Curt Cignetti Unbothered by Indiana Football Not Hosting National Pre-Game Show vs. Illinois

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — No. 19 Indiana's looming matchup with No. 9 Illinois is perhaps the biggest in college football's Week 4 slate.

The Fighting Illini are the only top 10 team playing on the road. They've already secured one win away from home, stomping Duke, picked to finish sixth in the ACC preseason poll, by 26 points in Week 2.

The Hoosiers are fresh off an 11-2 season and a trip to the College Football Playoff. They capped their non-conference slate with a 73-0 win over Indiana State on Sept. 12, the second-largest home margin of victory in school history.

Tickets sold out in July. There's a red-out theme inside Memorial Stadium. It's the first big test for Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's team in its pursuit of proving last season wasn't a one-off but rather a sign of things to come.

And yet, there will be no stage or fenced-off section in front of Memorial Stadium's south entrance, no cardboard signs and no big-name television shows or analysts to preview it.

ESPN's College GameDay is headed to Miami, where the No. 5 Hurricanes (3-0) host unranked Florida (1-2). It's been over two decades since a 1-2 team appeared on College GameDay.

FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the No. 16 Utes (3-0) host No. 17 Texas Tech (3-0). Along with being the Big 12 opener for both teams, it's one of two other ranked versus ranked matchups in Week 4, joining No. 22 Auburn (3-0) at No. 11 Oklahoma (3-0).

Not even Big Ten Tailgate, the conference's flagship pre-game show, will be in Bloomington. It'll be in Eugene, Oregon, for the No. 6 Ducks (3-0) against rival Oregon State (0-3).

Indiana vs. Illinois will be broadcast on NBC, which will have its own pre-game show. But none of the traditional, fan-attended shows will take place in, or on the outskirts of, Memorial Stadium.

And Cignetti is entirely unconcerned.

"I'm always focused in on the game regardless," Cignetti said. "So, for me, it doesn't really change much. It's a nationally televised game, NBC. It's going to be a great environment, and I know our players will be excited."

When teams welcome College GameDay or Big Noon Kickoff, an excess of media obligations usually follows. Indiana grew familiar to it last season, as the Hoosiers hosted Big Noon Kickoff on Oct. 19, College GameDay on Oct. 26 and played road games with GameDay at Ohio State on Nov. 23 and Notre Dame on Dec. 20.

Despite additional attention, Indiana overcame distractions last season. For better or worse, it won't get the chance to face them Week 4.

The Hoosiers and Fighting Illini will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Merchants Bank Field inside Memorial Stadium.