The Bulldogs open the 2012 season on Thursday, Aug. 30 against the Texas A&M Aggies. The game will be played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, LA.

To make room for the Texas A&M game, Tech had to cancel their previously scheduled contest against Lamar on Sept. 1.

The Bulldogs then travel to face the Houston Cougars on Sept. 8. The contest with Houston is part of a four-game series signed in 2009.

Louisiana Tech hosts Rice at Joe Aillet Stadium on Sept. 15, followed by back-to-back road games at Illinois on Sept. 22 and Virginia on Sept. 29.

UNLV visits Ruston on October 6 for Tech’s final non-conference game of the 2012 season.

In WAC play, Louisiana Tech will host Idaho, Utah State and UTSA and travel to New Mexico State, San Jose State and Texas State. Dates for those games will be announced in March.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Louisiana Tech Football Schedule
• Louisiana Tech Future Football Schedules

If West Virginia negotiates a settlement with the Big East that allows them to move to the Big 12 in 2012, each Big East team will need to schedule another non-conference game.

Rutgers is slated to host Syracuse in 2012 based on the rotating Big East football schedule. But the two teams are rumored to be in discussions to meet at Yankee Stadium or the Carrier Dome. That game would not count in the Big East standings.

The Scarlet Knights currently have four non-conference games scheduled: at Tulane (Sept. 1), vs. Kent State (Sept. 15), vs. Army (Nov. 10) and vs. Howard (date TBA). Rutgers needs one game if West Virginia stays and two if they depart.

Another possible opponent for Rutgers in 2012 is, as The Star-Ledger reports, the Arkansas Razorbacks. The two schools are said to be in discussions for a home-and-home series at Arkansas in 2012 and at Rutgers in 2013.

Syracuse is in the same situation as Rutgers in that they also need two non-conference games for 2012. Rutgers could fill one of those slots. The Orange open the season at home vs. Northwestern (Sept. 1), face USC at East Rutherford, NJ (Sept. 8), host Stony Brook (Sept. 15) and travel to Minnesota (Sept. 22).

One caveat to this scenario is that FBS teams are not required to play a 12-game schedule. The 12th game is usually scheduled as a home contest to add extra revenue, so Big East teams could conceivably play 11 games if they desired.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Rutgers Football Schedule
• 2012 Syracuse Football Schedule

Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech will meet at Independence Stadium in Shreveport on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. The two schools have met ten times in their history and the Aggies have won all ten.

In their last meeting on Sept. 11, 2010, Texas A&M won 48-16. Each game has been played in College Station, TX except for the 1999 contest which was played in Shreveport.

As part of the contract, the Bulldogs will travel to face the Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station in 2016. An exact date for that game is to be announced.

To make room for the game, Texas A&M has canceled their game against McNeese State that was previously scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1. A&M will pay McNeese State a $200,000 buyout.

Louisiana Tech has also canceled their home opener against Lamar that was slated for Sept. 1. No word yet on whether Tech will pay a buyout or move the game to a different season.

The Aggies still need a fourth non-conference game to complete their 2012 schedule. Earlier today it was announced that TAMU would host South Carolina State on Sept. 22. They also travel to SMU on Sept. 15.

Louisiana Tech’s non-conference schedule is complete barring any further changes. The Bulldogs host Texas A&M (at Shreveport, LA), Rice and UNLV and travel to Houston, Illinois and Virginia.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Louisiana Tech Football Schedule
• 2012 Texas A&M Football Schedule

The addition of Memphis brings the total number of football-playing schools in the Big East to 12. That number will be accomplished by 2015 after Navy joins, following Boise State, Houston, San Diego State, SMU and UCF in 2013.

A championship game could also be in the future for the Big East. The NCAA allows conferences with 12 members to stage a championship game, and that is the ultimate goal of the Big East.

From the Big East release:

“Over the past decade, the University of Memphis has demonstrated an unwavering commitment of competing at the highest level in college sports,” said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto. “The University has positioned itself for long-term success by upgrading facilities and investing wisely in various areas of the athletic department including coaching and administration. We are confident that the addition of this outstanding athletics program located in a top 50 media market and in the heart of the nation’s largest conference footprint will further propel the BIG EAST and the University of Memphis to even greater levels of success in the future.”

