2013 college football schedule: teams that need non-conference games (Jan. 22 edition)

By Kevin Kelley -
Western Kentucky-Arkansas State
All Sun Belt teams need a 5th non-conference game. Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

With the recent news that FAU and MTSU are headed to C-USA a year early, all eight Sun Belt teams need an extra non-conference game in 2013. They join Duke, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Missouri. Teams that appear to have completed their schedules include BYU, Marshall, and Tulane.

Four teams from the Mountain West Conference will be able to play a 13-game schedule (5 non-conference games) based on the Hawaii Exemption. Colorado State, a MWC team, has been notified that they play at Hawaii, so the Rams have already scheduled five non-conference games in 2013.

Overall, twelve teams are currently in need of one non-conference game: Duke, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Missouri, Arkansas State, Georgia State, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, UL Lafayette, ULM, and Western Kentucky.

For the Sun Belt teams that need an extra game, playing each other in a non-conference contest is a possibility, although it is a rare occurrence. It’s also possible, although a long shot, that some schools could stick with an 11-game schedule.

Duke

at Memphis, Navy, NC Central

Duke already has one FCS game scheduled (NC Central). The Blue Devils likely don’t want to schedule a 2nd FCS team because only one win counts towards bowl eligibility.

Syracuse

Penn State (at E. Rutherford, NJ), at Northwestern, Tulane

Syracuse needs one non-conference game and has the option of adding an FCS team.

Wake Forest

at Army, at Vanderbilt, vs. Presbyterian

Wake Forest needs one game but already has an FCS team (Presbyterian) slated for 2013. Yesterday, it was reported that Wake could play Old Dominion. The Monarchs will be classified as an FCS Independent in 2013, which would give the Demon Deacons two FCS opponents in 2013.

Missouri

Murray State, Toledo, at Indiana

Missouri is the only SEC team with an unfinished 2013 football schedule. The Tigers already have an FCS opponent (Murray State), so they hope to schedule an FBS team for either Sept. 14, Sept. 28 or Nov. 16.

Sun Belt Teams in need of 5th Non-Conference Game

  • Arkansas StateArkansas-Pine Bluff, at Auburn, at Memphis, Idaho
  • Georgia StateChattanooga, at West Virginia, Jacksonville State, at Alabama
  • South Alabama – Tulane, at Tennessee, Kent State, at Navy
  • Texas Stateat Southern Miss, at Texas Tech, Wyoming, Prairie View A&M
  • TroyUAB, at Mississippi State, at Ole Miss, Alcorn State
  • UL Lafayetteat Arkansas, at Kansas State, Nicholls State, at Akron
  • ULM – at Oklahoma, Grambling State, Tulane, at Baylor
  • Western KentuckyKentucky, at Tennessee, Navy, at Army

Teams Removed From List

BYU

Home: Texas, Utah, Georgia Tech, Boise State, Idaho State, Middle Tennessee
Road: Virginia, Utah State, Houston, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Hawaii

The Cougars, an FBS Independent, recently added Idaho State to complete their 2013 schedule. They can also add a 13th game since they play at Hawaii, although director of athletics Tom Holmoe hinted on Twitter that they didn’t need any games. That means a 13th game is already scheduled, or the Cougars aren’t going to play one.

Marshall

Miami (OH), at Ohio, at Virginia Tech, Gardner-Webb

According to Herd Insider, Marshall has added Gardner-Webb to their 2013 schedule.

Tulane

South Alabama, ULM, at Syracuse, Jackson State

Tulane director of athletics announced via a live chat that the Green Wave will open the season vs. Jackson State, which completes their non-conference schedule.

Update (1/22/13)

Duke and Troy have announced a home-and-home series for 2013-14, so both schools have now completed their 2013 non-conference schedule.

Comments (24)

NMSU needs to help the Sun Belt Conference out by cancelling one of the Idaho games and it replacing it with a SB game. And I’m sure any of the SB programs would be fine with traveling to Las Cruces.

May want to bring ODU into this picture. They are FBS transitional, but will not have a conference schedule with either the CAA (their old FCS conference) or CUSA (their future FBS conference) in 2013. Essentially, they have to fill an entire schedule with OOC games.

ODU has 10 games scheduled already. 5 home/5 away. Doubt any SB teams will want to travel to ODU.

ODU’s AD has said that he would be happy to come to Atlanta for the third year in a row. GSU and ODU have faced each other earvey year of their short existences.

Also, Troy has announced that they are playing Duke – so scratch those two off the list.

I’d like to see Missouri and BYU play a game… It says Missouri has an open date on September 28… So do the Cougars. Might be tough adding an SEC team between two in-state rivals though.

Your wish may become a reality. Stay tuned. BYU soon to make their 2013 completed Schedule Public, as soon as some small twist, and date adjustments are finalized. You will be happy with the schedule, that (as a long time Ticket Holder to Cougar Football), I Promise you. See you their.

Any word on who will go to Hawaii in mw play? And why not let 1 sun belt team find a game with wf, syracuse, or Missouri and the other 2 of the 3 schedule each other and hav 6 sun belt teams schedule each other for an extra game

Colorado State is the only known team so far. On your second point, a situation like that could happen, but it’s up to each school and who they want to play.

In 2011 Colorado, who was in their 1st season in the pac-12 played a non-conference game against Cal that was scheduled before Colorado changed leagues.

I suppose that the Sun Belt teams could match up with each other if necessary too. I do like Kro’s idea of Idaho and NMSU filling two of the vacancies.

But isn’t it a given that n texas, Utsa, and la tech go in the west while MTSU, FAU, and fiu? Or is there any more speculation

So Idaho and nm state are canceling their game on 11/2 .
Idaho will host tx state
Nm state will visit ull

If Idaho is doing this with their nov 2 game, why not do this with their game vs odu and their game at nm state in order to schedule 5 sun belt teams and maybe an acc team?
11/9 ulm at Idaho ; odu at Gsu
11/30 Sun belt at nmsu ; Idaho at acc/sun belt
What are the chances for this?

Tito—-Why on earth with ODU and NMSU agree to that?

You do realize that unless both teams agree to the cancellation, the one who breaks the date will pay the other a hefty fee, right?

Yeah i know. Maybe ODU doesn’t want to go to Idaho. And maybe they can agree to help out some sun belt teams and idaho can hav a home game 4 later

By my count there are 10 teams that could still appear on BYU’s ’13 schedule.
1. Missouri
2. Wake Forest
3. Duke
4. Syracuse
5. UNLV
6. SUU
7. Air Force
8. Nev Reno
9. Penn State
10. Fresno State

Each of these teams has been rumored on various boards/sites (primarily fbschedules.com). Which of the above (or some other) will TH announce tomorrow? Please substantiate if you can.

NOTE: AFA, Mizzou, & Syracuse were supposedly refuted per TH Twitter acct. Duke already scheduled Troy and the PSU deal apparently didn’t work out this year. It’s supposed to be a team that will appeal to BYU fans (which I read to mean a MWC opponent) but not as high profile as Penn State.