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Indiana football adds two more teams to their controversial non-conference football schedule

Indiana football adds the Howard Bison and Miami (Ohio) RedHawks to their future football schedule
ByDonovan James|
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The Indiana Hoosiers football program has scheduled future non-conference home games against the Howard Bison on Sept. 12, 2026, and Miami (Ohio) Redhawks on Sept. 16, 2028, per multiple sources.

Full copies of contracts for both football games were obtained from Indiana University via FBSchedules.com.

“We want our nonconference schedule to put us in the best position for success at the end of the season,” Dolson told The Herald-Times “What we really want to do is make sure we are competitive in the back half of the season and create meaningful games in the Big Ten because we are really playing for postseason opportunities."

Howard is a private, historically black college and university (HBCU) which competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Bison are entering their fifth season under head coach Larry Scott, who helped the Bison to back-to-back MEAC championships in 2022 and 2023.

Miami of Ohio represents the city of Oxford, Ohio out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Chuck Martin is the current head coach for the RedHawks and the finished 9-5 last season. Miami (Ohio) is projected to finish second in the MAC, according to the preseason coaches' poll in 2025.

2025

  • Aug. 30 vs. Old Dominion ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 6 vs. Kennesaw State ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 12 vs. Indiana State ($475,000)

2026

  • Sept. 5 vs. Colorado State ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 12 vs. Howard ($525,000)
  • Sept. 19 vs. Western Kentucky ($1.1 million) 

2027

  • Sept. 4 vs. Kennesaw State ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 11 vs. Indiana State ($500,000)
  • Sept. 18 vs. UMass ($1.25 million)

2028

  • Sept. 2 vs. Austin Peay ($400,000)
  • Sept. 9 vs. Eastern Michigan ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 16 vs. Miami ($1.3 million)

2029

  • Sept. 1 vs. Ball State ($1.3 million) 
  • Sept. 8 vs. Eastern Illinois ($550,000)
  • Sept. 15 vs. Western Kentucky ($550,000)

2030

  • Aug. 31 at Notre Dame (N/A)
  • Sept. 6 vs. Indiana State ($525,000)
  • Sept. 14 vs. Delaware ($1.3 million) 

2031

  • Sept. 27 vs. Notre Dame (N/A)
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