Rhett Lashlee fires shot at Curt Cignetti after Indiana coach's SEC scheduling comment

One week after SEC Media Days, the conference remained a popular piece of conversation elsewhere, just ask Greg Sankey. Two coaches, in particular, found themselves in headlines — SMU‘s Rhett Lashlee and Curt Cignetti of Indiana. Neither one made folks inside the SEC quite happy with what was said.

Lashlee wanted to make sure everyone understood the difference between the two, though. He commented on how the SEC has been “top-heavy” and pointed out only six schools have won the conference over the course of 60 years. Different from Cignetti, in his opinion, who threw “shade” at the SEC at Big Ten Media Days.

“I will differentiate from what I said to what Cignetti said,” Lashlee said via The Paul Finebaum Show. “Again, I just brought up a historical fact that can be backed up by data. I didn’t come out and throw shade at the SEC scheduling when I didn’t play a power four team on my schedule myself.”

Indiana once again sparked up a Strength of Schedule conversation this month after canceling a home-and-home series with Virginia. Instead, Cignetti will lead his team onto the field against FCS opponents during the 2027 and 2028 seasons. When asked about the decision, he ended his quote by going after the SEC’s scheduling.

“Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game,” Cignetti said. “Twelve of those teams play 36 games – 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game. So we figured we’d just adopt [an] SEC scheduling philosophy. Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused in on those nine conference games.”

As Lashlee subtly pointed out on Finebaum, the only power conference games Indiana played last season came during Big Ten play. The Hooisers’ nonconference games were against FIU, Western Illinois, and Charlotte. To pile on, many SEC fans and coaches would then signal to only one ranked opponent being against Ohio State, a game IU lost 38-15. Almost no topic was discussed more leading into the College Football Playoff.

What the SMU head coach said may have upset people inside the SEC as he looks to politic in favor of the ACC. But he believes coming into the argument with some data is different than what Cignetti presented while talking with the media. While you might be able to argue about the term “top-heavy,” there is no denying Lashlee’s main point about the same six programs continually winning the SEC Championship.