Vs. Western Kentucky

2027:
Vs. Kennesaw State
Vs. Indiana State
Vs. UMass

2028:
Vs. Austin Peay
Vs. Eastern Michigan
Vs. Miami (Ohio)

2029:
Vs. Ball State
Vs. Eastern Illinois
Vs. Western Kentucky

In 2023, Indiana called off a home-and-home series with Louisville, and it later cancelled a road game against UConn set for 2026. The Hoosiers' scheduling mentality starts with IU athletic director Scott Dolson, who believes it's beneficial to play a softer non-conference slate in a College Football Playoff format that rewards wins and doesn't inherently value tough out-of-conference matchups.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said July 22 at Big Ten Media Days the Hoosiers are merely adopting an "SEC scheduling philosophy" while defending the cancellation with Virginia.

“Look, here's the bottom line: We picked up an extra home game, and we play nine conference games,” Cignetti said. “The two best conferences in college football, any football guy that's objective will tell you, is the Big Ten and the SEC. Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game. 12 of those teams play 36 games, 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game."

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said he wants late-season conference games to matter toward the playoffs, which supports an easier non-conference schedule, but Petitti would also like the playoff format to reward out-of-conference challenges.

"The playoff format should not function as a disincentive to schedule tough nonconference games," Petitti said July 22. "As we said throughout this process, we are open to considering any format ideas that come from our colleagues or the CFP staff.

"But to be clear, formats that increase the discretion and role of the CFP Selection Committee will have a difficult time getting support from the Big Ten.”

Cignetti acknowledged the college football landscape can change at any moment, and perhaps the playoff format will be altered in the coming years. But at least for the present, Indiana's non-conference slate is set into 2030.

And it may be a lengthy wait until the Hoosiers face a legitimate out-of-conference test in the regular season.