Paul Finebaum on SEC adopting 9-game schedule: Curt Cignetti has gotten shoved into a locker

After years of debate, the SEC finally made a decision on its future scheduling. Beginning with the 2026 season, nine SEC games will take place annually. Reaction to the massive move from Commissioner Greg Sankey has begun to pour in, including from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Aim was taken at Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who has been afraid to take shots at the SEC. With programs inside the SEC playing nine conference games, Finebaum believes Cignetti has been “shoved into a locker.”

“I think we have heard the last of motormouth Curt Cignetti, who has been running his mouth about the SEC,” Finebaum said Thursday via The Paul Finebaum Show. “And now, he has gotten shoved into a locker.”

With the SEC’s announcement came an important note about scheduling outside of the conference. Each team will still be required to face somebody else from the ACC, Big Ten, or Big 12. A game against Notre Dame will suffice as well. So that brings the total number of power conference games up to 10 for SEC teams.

Back to Cignetti, who made headlines during Big Ten Media Days when discussing his own program’s scheduling. Indiana decided to cancel a home-and-home series against Virginia and instead brought two FCS teams into the mix. In theory, this would give the Hoosiers three easier games and help get the win total up for their College Football Playoff resume.

When asked about the topic, Cignetti explained how SEC teams only play nine power conference opponents a year. He was looking to do something similar, all of which would be against Big Ten foes.

“The two best conferences in college football – any football guy that’s objective will tell you – [are] the Big Ten and the SEC,” Cignetti said. “Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game. Twelve of those teams play 36 games – 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game.

“So we figured we’d just adopt [an] SEC scheduling philosophy. Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused in on those nine conference games.”

In a locker or not, Cignetti will be on the sideline for Indiana’s season opener on Aug. 30 against Old Dominion. Kennesaw State and Indiana State will follow before getting into the nine-game Big Ten schedule. The hope is to once again churn out a record good enough to make the CFP.