Cignetti is no stranger to criticism of Indiana's strength of schedule after last season's College Football Playoff run

Cignetti told reporters at Big Ten Media Days that an unnamed Hoosiers player received a $1.5 million offer to transfer during the spring portal window in a blatant example of tampering. The offer came at a time when teams across the country were rushing to sign players to front-loaded deals that avoided having to go through the clearinghouse.