Idaho nearing completion of 2013 football schedule as FBS Independent

By Kevin Kelley -

Idaho VandalsThe Idaho Vandals have nearly completed a 12-game football schedule for 2013 as an FBS Independent, athletic director Rob Spear confirmed this weekend.

In a post-game radio interview, Spear said that the “…schedule’s coming along. I feel pretty good about having 11 secure games and Friday I thought I had 12. The way football scheduling goes, I lost a game on Friday, but I’m hopeful I’ll be able to pick one up this week and hopefully we can come out and announce that schedule.”

Idaho currently has games scheduled in 2013 at home vs. Northern Illinois and at Ole Miss, Washington State, and Wyoming. The Vandals are also expected to play New Mexico State in a same season home-and-home series.

Over the weekend, AStateNation reported that Idaho and Arkansas State have agreed to a 2013-14 home-and-home series. The two schools are tentatively set to meet in Jonesboro in 2013 and in Moscow in 2014.

The addition of Arkansas State to the schedule gives Idaho seven known or rumored opponents in 2013. That puts the Vandals at one game short of meeting NCAA rule 20.9.7.2, which states that FBS football teams must schedule 60% of its games against other FBS members.

Member institutions must also play five home games against FBS opponents. Idaho currently has two games at home, Northern Illinois and New Mexico State. That means that out of the four unknown opponents, three would have to be at the Kibbie Dome.

Idaho will be playing the 2013 season, and likely 2014, as an FBS Independent due to the fall of the WAC as a football conference. Back in August, WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd announced that the conference would be dropping football after the 2012 season.

2013 Idaho Football Schedule

  • 08/31 – at Ole Miss
  • 09/07 – at Wyoming
  • 09/14 – Northern Illinois
  • 09/21 – at Washington State
  • Tentative – vs. New Mexico State, at New Mexico State, at Arkansas State

2014 Idaho Football Schedule

  • 08/30 – at Florida
  • 09/13 – Western Michigan
  • 09/20 – at Ohio
  • TBA – at Northern Illinois
  • Tentative – vs. New Mexico State, at New Mexico State, vs. Arkansas State

Comments (4)

It’s sad that a team once in the same conference with USC, Berkeley and Oregon is now shunned and pushed aside by every conference. If “academics” were really a concern, you’d see the Big 12 trying to get this school in their conference, but we all know that is a cover-up. (Not to mention, that conference could use another doormat because they will never see a national championship with how deep the conference is, yet it’s still disrespected. They GAINED overall with trading one good program, two decent programs and one struggling program, for two winning programs……..how did that work out. Just invite Boise and BYU already and have the most competitive conference in CFB)

Big 12 would be good with BYU but Boise can go away. If they invite cincy and Louisville they would be a lot better off. Both cincy n Louisville r ranked in football an have done ten times better since leaving conference USA. Plus both school bring great basketball programs. Boise can’t offer that.

Face it,the Kibble Dome is what is killing Idaho from landing a home. Only holding 16,000 just a deal breaker. Sure,other schools draw less BUT they have the seating to handle a improving squad…even if the Vandals suddenly started winning large,the Dome only holds 16,000.
Idaho would be a good MAC type school….

Here’s to hoping that they can raise the money they need for the planned Kibbie dome expansion. Doubt they can do it in time to avoid going back to the Big Sky.