The Big Ten has an advocate in Indiana coach Curt Cignetti when it comes to debating the best football conference in the country. The coach of the Hoosiers doesn’t believe there’s much of an argument these days.
The blunt-talking coach also took a jab at the Southeastern Conference — with its slogan “It Just Means More” — without mentioning it by name after discussions recently during both leagues’ media days have raised the issue of which league is No.1.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams,” Cignetti said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “It’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs. There’s no doubt about it. The numbers speak for themselves.”
Cignetti could have been referencing Big Ten teams winning the last three national championships: Michigan in the 2023 season, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana — an afterthought among national and even league programs historically — going 16-0 and capturing the crown in 2025.
“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest,” Cignetti continued. “We believe everything’s earned, not given. When we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
