The Marshall Thundering Herd have announced their 2012 football schedule, which features games against Purdue, West Virginia, East Carolina, Houston, Southern Miss and UCF.

Marshall opens the 2012 season on the road at West Virginia on Sept. 1. The Herd also have non-conference games vs. Western Carolina (Sept. 8), Ohio (Sept. 15) and at Purdue (Sept. 29).

The East Carolina Pirates have announced their 2012 football schedule, which features games against Navy, North Carolina, South Carolina, Houston, Marshall and UCF.

East Carolina opens the 2012 season at home on Sept. 1 against Appalachian State. The following week, ECU travels to face South Carolina on Sept. 8. The remainder of their non-conference schedule includes at North Carolina on Sept. 22 and home vs. Navy on Oct. 27.

The Rice Owls have announced their 2012 football schedule, which features games against Kansas, UCLA, Houston, SMU, Southern Miss, UCF and UTEP.

Rice opens the 2012 season at home on Sept. 1 against the UCLA Bruins. The Owls also have non-conference games at Kansas (Sept. 8), at Louisiana Tech (Sept. 15) and home vs. UTSA (Oct. 13).

The Texas Tech Red Raiders will open the 2012 season at home against the Northwestern State Demons. The date was confirmed yesterday when NSU released their 2012 schedule.

Texas Tech will host Northwestern State at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012. The two schools first and only meeting was in 2007. The Red Raiders pummeled the Demons 75-7.

The East Carolina Pirates and the BYU Cougars have scheduled a home-and-home football series for 2017 and 2018, the two schools announced this afternoon.

East Carolina will host BYU at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC during the 2017 season. In 2018, the Pirates will travel to face the Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, UT. Exact dates for the series are to be announced.

The Big East has added the Navy Midshipmen as a football-only member beginning with the 2015 season, the conference officially announced this afternoon.

The Naval Academy has never been a member of a football conference. The Midshipmen have been an Independent since they began playing football in 1879.

Army and Boston College have swapped their 2012-13 home-and-home football series dates, Army announced this afternoon.

Boston College will now travel to face Army at Michie Stadium in West Point, NY on Oct. 6, 2012. The Eagles will host the Black Knights at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill on Oct. 5, 2013.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are in discussions to play a football game in 2012 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Both schools are in need of non-conference games to complete their 2012 football schedules. How many depends on West Virginia’s lawsuit to leave the Big East and compete in the Big 12 in 2012.

The Navy Midshipmen will join the Big East for football in 2015, CBSSports.com has reported. Navy is expected to officially announce the move on Tuesday.

This will be Navy’s first ever foray into a football conference. The Midshipmen have competed as an Independent since they began playing football in 1879.

With the addition of Navy in 2015, the Big East will have 11 football members.

The Navy Midshipmen have announced their 2012 football schedule, which is highlighted by games against Notre Dame (at Dublin, Ireland), Air Force, Army and Penn State.

Navy opens the 2012 season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sept. 1. The two schools will meet at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

The meeting in Ireland will be the second for Navy and Notre Dame. The two schools played in the Emerald Isle Classic in Croke Park in 1996.

Texas Tech President Guy Bailey is “very hopeful” that West Virginia will be in the Big 12 in 2012. Bailey spoke to RedRaiderSports.com in wake of the upcoming 2012 Big 12 football schedules.

“West Virginia has assured us they’d be in there,” Bailey said. “I believe them and I’m very hopeful… I think all of the realignment issues will be resolved in the next two weeks. I won’t guarantee it, but we are making progress.”

The 2012 ACC Football Schedule is set to be released in early February and, as expected, Pittsburgh and Syracuse will likely not be on the schedule.

Both schools announced their intention to leave the Big East and join the ACC in 2014. If the Big East were to unexpectedly release Pittsburgh and Syracuse soon, it would probably be too late to work them into the ACC’s schedule in 2012.

The Colorado Buffaloes have added the Central Arkansas Bears to their 2013 football schedule, BuffZone.com has reported.

Colorado will host Central Arkansas at Folsom Field in Boulder on September 7, 2013, according to the official website of the Bears. The game will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

The Nevada Wolf Pack have scheduled a home-and-home football series with the USF Bulls for 2012 and 2015, Nevada announced this morning.

Nevada will host USF at Mackay Stadium in Reno on September 8, 2012. The Wolf Pack will then travel to face the Bulls at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on October 3, 2015. The game in 2012 will be the first ever meeting between the schools.

The Northern Illinois Huskies have announced their 2012 non-conference football schedule which includes seven home games.

Northern Illinois opens the 2012 season on Sept. 1 against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Huskies are designated as the home team for this game.

The Central Michigan Chippewas have officially announced their 2012 non-conference football schedule. CMU will host seven games for the first time since 1984.

Central Michigan will open the 2012 season at home against Southeast Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. CMU leads the series 1-0 after a 44-27 victory in 2004.

The UNLV Rebels have completed their 2012 non-conference football schedule, Director of Athletics Jim Livengood announced today.

The Rebels have added a home game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Sept. 8, which gives UNLV a 13-game schedule. Since the Rebels are traveling to face Hawaii, they are taking advantage of The Hawaii Exemption.

The Toledo Rockets have scheduled a home-and-home football series with the Cincinnati Bearcats for 2012 and 2014, Toledo announced today.

Toledo will host Cincinnati at the Glass Bowl on October 20, 2012. The Rockets will then travel to face the Bearcats at Nippert Stadium on September 13, 2014.

West Virginia Athletic Director Oliver Luck says that “there is no question” that the Mountaineers will play a Big 12 football schedule in 2012.

In a conversation with WVIllustrated.com, Luck had the following to say regarding West Virginia’s imminent move to the Big 12:

“There is no question that we will be playing a Big 12 schedule in all of our sports for the ’12-’13 academic year,” Luck stated.

The Central Michigan Chippewas have added the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks to their 2012 football schedule, CM-Life.com has reported.

Central Michigan will host Southeast Missouri State in their season opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. CMU leads the series 1-0 after a 44-27 victory in 2004.