“It is with great pleasure that we officially welcome the University of Memphis to the BIG EAST Conference,” stated Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida President and Chair of the BIG EAST Board of Directors. “Our Board was very impressed with the University, its ongoing commitment to academic and athletic excellence, as well as its strong community support. We are excited about renewing old relationships, starting new ones and look forward to working together with President Raines and her team in the future.”

“This is an historical day for the University of Memphis,” said Dr. Shirley C. Raines, University of Memphis President. “On behalf of the faculty, staff, alumni, fans, students and especially, our student-athletes, we are thrilled to accept the invitation from the BIG EAST Conference to become a member in all sports in 2013. We are grateful to President Judy Genshaft and the entire BIG EAST Conference Board for their unanimous vote for the University of Memphis and Tiger athletics.”

“This is an exciting day for Tiger athletics,” said Memphis Athletics Director R.C. Johnson. “Many years ago we set as a departmental goal the task ofbeing the best that we could be in every athletic endeavor. With today’s invitation to join many of our friends in such a prestigious conference means we have achieved one of our top missions.”

Related Links:

• Memphis Tigers Future Football Schedules
• Big East adds Navy as Football member in 2015
• Big East announces addition of five schools for 2013

Texas A&M will host South Carolina State at Kyle Field in College Station on Sept. 22, 2012. The game will be the first ever between the two schools.

The Aggies, who will play their first season in the SEC in 2012, need one more non-conference game to complete their 2012 football schedule. TAMU opens the season on Sept. 1 against McNeese State and also travels to face SMU on Sept. 15.

Not only will Texas A&M be playing in a new conference, they will have a new head coach as well. Kevin Sumlin took over for fired head coach Mike Sherman, who coached the Aggies to a 25-25 overall record since 2008.

Sumlin was previously the head coach at Houston and led the Cougars to a 35-17 overall record, including 12-1 in 2011 with a TicketCity Bowl victory over Penn State.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Texas A&M Football Schedule
• Texas A&M Future Football Schedules

The two schools will meet at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on September 15, 2012. It will be their first ever meeting.

Delaware State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the FCS. They finished the 2011 season 3-8.

Cincinnati now has four non-conference games scheduled for 2012:

• 09/15 – Delaware State
• 09/29 – Virginia Tech (at Landover, MD)
• 10/06 – Miami (OH)
• 10/20 – at Toledo

The Bearcats will likely need a fifth game with the likely departure of West Virginia to the Big 12 for the 2012 season. A sixth non-conference game could also be scheduled if Cincinnati only has six conference games.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Schedule
• Cincinnati Future Football Schedules

Memphis would join the Big East in all sports. The Tigers have been a member of Conference USA since 1996.

The Big East is losing West Virginia to the Big 12, a move that will likely happen this year. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are also leaving to join the ACC. The Panthers and Orange are slated to move in 2014 but could make the switch in 2013 if WVU’s early move is successful.

With those losses, the Big East has successfully added Boise State (football only), Houston, San Diego State (football only), SMU and UCF beginning in 2013. Navy will also give up its Independent status in football to join the conference in 2015.

The addition of Memphis would give the Big East 12 football members beginning with the 2015 season. Under current NCAA rules, that would allow the conference to stage a championship game.

Related Links:

• Memphis Tigers Future Football Schedules
• Big East adds Navy as Football member in 2015
• Big East announces addition of five schools for 2013

Miami completed their schedule with the addition of a home game against the Southern Illinois Salukis on Sept. 8, 2012. The game will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

The RedHawks were previously slated to host Missouri in 2012. But since the Tigers moved to the SEC, they had to cancel their matchup.

Southern Illinois was also slated to visit Missouri on Sept. 8. That game was also canceled which enabled Miami and Southern Illinois to play on that date. No word yet on whether Missouri facilitated this agreement.

