Indiana starts title defense against 12-win North Texas

The No. 6 Hoosiers face North Texas at noon ET Saturday, Sept. 5, after going 16-0 in their championship season.

The Pate State Wire DeskVerified reporting · full source list below · monitored by an editor

● Confirmed
SEP 3, 2026

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No. 6 Indiana begins its national-title defense at noon ET Saturday, Sept. 5, against North Texas, sending the unbeaten 2025 champion into its first game against a 12-win opponent.

Indiana went 16-0 overall and 9-0 in Big Ten play last season. North Texas finished 12-2 and 7-1 in conference play, giving the Hoosiers an immediate test rather than a routine opening-week matchup.

Josh Pate’s preseason bracket puts Indiana at No. 12, below its No. 6 ranking in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. The opener starts Indiana’s playoff case against a team that also arrives from a 12-win season.

Indiana plays Howard on Sept. 12. For coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers, the title defense starts with North Texas and a game they cannot afford to overlook.

Sourcing & standards: Reporting via ESPN. Produced by the Pate State Wire Desk under the site's verification rules, monitored by an editor. Corrections are timestamped, never silent.

Indiana starts title defense against 12-win North Texas

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