Indiana Football's terrible decision sparks buzz before NFL Draft
· Yahoo Sports
Indiana Football's terrible decision sparks buzz before NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As the 2026 NFL Draft moves closer on the calendar, the Indiana Hoosiers quarterback remains the consensus No. 1 pick and is expected to start his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. While the Heisman Trophy winner won't be in Pittsburgh for the event, there's also a less obvious conflict for those involved with the IU Football program.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
For whatever reason, Indiana has scheduled this year's Spring Game at the same exact time as opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Why would anyone feel the need to compete against the league's biggest offseason event? There are a few takeaways from this.
Maybe the decision was made to have everyone in the stadium with the draft playing on the jumbotron, as Mendoza was taken by the Raiders with an instant reaction. This would also be a recruiting pitch for head coach Curt Cignetti to mic'd up and give his thoughts on the Draft broadcast. If neither of those two things happen, what's the reasoning behind having Indiana's exhibition game on the night of the Draft?
In any regard, this comes off as a terrible decision to try and grab ratings on the Big Ten Network. Nobody will be watching and the fringe audience who might tune in to gather some preseason intel on the defending national champions will be watching the Draft. Either this is a calculated cut-in opportunity or an event that should've been rescheduled.
More:Steve Sarkisian can't be serious saying Arch Manning is 'underpaid'
Mendoza waits to hear his name called for an historic moment for the Hoosiers. There hasn't been a top pick from Indiana since the AFL-NFL merger. The first was Corbert Davis, who went first overall in the 1938 NFL Draft. The fullback was later wounded in World War II and died in a freak fishing accident off the coast of Maine in 1968 at the age of 53.
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
More college football news:
- Jordon Hudson turns heads with 'barely there' rope dress at Maine charity event
- USC asked Heisman winner to unretire jersey several times: 'Absolutely f-ing not'
- Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
- Steve Sarkisian blasts Ohio State players for not going to class
- Ohio State's Ryan Day faces backlash after NFL Combine