BLOOMINGTON — The betting market opened with Caesars Sportsbook listing Indiana as a 40.5-point favorite against North Texas. The line subsequently moved to Indiana -41.5 before settling back to -39.5. BetMGM listed Indiana as a 39.5-point favorite against North Texas as of August 30.

"Action is one way. They’re laying the 40 points with Indiana," said Joey Feazel, Caesars Sports head of football trading.

Indiana finished the previous season with a 16-0 record. The team defeated Miami 27-21 in the College Football Playoff championship game to win the national title. This marked the first time in program history that the Hoosiers went 16-0, becoming the first major college football team to achieve that feat since Yale in 1894. Indiana is ranked No. 6 in the preseason polls.

Curt Cignetti is the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He holds a 27-2 record at Indiana. "Last year’s team can’t win you any games this year. Anything you did last year means nothing," Cignetti said.

"We’re not looking to sustain it. We’re looking to improve it." Cignetti previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama from 2007 to 2010. Indiana had a 9-27 record in the three seasons prior to his arrival.

The Indiana vs. North Texas game will take place at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The venue has a capacity of 52,626. Indiana has won 13 straight non-conference home season openers dating back to 2001, with a 27-3 record in such games since 1953.

The game will be broadcast on FOX as part of the Big Noon Kickoff. Indiana leads the all-time series against North Texas 1-1. The Hoosiers defeated North Texas 49-24 on October 4, 2014.

North Texas returned just 32% of its production from the 2025 season, tied for 131st in the country. This indicates a roster overhaul under new head coach Neal Brown. Eric Morris was the head coach at North Texas before moving to Oklahoma State.

North Texas had a 12-2 record in the 2025 season and finished ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll, marking their first top-25 finish in program history. The Mean Green finished the previous season with a 12-2 record and 10-4 against the spread. "North Texas is not the same team as last year. Coach Eric Morris and the majority of the team moved on to Oklahoma State," Feazel said.

Josh Hoover is the starting quarterback for Indiana. He transferred to Indiana from TCU. Nick Marsh is a receiver for Indiana who transferred from Michigan State.

Charlie Becker is a receiver for Indiana. Turbo Richard is a running back for Indiana who transferred from Boston College. Joe Brunner is an offensive lineman for Indiana who transferred from Wisconsin. Carter Smith is a left tackle for Indiana. A.J. Harris is a cornerback for Indiana who transferred from Penn State. Harris and Ryland Gandy are competing for the No. 2 cornerback spot at Indiana. Andrew Barker, Brock Schott, and Trevor Gibbs are competing for playing time at tight end for Indiana. Rolijah Hardy is a leading tackler for Indiana. Tyrique Tucker is a defensive lineman for Indiana. Isaiah Jones recorded seven sacks for Indiana in the previous season. Indiana had eight players selected in the NFL draft.

Indiana's 2025 season included a 38-3 win over Alabama as a 7.5-point favorite in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Hoosiers defeated Ohio State 13-10 as a 3.5-point underdog in the Big Ten title game. They defeated Oregon 56-22 as a 3.5-point favorite in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Indiana won five straight games and covered the spread in four of them during the previous season. The team was 7-5 against the spread in the regular season and 3-1 in the postseason last year. Old Dominion lost to Indiana 27-14 in the previous season's opener. Indiana's 2026 schedule includes games against Ohio State, USC, Michigan, and Washington.

BetMGM listed the over/under for Indiana vs. North Texas at 55.5. Other Week 1 matchups feature betting interest. Clemson is scheduled to play LSU in Week 1.

Lane Kiffin is the head coach at LSU. Dabo Swinney is the head coach at Clemson. Caesars Sportsbook listed LSU as a 10-point favorite against Clemson. The sportsbook opened LSU as a 9.5-point favorite against Clemson. The betting line for LSU vs. Clemson moved to LSU -10.5 on August 19. The total for the LSU vs. Clemson game dropped from 51.5 to 50.5. "There was a little pushback at 10.5. It’s two-way action, but I anticipate that changing once we get closer to game time. I expect more action on LSU, especially on parlays and moneyline parlays," he said.

