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Topic:  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents

Topic:  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 2:00:23 PM 
Not sure why nobody has thought about this option:

https://tinyurl.com/43b458mv

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 3:24:10 PM 
shabamon wrote:
https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/1/25/mac-announces-f...

The MAC made this scheduling announcement a couple years ago but I can't find an update that accounts for UMass in and NIU out.

If we don't get USF or Jacksonville State on 9/12, we could be staring at a bye week there. The other possibility is a conference game at UMass. UMass has five non-conference games according to fbschedules including two FCS opponents, with one on 9/12. They could drop that and the MAC could schedule Ohio at UMass. Everyone is in the MAC has a non-conference game on 9/12.


The issue might be more complicated than that. Here is why......

I assume we let go of the Wofford contract because Kent needed them and we had a plan to kick the scheduling issue that will likely eventually require playing only 5 home games or playing 2 FCS games down the road a few years. Because there are so many FBS teams that need a game it didn't sound implausible at all. What we really need is a G5 school to play at Ohio this year and the return game in 2029. Then, the way the schedule is, kicking the can all the way to 2035 might be pretty easy. I thought it might not be that hard. Play the BYE week way early on 9/12 and get the MAC to schedule us with no conference game for a specific week in October. But here is the issue I realized last night.

Labor Day 2025: 9/1 ; Labor Day 2026 9/7
Thanksgiving 2025: 11/27 ; Thanksgiving 2026: 11/26

There is one less week between labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend than in 2026. The upshot of that, unless I otherwise missed something, is we have entered the stretch over the next few years where college teams only have one BYE in the regular season instead of two, unless the scheduling rules change, until Thanksgiving also jumps back a week instead of up or day or two and catches up again. Then consider one BYE week is blurbed out sometime in November when you have 10 or so days off before you play a week game then 10 days off again to play on the weekend again. This is usually true for all 12 MAC programs. So we don't have a BYE week to play with. We probably need to get UConn or an MWC or PAC team that may have less conference games and the leeway of 2 BYE weeks that may have more options to move a game and then be willing to play in Athens this year. That doesn't sound like an easy given thing to manipulate. I am guessing since Wofford is no longer on the schedule that there is something coming together however. We'll see.

Last Edited: 1/30/2026 4:51:16 PM by Victory
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STVCastle
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 3:39:28 PM 
(never mind; just checked the schedule)

Last Edited: 1/29/2026 3:40:21 PM by STVCastle
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STVCastle
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 4:58:07 PM 
Sorry about the double post, but I think I found one possible option from the FCS.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/chicago-state /

^ A team just getting started in FCS as an independent and looking for as much help as they can get. 9/12 is an open date for Chicago State...
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BillyTheCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 8:45:04 PM 
STVCastle wrote:
Sorry about the double post, but I think I found one possible option from the FCS.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/chicago-state /

^ A team just getting started in FCS as an independent and looking for as much help as they can get. 9/12 is an open date for Chicago State...


Oh GAWD, what the heck are they doing???
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/29/2026 11:51:10 PM 
IF we are going to go to Chicago invite the University of Chicago Maroons to Peden. Hey, they used to be in the Big10, and were a founding member. They are still in an acadmeic alliance with the BigTen+. Lot more prestige than Chicago State Normal College.

Last Edited: 1/30/2026 12:29:06 PM by OhioCatFan

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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GoCatsGo
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/30/2026 12:07:09 PM 
USF just announced they're hosting Kent on 10/17, which completes their non-conference schedule, so cross another one off the list.
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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/30/2026 3:40:46 PM 
BillyTheCat wrote:
STVCastle wrote:
Sorry about the double post, but I think I found one possible option from the FCS.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/chicago-state /

^ A team just getting started in FCS as an independent and looking for as much help as they can get. 9/12 is an open date for Chicago State...


Oh GAWD, what the heck are they doing???


My guess is that since we let Wofford and Kent play the week we had a contract, that the current plan is to try not to play two FCS schools in 2026. Although, since we probably need to do that eventually and it doesn't look there is a good option that doesn't involve getting other schools to move a game, it is hard to guess exactly what the plan is.
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BillyTheCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/30/2026 4:22:35 PM 
Victory wrote:
BillyTheCat wrote:
STVCastle wrote:
Sorry about the double post, but I think I found one possible option from the FCS.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/chicago-state /

^ A team just getting started in FCS as an independent and looking for as much help as they can get. 9/12 is an open date for Chicago State...


Oh GAWD, what the heck are they doing???


