The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have completed their 2016 non-conference football schedule, the school announced on Friday.
Louisiana Tech opens the 2016 season at the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 3. LA Tech and Arkansas have met three times on the gridiron, but not since a 1997 matchup in Little Rock. The Bulldogs trail in the overall series 0-3.
The following week on Sept. 10, Louisiana Tech hosts the South Carolina State Bulldogs in their home opener at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. The two schools’ first and only meeting came back in 1982 in a Division I-AA quarterfinal playoff game. Tech won that contest 38-3.
Louisiana Tech hits the road again on Sept. 17 to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders haven’t met since a 40-10 TTU win back in 1933 in Lubbock.
The final non-conference game of the 2016 season for Louisiana Tech is at UMass on Oct. 15 (at Gillette Stadium). The game will be the first ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
In Conference USA play in 2016, LA Tech is expected to host Rice, UTEP, UTSA, and Western Kentucky and travel to FIU, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, and Southern Miss.
Louisiana Tech Football Schedules
Took a long time for the So Caro St game to be announced official. Appears five more programs (UCF, West Mich, Buffalo, Mid Tenn, and Marshall) still need to schedule a 2016 FCS game.
Boise St, Nevada, New Mexico and UNLV could add an additional game (Hawaii exemption).
Coastal Carolina appears to be in need of a game against FBS program. The same for Eastern Illinois, SUNY-Albany, Ark-Pine Bluff, and Bucknell. And most of the NEC might want a chance at a payday game with FBS program.
The NEC is non-scholarship so they don’t count toward bowl eligibility. It’s not unheard of but it’s very rare for FBS teams to schedule them. I’m not sure on Bucknell having enough scholarships to count, either.
WMU has NC Central.
The NEC has scholarships, but not all schools provide enough. Same with some MEAC schools. But, there’s creative accounting to get around it. Google “Wagner exception vs. Syracuse.”
Interesting to see Montana and Sam Houston State are the only full scholarship FCS programs which elected to not play a payday game against a FBS program in 2016.
Sam was supposed to play at New Mexico but the game got canceled (not sure if it had something to do with SHSU winner there in 2011)
Will these be the last four games for the 2016 season to be announced?
UCF vs. Coastal Carolina
Buffalo vs. SUNY-Albany
Marshall vs. Eastern Illinois
Mid Tenn vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
It would be so much better if UCF played Marshall and MTSU played Buffalo
It would also be better if the SEC West scheduled either 2 power 5 non-conference games or 9 conference games.
Maverick,
I truly do believe you loose sleep over the SEC west scheduling.
lose*
UCF already has TWO P5 programs on their schedule. It’s a rebuilding year for UCF (along with a coaching change). Best if UCF adds a weaker FCS program to their schedule. Maybe SUNY-Albany or Ark-PB would be best for UCF.
Marshall already has TWO P5 programs on their schedule. To provide more balance need to add a weaker FCS program to their schedule.
Everyone plays an FCS opponent in 2016…except for USC, Stanford, UCLA, Cal, Ohio St, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn St, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisville, Boise St, Notre Dame, FIU, Appalachian St, and New Mexico St.
And Army gets TWO!
UCF opens vs. South Carolina State. We missed that announcement from last year.
Wow, South Carolina St also has Clemson and Louis Tech. So three games vs FBS.
Albany is already confirmed against Buffalo (FBS) again in 2016. They also played in 2015. It’s 2017 that Albany is looking for a FBS game.
Mercer Univ playing the Crimson Tide! Tickets for this match must be going fast. Better buy a year ahead.