Ole Miss lost to Miami 31-27 in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss during last December’s Playoff run. Caesars Sportsbook listed Ole Miss as a 7-point favorite against Louisville.

The sportsbook opened Ole Miss as a 6.5-point favorite against Louisville. "No surprise, we’re seeing more Ole Miss action coming in. I wouldn’t expect that to change, with the depth and talent of this team. The Rebels have one of the better quarterbacks in this draft class, and Chambliss is getting action on Heisman Trophy odds, too," he said.

Caesars Sportsbook listed Notre Dame as a 20.5-point favorite against Wisconsin. Colton Joseph is the quarterback for Wisconsin. He played for Old Dominion in the previous season.

In Old Dominion's season-opening 27-14 loss at Indiana last year, Joseph broke free for long touchdown runs of 75 and 78 yards. If Joseph can use his legs to generate some offense, I think the Badgers can keep it within the generous number, said Paul Stone, a college football betting expert. Notre Dame has been one of the championship futures darlings, and that’s gonna translate into action on Week 1. Right now, we’re seeing heavy, heavy action on Notre Dame. Although 20.5 is a lot of points, that’s not stopping bettors from laying that number here, even for a game in Wisconsin’s backyard," he said."

SMU is scheduled to play Florida State on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Florida State defeated New Mexico State 34-17 in their season opener. Florida State was a 31.5-point favorite against New Mexico State.

Caesars Sportsbook listed SMU as a 3-point favorite against Florida State. The betting line for SMU vs. Florida State moved from SMU -1.5 to -2, -2.5, and finally -3. "Florida State played last week and struggled against the number. So we saw some line movement as a result, from SMU -1.5 through -2 and -2.5, up to -3. There’s pressure pushing back on the 3. It’s gonna be a highly bet game, and so far, bettors are backing SMU. I expect action to be one-sided on SMU leading up to game day," he said.

Why It Matters

Indiana enters the season as a national title defender with a historic 16-0 record, the first major college team to achieve that feat since 1894. The 40-point spread reflects bettor confidence in the Hoosiers despite North Texas finishing the previous season ranked No. 24. The Mean Green face a transition, returning only 32% of their production under new head coach Neal Brown.

The matchup features a narrative connection through North Texas quarterback Tayven Jackson, who previously played for Indiana. Betting markets show heavy action on Indiana, with lines stabilizing near 40 points. The game serves as the opener for Indiana's defense of its national championship, with subsequent games against Ohio State, USC, Michigan, and Washington on the schedule.

Timeline

Indiana defeated North Texas 49-24 on October 4, 2014.

Indiana is scheduled to play North Texas on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at noon ET. The Indiana vs. North Texas game will be broadcast on FOX as part of the Big Noon Kickoff.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates North Texas had a 12-2 record in the 2025 season and finished ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll, marking their first top-25 finish in program history. The team returned just 32% of its production from the 2025 season, tied for 131st in the country, indicating a significant roster overhaul under new head coach Neal Brown. Indiana’s 2025 season included a 38-3 win over Alabama as a 7.5-point favorite in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, showcasing their dominance in high-stakes games.

Indiana is scheduled to play North Texas on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at noon ET. Tayven Jackson, the starting quarterback for North Texas, previously played for Indiana from 2023 to 2024, where he split starting duties with Brendan Sorsby in 2023 and backed up Kurtis Rourke in 2024. The Indiana vs. North Texas game will take place at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. "Last year’s team can’t win you any games this year. Anything you did last year means nothing," Curt Cignetti said.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the previous season records. NCAA football betting records state North Texas finished the previous season with a 12-2 record and 10-4 against the spread. Indiana Hoosiers season record sources state Indiana finished the previous season with a 16-0 record.