Miami opens the 2012 season on Sept. 1 at Ohio State, who will be led by new head coach Urban Meyer. The RedHawks also travel to Boise State on Sept. 15 and Cincinnati on Oct. 6.

In MAC action, the RedHawks host Ball State, Kent State, Ohio and Temple and play at Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan and UMass.

Update (2/8/12): TheSouthern.com reports that the Miami-SIU contract will pay the Salukis $325,000. Miami will pay $125,000 while Missouri will pay the other $200,000.

Last week, West Virginia notified FSU that they were canceling their 2012 game which was scheduled for Sept. 8 in Tallahassee.

The Mountaineers are preparing to compete in the Big 12 next season and needed to cancel one of their four scheduled non-conference games. Canceling the trip made the most financial sense to West Virginia, although they do have to pay a $500,00 buyout. If FSU can’t find a suitable replacement, they Seminoles might file a lawsuit against the Mountaineers to recoup additional lost revenue.

Florida State has reportedly reached out to several BCS schools to fill the Sept. 8 void on their schedule. Those teams include Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Oklahoma currently needs two non-conference games in 2012, but would the Sooners want to play another home-and-home series with FSU? The two schools just completed their 2010-11 set in which Oklahoma won both games.

Texas A&M is also in need of two games with their move to the SEC in 2012. The Aggies currently have open dates on Sept. 22, Oct. 13 and Nov. 17. They are scheduled to host Florida on Sept. 8 and that date is unlikely to change.

The three Big East schools, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, will each need an additional non-conference game with the departure of West Virginia. They could even schedule two since the NCAA allows 12 games.

Whoever Florida State can get to fill that void, look for it to happen soon since the 2012 ACC schedule is likely to be released later this month.

UTSA opens the 2012 season at South Alabama on Sept. 1. A week later, the Roadrunners host the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions in their home opener at the Alamodome.

The rest of UTSA’s schedule includes at Georgia State (Sept. 15), vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State (Sept. 22), at Rice (Oct. 13) and vs. McNeese State (Nov. 10).

The 2012 season will be the first for UTSA in the WAC. The Roadrunners will host San Jose State, Texas State and Utah State and will travel to Idaho, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 UTSA Football Schedule
• UTSA Future Football Schedules

The Mountaineers were scheduled to visit Doak Campbell Stadium on Sept. 8, 2012. The two schools are also slated to play Sept. 14, 2013 at West Virginia. No announcement was made about the future of that game, but WVU will also need to cancel one of their non-conference games that season since they have four on the books.

West Virginia is canceling the FSU game in preparation for playing a Big 12 schedule in 2012. With ten teams in the Big 12, each school will play a nine-game conference schedule.

Florida State will need to act quickly to get a new opponent for their fourth non-conference game. The ACC schedule should be released this month and the Seminoles need their schedule completely set for season ticket holders and marketing.

FSU could look for an FCS school, but they are already slated to open the season against Murray State on Sept. 1. Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com suggests that the Noles contact schools in the Big East since they will need an extra game with the departure of West Virginia.

Statement from FSU AD Randy Spetman:

“We were informed in writing late Friday afternoon of West Virginia University’s intention to cancel its 2012 football game with Florida State University scheduled for September 8 in Tallahassee. We are disappointed for our coaches, players and fans that this game will not take place as originally scheduled. We now face the challenge of completing our 2012 schedule just seven months before the start of the season. We will work quickly and diligently to fill the hole on our schedule and will communicate with our season ticket holders and fans as the process moves forward.”

Related Links:

• 2012 Florida State Football Schedule
• 2012 West Virginia Football Schedule
• Report: West Virginia May Cancel 2012 Game at Florida State

ACC Commissioner John Swofford also announced today that Syracuse will join the Atlantic Division and Pittsburgh will join the Coastal Division. Current ACC division crossover games will remain intact, while Pittsburgh and Syracuse will become crossover partners.

When Pitt and Syracuse join the ACC, the league will play a nine-game conference schedule. The format will consist of each team playing all six in its division each year, plus its primary crossover partner each year and two rotating opponents from the opposite division. This six-year cycle allows each team to play each divisional opponent and its primary crossover partner six times (three home and three away) while also playing each rotating crossover opponent two times (one home and one away).

