After a flurry of scheduling activity over the last week, only four teams remain that need a non-conference football game in 2013: New Mexico State, Syracuse, UL Lafayette, and Western Kentucky.
That number could easily be two as New Mexico State and UL Lafayette are reportedly discussing a game for Nov. 2, 2013.
Just last week, there were nine teams in need of a game. Let’s take a look at the four remaining teams:
NMSU will be playing their first season as an FBS Independent. The Aggies have 11 games lined up and their 12th game could be a visit from UL Lafayette, according to a report from The Daily Advertiser.
New Mexico State had 12 games on their schedule, but Idaho replaced a Nov. 2 home game against the Aggies with a game against Texas State. That happened because Sun Belt members Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee left for Conference USA a year early. With all SBC teams needing a 5th non-conference game, Idaho answered the call and eliminated one of their two games against NMSU in 2013.
The Orange are currently slated to face Penn State at MetLife Stadium (Aug. 31), travel to Northwestern (Sept. 7), and host Tulane (Sept. 21).
Syracuse needs one non-conference game and has the option of adding an FCS team. They have been in discussions with Old Dominion, but nothing has materialized yet.
This game, plus a date for Troy at Duke, are the only two games that are holding up the release of the complete 2013 ACC football schedule.
The Ragin’ Cajuns need five non-conference games since the Sun Belt only has eight teams in 2013. They open the season at Arkansas (Aug. 31), play at Kansas State (Sept. 7), host Nicholls State (Sept. 14), and then travel to Akron (Sept. 21).
As mentioned above, UL Lafayette is in discussions to play at New Mexico State on Nov. 2, 2013.
WKU also needs five non-conference games, and there have been no published reports of a possible fifth opponent. The Hilltoppers are scheduled to play Kentucky in Nashville (Aug. 31), travel to Tennessee (Sept. 7), host Navy (Sept. 28), and play at Army (Nov. 9).
Listed below are teams that recently completed their 2013 schedule and who they added:
- Arkansas State – at Missouri (part of a home-and-home)
- BYU – Idaho State, at Nevada (part of a 3-game series)
- Duke – Troy
- Georgia State – Samford
- Marshall – Gardner-Webb
- Missouri – Arkansas State (part of a home-and-home)
- South Alabama – Southern Utah
- Texas State – at Idaho
- Troy – at Duke (part of a home-and-home)
- Tulane – Jackson State
- Wake Forest – ULM (part of a home-and-home)
- ULM – at Wake Forest (part of a home-and-home)
Update (2/7/13)
The game between New Mexico State and UL Lafayette is now official, so those two schools can be removed from the list. Syracuse and Western Kentucky are currently the only two FBS programs that need a non-conference game.