My guess is that since we let Wofford and Kent play the week we had a contract, that the current plan is to try not to play two FCS schools in 2026. Although, since we probably need to do that eventually and it doesn't look there is a good option that doesn't involve getting other schools to move a game, it is hard to guess exactly what the plan is.


Sorry, my comment is what is Chicago State doing.
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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/30/2026 4:50:59 PM 
BillyTheCat wrote:
Victory wrote:
BillyTheCat wrote:
STVCastle wrote:
Sorry about the double post, but I think I found one possible option from the FCS.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/chicago-state /

^ A team just getting started in FCS as an independent and looking for as much help as they can get. 9/12 is an open date for Chicago State...


Oh GAWD, what the heck are they doing???


My guess is that since we let Wofford and Kent play the week we had a contract, that the current plan is to try not to play two FCS schools in 2026. Although, since we probably need to do that eventually and it doesn't look there is a good option that doesn't involve getting other schools to move a game, it is hard to guess exactly what the plan is.


Sorry, my comment is what is Chicago State doing.


Yeah, I get you. This is the first that I heard of them starting a football team. My guess is that NIU's athletic department didn't take this as good news.
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STVCastle
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 1/30/2026 5:11:43 PM 
Not saying Chicago State is a great option (definitely not; they're brand new to FCS). I imagine it's super hard for them to schedule anyone in their first year.
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shabamon
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/3/2026 12:33:21 AM 
Take UConn and Southern Miss off the list. They've inked a deal.

Ohio (would prefer a home game, I'm sure)
FIU (already plays two road games. Probably goes after FCS home game)
USC (can do pretty much whatever they want. Already has two FBS home games and could schedule FCS)
Jacksonville State (already plays at San Jose State and doesn't have a P4 school on their schedule yet)

Plus whatever the PAC 12 does
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shabamon
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/3/2026 9:28:06 AM 
USC has week 0 listed as TBA on fbschedules

Ohio and Jacksonville State are now the only teams that are open on 9/12

Buffalo could jump into the scheduling mix as they have two FCS games on their schedule. They could drop one of them but their options appear to only be PAC-12 or USC in week 0.

Air Force, New Mexico, NMSU, San Jose State and UNLV could do a 13th game (for playing at Hawaii). AFA and SJSU already have 3 OOC home games, so in theory they're more amenable to a road game (quite unusually, SJSU doesn't have any buy road games in 2026).

Bet you it's going to be this:

Jacksonville State at Ohio

USC vs one of the teams eligible for a 13th game. SJSU makes sense.

FIU finds an FCS opponent to play at home

Buffalo stays put with their schedule

The PAC-12 finds a way to schedule eight conference games per team
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/3/2026 10:35:06 AM 
shabamon wrote:
USC has week 0 listed as TBA on fbschedules

Ohio and Jacksonville State are now the only teams that are open on 9/12

Buffalo could jump into the scheduling mix as they have two FCS games on their schedule. They could drop one of them but their options appear to only be PAC-12 or USC in week 0.

Air Force, New Mexico, NMSU, San Jose State and UNLV could do a 13th game (for playing at Hawaii). AFA and SJSU already have 3 OOC home games, so in theory they're more amenable to a road game (quite unusually, SJSU doesn't have any buy road games in 2026).

Bet you it's going to be this:

Jacksonville State at Ohio

USC vs one of the teams eligible for a 13th game. SJSU makes sense.

FIU finds an FCS opponent to play at home

Buffalo stays put with their schedule

The PAC-12 finds a way to schedule eight conference games per team


Washington State's AD confirmed they wouldn't release the PAC schedule for another couple of weeks. Looking more and more like they're going to have their 7-game round robin and then an extra flexed game at the end of season pitting the best teams against each other.
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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/3/2026 11:45:02 AM 
shabamon wrote:
USC has week 0 listed as TBA on fbschedules

Ohio and Jacksonville State are now the only teams that are open on 9/12

Buffalo could jump into the scheduling mix as they have two FCS games on their schedule. They could drop one of them but their options appear to only be PAC-12 or USC in week 0.

Air Force, New Mexico, NMSU, San Jose State and UNLV could do a 13th game (for playing at Hawaii). AFA and SJSU already have 3 OOC home games, so in theory they're more amenable to a road game (quite unusually, SJSU doesn't have any buy road games in 2026).

Bet you it's going to be this:

Jacksonville State at Ohio

USC vs one of the teams eligible for a 13th game. SJSU makes sense.

