Future Big Ten coach says 'we cheer for' Indiana football, Curt Cignetti
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Bob Chesney followed Curt Cignetti as James Madison football coach.
Chesney’s Dukes could play Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers, if both teams reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Chesney — who will take over at UCLA after James Madison‘s season ends — could meet Cignetti in Big Ten play starting next year.
After earning a CFP berth, Chesney said those around the Dukes program still follow Cignetti closely and want to use his IU success as a model.
“We cheer for the Hoosiers every single week. Everybody’s got their back from here in Harrisonburg (Virginia),” Chesney said. “They played on this field as part of our program. When we watch them, it makes it more realistic for our guys to understand that they can play at that level.”
Chesney came to JMU from Holy Cross and has a 21-5 record over two seasons, going 12-1 with a Sun Belt Conference championship this year. The Dukes are seeded 12th in the CFP and will play at Oregon in the first round.
Cignetti coached JMU in 2022-23, compiling a 19-4 mark. In two years at IU, Cignetti is 23-2, taking the nation’s only undefeated record and No. 1 seed into its CFP game in the Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, against either Oklahoma or Alabama.
JMU Head Coach Bob Chesney on Indiana Football #iufb
“We cheer for the Hoosiers every single week. Everybody’s got their back from here in Harrisonburg..it makes it more realistic for our guys to understand that they can play at that level” pic.twitter.com/uw98qPJALD
— Hoosier Review (@Hoosier_Review) December 7, 2025
College Football Playoff schedule
First round, Dec. 19-20
- No. 5 Oregon (11-1) vs. No. 12 James Madison (12-1)
- No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. No. 9 Alabama (10-3)
- No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1) vs. No. 11 Tulane (11-2)
- No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1) vs. No. 10 Miami (10-2)
Quarterfinals, Dec. 31-Jan. 1
- No. 1 Indiana (13-0) vs. Alabama-Oklahoma winner
- No. 2 Ohio State (12-1) vs. Texas A&M-Miami winner
- No. 3 Georgia (12-1) vs. Ole Miss-Tulane winner
- No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1) vs. Oregon-James Madison winner
Semifinals, Jan. 8-9, 2026
When is the College Football Playoff national championship game? Where is the College Football Playoff national championship game?
The CFP national championship game is Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti a model for James Madison’s Bob Chesney
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