As Future Non-Conference Games are Booked for IU, Tom Allen Wants to Play Quality Teams

Image: Indiana University Athletics

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

There is nothing quite like the scheduling of non-conference college football games. There isn’t. Games are scheduled years, sometime decades in advance by coaches and athletic directors who may not be around when the games get played. Indiana football is no different. The Hoosiers upcoming series with Cincinnati and Louisville wee both scheduled under previous head coach Kevin Wilson. He has not coached the Hoosiers since 2016, but that is college football. Now it is Tom Allen and Scott Dolson’s chance to schedule games years in advance.

Some of the bigger news this offseason came in the form of new non-conference opponents, like a home-and-home series with Notre Dame. Colorado State was also added to the 2026 schedule along with a make-up game at Connecticut. The Hoosiers are also making up a game from 2017 when Florida International visits Bloomington in 2024.

“I think it's important to be able to play, you know quality teams here.” Allen said. “We understand also the division we play in and when we play it as a conference and so I think there's a balance with all that, you know, trying to be able to help your team develop and get ready.”

The Big Ten plays nine conference games, which only allows for three non-conference games and may hamstring teams when trying to balance between quality opponents and banking some wins for the program. The process is more complicated than Allen or Dolson just calling up an opponent and scheduling a game a decade down the road.

“It's an interesting process.” Allen explained. “Basically, the only ones I've had any concerning any say so in recently the ones you just mentioned would be the Notre Dame, one was definitely one we were involved in and one that I wanted. And we talked about, as you know, myself and Scott Dolson and and Anthony Thompson, as we go they're kind of the three of us and didn't really talk about scheduling, from an administrative perspective and then I but I always bounce it off our coaches to, you know, before making final decision.”

The decision to play Notre Dame had many factors from the level of opponent to the fan interest to the health of college football in the state of Indiana.

“We really wanted as an in-state opportunity for us to play against such an historically high level program.” Allen said. “I just felt like it's great for our fans, great for theirs. It's great for the state, and just believe in as we build this program and get to where we want it to be that that's, you know what we need, we need your stand, you know you're trying to think big picture wise.”

IU has most of their non-conference games scheduled for the foreseeable future. The Hoosiers will play a home-and-home with Cincinnati beginning this season in Bloomington, a three game series with Louisville starting in 2023 that includes a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, three visits from Indiana State (FCS) every other year starting in 2023. Other non-conference opponents include Notre Dame (2030, 2031), Western Kentucky (2021, 2022), Charlotte (2024), FIU (2024), Old Dominion (2025) Akron (2024) and Colorado State (2026).