Of the 138 FBS programs competing in 2026, 20 — 14 percent — enter the season without a single power‑conference opponent on their non‑league slate.
That group includes nine Power Four members (five from the Big Ten and four from the Big 12), accounting for 13 percent of the power‑conference field, along with 11 Group of Six programs — three each from the American, CUSA, and Mountain West, plus one apiece from the MAC and Sun Belt — representing 16 percent of the G6 contingent.
Some college football teams ended up without a true power‑conference non‑conference opponent in 2026 because the scheduling landscape shifted underneath them. Conference realignment weakened traditional Power matchups — most notably the collapse of the Pac‑12, which left Oregon State and Washington State classified as non-power opponents moving forward.
Additionally, the Big Ten is the sole power conference without a mandate for its members to schedule a power non-conference game. That leaves teams to schedule as they see fit, while others may choose regional opponents or long-standing rivalries instead.
Non-conference schedule: Duquesne (Sept. 5), Navy (Oct. 3), UConn (Oct. 31), at Army (Nov. 7)
Air Force doesn’t have much flexibility when creating its non-conference schedule, as annual games against Army and Navy are baked in. The Falcons last played a power non-conference team in 2024 when they lost on the road at Baylor, 31-3. Looking ahead, Air Force is scheduled to host Baylor in 2027.
Non-conference schedule: Northern Arizona (Sept. 5), Northern Illinois (Sept. 19), at Washington State (Sept. 26)
Arizona does play at Washington State, a Pac-12 member, in 2026. However, the Pac-12 lost its power status following the departure of most if its members in 2023. The Sun Devils are slated to host Washington State next season before traveling to Nebraska in 2028.
Non-conference schedule: Bryant (Sept. 5), at Louisiana Tech (Oct. 3), Air Force (Nov. 7), vs Navy (Dec. 12, East Rutherford, NJ)
Two of Army’s non-league opponents are played annually — Air Force and Navy. The Black Knights last played a power foe in 2025 when they defeated Kansas State in Manhattan, 24-21. Army’s next regular-season power tilt is in 2028 at Boston College.
Non-conference schedule: at USF (Sept. 5), Buffalo (Sept. 12), at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 19), LIU (Sept. 26)
FIU faces two in-state foes this season, USF and Florida Atlantic, but neither are in power leagues. The Panthers last played a power team in 2025 when they lost at Penn State, 34-0. Currently, FIU has one future game scheduled against a power opponent — at UCF in 2030.
Non-conference schedule: Oregon State (Sept. 5), Southern (Sept. 12), at Georgia Southern (Sept. 26)
Oregon State, a former power-league team, is on the schedule for Houston in 2026 following a tilt in Corvallis the previous season. Technically speaking, the Cougars haven’t faced a power team outside of conference play since they fell to Oklahoma in 2024 in Norman, 16-12. Next season, Houston will take on LSU at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Non-conference schedule: North Texas (Sept. 5), Howard (Sept. 12), WKU (Sept. 19)
Indiana, which won the national championship last season, hasn’t faced a power team in non-conference action since a 21-14 loss to Louisville in Indianapolis in 2023. Following their recent decision to cancel a 2030-31 home-and-home series with Notre Dame, the Hoosiers now have zero power opponents on their future non-conference slate.
Non-conference schedule: at North Dakota State (Aug. 29), Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 5), at Ohio (Sept. 12), Georgia Southern (Sept. 19)
Jacksonville State, which moved up to the FBS in 2023, last played non-league power opponents in 2024 (Louisville) and 2025 (UCF), but will not do so this season. The next scheduled power non-conference game for the Gamecocks is at Auburn in 2029.
Non-conference schedule: Liberty (Sept. 5), Wagner (Sept. 12), at San Diego State (Sept. 19), at UConn (Nov. 14)
James Madison was previously scheduled to play Virginia Tech in 2026, but the Hokies dropped the contest following the ACC’s move to a nine-game league schedule. The Dukes later filled that void with San Diego State. Looking ahead, JMU is slated to visit Maryland in 2027, Virginia in 2028, UCF in 2029, and North Carolina in 2031.
Non-conference schedule: Nicholls (Sept. 5), Washington State (Sept. 12), Tulane (Sept. 19)
Like Arizona, Kansas State faces non-power Washington State this season, although the series was scheduled way back in 2016 when the Pac-12 was a power league. The Wildcats are next scheduled to play a power non-conference foe when they visit NC State next season.
Non-conference schedule: at James Madison (Sept. 5), Gardner‑Webb (Sept. 12), Ball State (Sept. 19), at Coastal Carolina (Sept. 24)
Liberty hasn’t faced a power non-conference team in the regular season since a 23-22 loss to Virginia Tech in 2022, and that season also included games against Arkansas, BYU, and Wake Forest. The Flames are next scheduled to face a power non-league opponent when they visit Virginia Tech in consecutive seasons (2027 and 2028).