“We have been engaged in discussions on the various options for integrating Pitt and Syracuse since early fall,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.”

With the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse, here is how the ACC Atlantic and Coastal Divisions will look:

ACC Atlantic

• Boston College
• Clemson
• Florida State
• Maryland
• NC State
• Syracuse
• Wake Forest

ACC Coastal

• Duke
• Georgia Tech
• Miami
• North Carolina
• Pittsburgh
• Virginia
• Virginia Tech

New Mexico State opens the 2012 season at home on Sept. 1 against the Sacramento State Hornets. The Aggies then hit the road for two weeks with games at Ohio (Sept. 8) and UTEP (Sept. 15).

NMSU returns home on Sept. 22 to host in-state rival New Mexico on Sept. 22. It will be the 103rd meeting between the two schools. The Lobos lead the series 66-31-5 but the Aggies have won three straight.

On Nov. 3, New Mexico State travels to face the Auburn Tigers of the SEC. Auburn beat NMSU in both of their two previous contests, 55-14 in 1993 and 55-20 in 2007.

The Aggies complete their 2012 non-conference schedule on Nov. 24 at home against the BYU Cougars. The two teams first met in 2011 in Provo, Utah. BYU won that game 42-7.

The 2012 WAC schedule hasn’t been released yet, but will be markedly different than past seasons. Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada all left the Wac and will compete in the MWC this season. In their place, the WAC welcomes Texas State and UTSA.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 New Mexico State Football Schedule
• New Mexico State Future Football Schedules

Syracuse will host Stony Brook at the Carrier Dome on Sept. 15, 2012. It will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

Stony Brook is a member of the Big South Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Seawolves finished the 2011 season 9-4 and lost in the 2nd round of the FCS playoffs.

The Orange are currently slated to open the 2012 season on Sept. 1 at home against Northwestern. Syracuse then takes on the USC Trojans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Sept. 8.

After hosting Stony Brook, Syracuse travels to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sept. 22.

Although the 2012 Big East football schedule has yet to be released, Syracuse should host Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh and travel to Cincinnati, Rutgers and USF.

It’s looking more likely that West Virginia will compete in the Big 12 in 2012, so Syracuse will not face the Mountaineers. Instead, the Orange will need an extra non-conference game giving them six overall.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Syracuse Orange Football Schedule
• Big East Football Schedules

The schedule, which includes both TCU and West Virginia, was delivered to the Big 12′s television partners today just before the Feb. 1 deadline. In a statement, the Big 12 said: “The Big 12 Conference has provided a ten-team 2012 football schedule to its television partners and expects to release it publicly in the near future.”

What “near future” won’t mean is Wednesday, Feb. 1. That is National Signing Day for college football recruits and the conference would like to avoid a release on that day.

With West Virginia’s ongoing legal battle with the Big East, the 2012 Big 12 football schedule will probably be released next week. That may be enough time for the two sides to work out a resolution that agrees with all interested parties.

In the mean time, here are the links to our 2012 Big 12 schedules which currently list only non-conference games:

• 2012 Baylor Bears Football Schedule
• 2012 Iowa State Cyclones Football Schedule
• 2012 Kansas Jayhawks Football Schedule
• 2012 Kansas State Wildcats Football Schedule
• 2012 Oklahoma Sooners Football Schedule
• 2012 Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Schedule
• 2012 TCU Horned Frogs Football Schedule
• 2012 Texas Longhorns Football Schedule
• 2012 Texas Tech Red Raiders Football Schedule
• 2012 West Virginia Mountaineers Football Schedule

Memphis Athletics Director R.C. Johnson said that the Tigers could play Vanderbilt as early as 2013 if one of their currently scheduled non-conference opponents cancels. Those opponents are Arkansas State, Duke, Louisville and Middle Tennessee.

The Tigers and Commodores haven’t met since a 1989 contest in Memphis. Vandy leads the overall series 7-5.