FIU finds an FCS opponent to play at home

Buffalo stays put with their schedule

The PAC-12 finds a way to schedule eight conference games per team


Jax St may want to try to get a buy game from us to play here rather than a home and home. In theory, we should have gotten buy game plus about $500000 penalty money from UC cancelling when we were not expecting that cash but a return game instead. That doesn't mean that the athletic department or university admin probably thinks that the best method for spending that cash is buying a game from a G5. It does fix our long term schedule issues if it does happen like that. SDSU did buy a game from Ohio a few years ago. G5 vs G5 buy games do happen occasionally. I just am not sure I believe our solution is going to be with us on the other end this time.
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Kinggeorge4
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 12:41:32 PM 
Saw this today:


NDSUBISONATION
@NDSUBISONATION8
NDSU 2026 SCHEDULE

at USC
H -Citadel (or FBS team)
H at US BANK- MEMPHIS
at Ohio
at UNLV
H -UTEP,
at-NIU
at = Air Force
H - Nevada
H - San Jose St
at- Wyoming
H - New Mexico

GO BOBCATS
GEORGE

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STVCastle
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 12:46:13 PM 
Kinggeorge4 wrote:
Saw this today:


NDSUBISONATION
@NDSUBISONATION8
NDSU 2026 SCHEDULE

at USC
H -Citadel (or FBS team)
H at US BANK- MEMPHIS
at Ohio
at UNLV
H -UTEP,
at-NIU
at = Air Force
H - Nevada
H - San Jose St
at- Wyoming
H - New Mexico


Playing North Dakota State on our field would be a big deal imo...
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Andrew Ruck
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 1:17:58 PM 
Well that's a wonderful situation that fell into our lap. Got our home game to keep it at 6 and not only avoided the 2nd FCS opponent but got a quality OOC opponent at home, newly minted as a member of the MWC. Only problem is we might pick up an L in the process.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 3:15:56 PM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
Well that's a wonderful situation that fell into our lap. Got our home game to keep it at 6 and not only avoided the 2nd FCS opponent but got a quality OOC opponent at home, newly minted as a member of the MWC. Only problem is we might pick up an L in the process.


Plausible, but to clarify, the poster says that this is a guess in the comments.
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GoCatsGo
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 3:42:38 PM 
STVCastle wrote:
Kinggeorge4 wrote:
Saw this today:


NDSUBISONATION
@NDSUBISONATION8
NDSU 2026 SCHEDULE

at USC
H -Citadel (or FBS team)
H at US BANK- MEMPHIS
at Ohio
at UNLV
H -UTEP,
at-NIU
at = Air Force
H - Nevada
H - San Jose St
at- Wyoming
H - New Mexico


Playing North Dakota State on our field would be a big deal imo...


It certainly helps that our AD came over from a fellow MVFC school in South Dakota State, so there must be a familiarity with the NDSU Athletic Department. Our road OOC games are filled in 27 & 28, but could make the return trip to Fargo in 29 and just ink a home and home.
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 4:28:28 PM 
NDSU already has a full slate for 2026 non-conference, and depending on if the Mountain West shifts to a 9-game conference schedule, they may have to drop one too.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/north-dakota-state /
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GoCatsGo
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/9/2026 4:49:20 PM 
GoCats105 wrote:
NDSU already has a full slate for 2026 non-conference, and depending on if the Mountain West shifts to a 9-game conference schedule, they may have to drop one too.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/north-dakota-state /


NDSU's non-conference slate there is all FCS teams. I doubt they'll keep it as such. They may keep 1, but not all 4.
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Buckeye to Bobcat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/10/2026 10:41:20 AM 
GoCats105 wrote:
NDSU already has a full slate for 2026 non-conference, and depending on if the Mountain West shifts to a 9-game conference schedule, they may have to drop one too.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/north-dakota-state /


If they are going to appeal and attempt to qualify for conference title and bowl/CFP, those games will be cancelled ASAP. Pretty sure this schedule will be mended fast
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/10/2026 10:57:39 AM 
Buckeye to Bobcat wrote:
GoCats105 wrote:
NDSU already has a full slate for 2026 non-conference, and depending on if the Mountain West shifts to a 9-game conference schedule, they may have to drop one too.

https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/north-dakota-state /


If they are going to appeal and attempt to qualify for conference title and bowl/CFP, those games will be cancelled ASAP. Pretty sure this schedule will be mended fast


I'm not sure what precedent they have in that. James Madison tried the same thing and failed. The NCAA is pretty strict about the FCS to FBS transition rules.
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BillyTheCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Future Non-Conference Opponents
   Posted: 2/12/2026 10:34:11 AM 
So it appears that the allure of playing for the National Title and FCS playoffs isn’t as big as some of our fans want to think.
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