Non-conference schedule: at UNLV (Aug. 29), Arkansas State (Sept. 5), at Boise State (Sept. 12), UT Martin (Sept. 19)
Memphis faced a non-conference power team as recently as last season when it defeated Arkansas at home, 32-31. The Tigers aren’t currently scheduled to face a power team next season, but have games lined up at Arkansas in 2028 and 2030 and a series with Mississippi State (2028 home, 2029 away).
Non-conference schedule: Ohio (Sept. 5), Bowling Green (Sept. 12), North Dakota (Sept. 19)
Nebraska opened the 2025 season against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium, but doesn’t face a power team in non-conference play in 2026 and 2027 after canceling a series with Tennessee. The Cornhuskers next face a power team in 2028 when they host Arizona.
Non-conference schedule: Jacksonville State (Aug. 29), Fordham (Sept. 5), at Sacramento State (Sept. 19), at San Jose State (Nov. 27)
North Dakota State will be playing its first season at the FBS level this fall. The Bison last faced a power conference team in 2024 when they fell at Colorado, 31-26. NDSU is next scheduled to visit Oregon in 2028.
Non-conference schedule: Marshall (Sept. 5), at Temple (Sept. 12), Buffalo (Sept. 19)
Penn State eschewed playing a non-league power team last season and will do it again this fall. The Nittany Lions last played a power opponent outside of league play in 2024 when it crushed West Virginia in Morgantown, 34-12. Looking ahead, PSU has a series scheduled against Syracuse in 2027 (home) and 2028 (away).
Non-conference schedule: Mississippi Valley State (Sept. 5), at Fresno State (Sept. 12), North Dakota State (Sept. 19), at Hawaii (Nov. 28)
Like North Dakota State, Sacramento State will also play its first season at the FBS level in 2026. The Bison last faced an FBS power conference team in 2023 when they upset Stanford, 30-23. The next out-of-conference power opponent for Sac State is California in 2027.
Non-conference schedule: Abilene Christian (Sept. 5), at Oregon State (Sept. 12), Sam Houston (Sept. 26)
Texas Tech hasn’t technically played a power non-conference foe since a 38-30 home loss to Oregon in 2023. The Red Raiders did face former power status teams Washington State in 2024 and Oregon State in 2025. TTU currently doesn’t have a power team slated until 2030 when it faces Arkansas in Las Vegas.
Non-conference schedule: San Jose State (Aug. 29), Fresno State (Sept. 4), Louisiana (Sept. 12)
With the exception of the COVID season in 2020, USC faced Notre Dame every year since 1946. But tensions between the two schools resulted in a series break for the next four seasons. Earlier this month, the two schools agreed to resume their rivalry in 2030. It’s currently unknown if the Trojans will fill their power non-conference opponent void from 2027 through 2029.
Non-conference schedule: FIU (Sept. 5), Delaware State (Sept. 19), at Bowling Green (Sept. 26), Kent State (Oct. 17)
USF played a pair of in-state power foes last season, notching an 18-16 upset of Florida and a 49-12 defeat to Miami. The Bulls were slated to visit both Alabama and BYU this season, but the games were postponed to 2032 and 2034, respectively. The Bulls also have future power games scheduled against Louisville in 2027 and 2030, Miami in 2028, and NC State in 2029, and Notre Dame in 2029 and 2031.
Non-conference schedule: Washington State (Sept. 6), Utah State (Sept. 12), Eastern Washington (Sept. 19)
Washington played former power and in-state rival Washington State last season and hosts the Cougars to open the 2026 season. The two schools will tangle again in 2027 and 2028 before the Huskies begin a series with Tennessee in 2029 and 2030.
Non-conference schedule: at Colorado State (Sept. 5), Northern Colorado (Sept. 12), at Central Michigan (Sept. 19), UConn (Nov. 28)
Wyoming faced a non-conference power team as recently as last season when it lost at Colorado, 37-20. The Cowboys are scheduled to face a power team next season when they visit Utah. Other future power opponents include Texas Tech in 2028, California in 2029 and 2031, and Arizona in 2030 and 2033.
That Indiana-UCLA game in 2024 was a conference game. Indiana’s last Power conference non-conference game was Louisville in 2023. UofL won 21-14 in Indianapolis.
Main reason Indiana does not want to play a P4 OOC because they fair much better with cupcake teams.
I dont blame Indiana, their conference schedule is never full of easy wins (unless it’s Purdue)
Every Power 4 Conference should require each of their teams to play at least one non-conference Power 4 team every year, like the SEC requires. I hope the CFP considers strength of schedule with more weight. Indiana, Texas Tech, & some others non-conference slates are pathetic.🙄
I can excuse teams that scheduled Washington State and Oregon State back when they were still power conference teams and couldn’t replace them. What is unacceptable is teams like Indiana that are deliberately scheduling only cupcakes every year.
Indiana and Cignetti should be embarrassed with their current and future non-conference schedules!