The Commercial Appeal also reported that Memphis has verbal agreements to play two games each against the Kansas Jayhawks and the Ole Miss Rebels. UM would face Kansas in 2015 and 2016 and Ole Miss possibly in 2016 and 2017.

Memphis’ future schedules are now littered with big time BCS programs. In 2014, Memphis is slated to travel to Miami (FL) and host Louisville. In 2015, the Tigers will host Miami (FL) and Missouri, travel to Louisville and face Kansas either home or away.

Then in 2016, Memphis returns the game at Missouri, hosts Louisville and then if the contracts are signed could face Kansas and Ole Miss.

The Tigers would then face Ole Miss again in 2017 and will host in-state foe Tennessee.

Last week, Memphis announced their 2012 football schedule. The Tigers open the season on Sept. 1 at home against the UT Martin Skyhawks.

BYU will host Southern Miss at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Nov. 8, 2014. On Oct. 17, 2015, the Cougars will travel to face the Golden Eagles at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg.

BYU and Southern Miss have played twice and the series is tied at one game each. Southern Miss won 42-14 in 1975 in Jackson. The following year, the Cougars returned the favor by rolling over the Golden Eagles 63-19 in Provo.

The two schools initially announced this home-and-home series in July 2011.

Football Schedules:

• BYU Future Football Schedules
• Southern Miss Future Football Schedules

Tulane opens the 2012 season at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sept. 1 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Green Wave also have non-conference games at home against Ole Miss (Sept. 22) and ULM (Sept. 29) and a road contest at UL Lafayette (Oct. 6).

On Sept. 8, Tulane opens 2012 C-USA play at Tulsa. The remainder of their conference schedule includes SMU (Oct. 13), at UTEP (Oct. 20), vs. UAB (Oct. 27), vs. Rice (Nov. 3), at Memphis (Nov. 10), vs. East Carolina (Nov. 17) and at Houston (Nov. 24).

The 2012 C-USA Championship Game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 1 and will be hosted by the team with the highest C-USA winning %.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Tulane Green Wave Football Schedule
• Tulane Future Football Schedules

Missouri will travel to face UCF at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando on Sept. 29, 2012. The game will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

UCF fills a hole in Missouri’s schedule created when the Tigers left the Big 12 to join the SEC. There is no word yet whether UCF will return the game to Columbia in a future season.

Missouri now has three open dates remaining on their 2012 football schedule: Sept. 1 (season opener), Oct. 20 and Nov. 17. One of those dates will be Missouri’s off week, probably Oct. 20.

The Tigers were previously slated to host Southern Illinois on Sept. 8, but their SEC opener vs. Georgia now occupies that date. The game remains on SIU’s 2012 schedule, but could be canceled because they have no open dates that match Missouri.

Missouri’s other non-conference game was supposed to be at Miami (OH). Interestingly, the RedHawks website now lists their 4th and final non-conference game as TBA, meaning it may have been canceled already.

2012 Missouri Football Schedule

• 09/01 – TBA
• 09/08 – Georgia
• 09/15 – Arizona State
• 09/22 – at South Carolina
• 09/29 – at UCF
• 10/06 – Vanderbilt
• 10/13 – Alabama
• 10/20 – TBA
• 10/27 – Kentucky
• 11/03 – at Florida
• 11/10 – at Tennessee
• 11/17 – TBA
• 11/24 – at Texas A&M

Tulsa opens the 2012 season on the road at Iowa State on Sept. 1. The Golden Hurricane also have non-conference games vs. Nicholls State (Sept. 15), vs. Fresno State (Sept. 22) and at Arkansas (Nov. 3).

Tulsa begins the 2012 C-USA season on Sept. 8 at home against Tulane. The remainder of their conference schedule includes at UAB (Sept. 29), at Marshall (Oct. 6), vs. UTEP (Oct. 13), vs. Rice (Oct. 20), at Houston (Nov. 10), vs. UCF (Nov. 17) and at SMU (Nov. 24).

The 2012 C-USA Championship Game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 1 and will be hosted by the team with the highest C-USA winning %.

Football Schedules:

• 2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football Schedule
• Tulsa Future Football Schedules