Indiana's Curt Cignetti's Feelings on Friday Night Games a Stark Contrast to Tom Allen's

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti is naturally shorter-winded than his predecessor, Tom Allen.

But that alone doesn't explain the stark difference in Allen's 164-word defense of keeping college football out of Friday night slots in 2023 and Cignetti's 22-word answer in 2024.

Allen spent 15 years coaching high school football, making stops at Temple Heights and Armwood in Florida and Marion and Ben Davis in Indiana. When Cignetti was born in 1961, his father, Frank Sr., coached at Leechburg High School in Pennsylvania. Curt Cignetti never coached high school football. He played from 1975-78 before joining his father at West Virginia in 1979.

Their difference in backgrounds creates different perspectives surrounding Friday night games. Allen was adamant about keeping Fridays for high school football. It's a special, sacred night. But also, Allen noted colleges can't get recruits, nor their families, out to Friday games, because the recruits have their own games to play.

Two days before explaining this, Allen stopped for a side point after Indiana's season-opening 23-3 loss to Ohio State in 2023. Discussing the Hoosiers' shortened week of practice leading into a Week 2 Friday night game against Indiana State, Allen used the moment to passionately state his case.

"That's not a decision we make. That comes straight from the Big Ten. Somebody wants to complain about that, don't talk to me," Allen said about playing on Fridays. "Friday night, that's for high school football, bottom line.

"I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, until somebody tells me to shut up. And I'll probably say it again. Friday night football is for high school football."

Despite Allen's frustration, Indiana defeated Indiana State 41-7. Now, two years later, the moment has come full circle.

Cignetti, in his second season leading the Hoosiers, is preparing his team for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff Friday against Indiana State inside Memorial Stadium. He did the same last season, as Indiana faced Western Illinois in Week 2.

Prior to the Hoosiers' 77-3 win over Western Illinois, which set a program record for points scored in a single game, Cignetti bluntly — and briefly — responded to a question about his thoughts on Friday night games.

"I've played Thursday. I've played Friday. I've played Saturday," Cignetti said in 2024. "We just get ready to play them when we're asked to play them."

Cignetti revisited the topic Wednesday night on his radio show, when host Don Fischer asked about the Hoosiers' Week 3 matchup with Indiana State.

"Hey, you tell me when we're kicking off," Cignetti said, "and we'll have them ready."

One of Allen's biggest gripes about Friday night games centered around the difference in game-week preparations. Apart from cutting a few reps during the week in practice, Cignetti said Indiana won't alter its routine much.

The Hoosiers will largely keep the first three days of the week the same. Mondays feature a 40-minute walkthrough with first-and-10 and second-and-medium plays. Tuesdays include second-and-10 plays, while Wednesdays center around third and fourth downs from various distances.

Cignetti said Thursday will be "a little shorter," and Indiana has a meeting around noon Friday. Those are the only notable differences.

"It's worked out well in the past," Cignetti said.

Allen and Cignetti both understand the reasoning for Friday games. It comes down to media and television rights, and Cignetti acknowledged Wednesday that money is power.

But unlike his predecessor, Cignetti doesn't seem to mind — or at least isn't bothered by — playing on a night belonging to high school football.

"I mean, I like Friday night high school football as much as anybody," Cignetti said. "But I love college football. I'm really not an NFL guy. You know, I played high school football a long, long time ago. I'm glad we're on a national venue. We're playing at night and I'm excited about it."

No. 22 Indiana (2-0) hosts Indiana State (2-0) at 6:30 p.m. Friday on Big Ten Network.