If the 2020 college football season is played as scheduled, the 130 FBS teams will play a combined 1,560 regular-season games. Of these, a mere 19 will feature a Power 5 member visiting a non-Power venue. It amounts to a mere one percent of the total.
By conference, eight of the matchups feature an ACC program, seven include a Pac-12 member, three involve a Big 12 team, and one includes a Big Ten team. No SEC schools are slated to visit a non-Power foe this season.
On the receiving end, eight Mountain West schools will serve as hosts, five hail from C-USA, and two are from the Sun Belt and American. That leaves one representative apiece from the MAC and independents.
The most frequent matchup is a Pac-12 team visiting a Mountain West venue, accounting for seven (or 39%) of the 18 games.
UNLV and Old Dominion both host two Power programs in 2020 and UCLA visits two Group of 5 schools.
ARIZONA STATE at UNLV – Saturday, Sept. 12
Seating differential: 21,578, Sun Devil Stadium (57,078) vs. Sam Boyd Stadium (35,500; tentative site)
Arizona State visited a Group of 5 venue as recently as 2018, when it rolled into San Diego and fell 28-21 to the Aztecs. Its last such win came two seasons earlier, in 2016, when it visited UTSA and won 32-28.
CAL at UNLV – Saturday, Aug. 29
Seating differential: 9,533, Cal Memorial Stadium (62,467) vs. Allegiant Stadium (72,000)
The Golden Bears last played at a Group of 5 school in 2016, suffering a 45-40 loss at San Diego State. Before that, it was 2010, when they fell 52-31 at Nevada. It last won a roadie at a non-Power venue in 2007, a 34-28 victory at Colorado State.
COLORADO at COLORADO STATE – Saturday, Sept. 5
Seating differential: 8,983, Folsom Field (50,183) vs. Canvas Stadium (41,200)
The Rocky Mountain Showdown won’t be played in Denver this season for the first time since 2009. The Buffaloes haven’t visited a non-Power program since making the trek to Hawaii in 2015 and suffering a 28-20 defeat. They haven’t won such a game since their last visit to Ft. Collins, a 48-34 victory in 1996.
FLORIDA STATE at BOISE STATE – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: 43,173, Doak Campbell Stadium (79,560) vs. Albertsons Stadium (36,387)
The Seminoles’ most recent road trip to play a Group of 5 opponent was in 2016, a 55-35 win at South Florida. Their last road loss to a program that’s not currently a Power 5 member came 37 years ago, in 1983, when they visited Tulane (an independent at the time) and fell 34-28.
KANSAS at COASTAL CAROLINA – Saturday, Sept. 26
Seating differential: 35,071, Kansas Memorial Stadium (50,071) vs. Brooks Stadium (15,000)
The Jayhawks visited a Group of 5 venue as recently as 2018, scoring a 31-7 win at Central Michigan. They last lost such a game in 2017, a 42-30 defeat at Ohio University.
NORTH CAROLINA at UCF – Friday, Sept. 4
Seating differential: 5,677, Kenan Memorial Stadium (51,000) vs. Spectrum Stadium (45,323)
The Tar Heels’ last Group of 5 roadie resulted in a 41-19 loss at East Carolina in 2018. The most recent win came the season before, in 2017, when they visited Old Dominion and reigned over the Monarchs 53-23.
NC STATE at TROY – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: 29,598, Carter-Finley Stadium (60,000) vs. Veterans Memorial Stadium (30,402)
NC State traveled to play a Group of 5 member in Week 4 of the 2018 season, scoring a 37-20 win at Marshall. Its last such loss came in 2016, a 33-30 defeat at East Carolina.
PITT at MARSHALL – Saturday, Sept. 12
Seating differential: 30,173, Heinz Field (68,400) vs. Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,227)
The Panthers most recently visited (13) UCF in 2018 and got beat 45-14. Their last win at a Group of 5 opponent came in 2015, a 24-7 win at Akron.
OKLAHOMA at ARMY – Saturday, Sept. 26
Seating differential: 48,112, Gaylord Family OK Memorial Stadium (86,112) vs. Michie Stadium (38,000)
Oklahoma hasn’t visited a non-Power venue since traveling the 122 miles to Tulsa in 2014, beating the Golden Hurricane 52-7. Prior to that, it was a 24-7 win at UTEP to open the 2012 season. The Sooners haven’t lost at a current Group of 5 school in 24 years, or since 1996, when they fell 51-31 at San Diego State.
RUTGERS at TEMPLE – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: +16,722, SHI Stadium (52,454) vs. Lincoln Financial Field (69,176)
The Scarlet Knights last visited a Group of 5 opponent when they traveled to West Point and defeated Army 31-21 in 2015. The Big Ten now counts Army as a Power 5 opponent for scheduling purposes.
SYRACUSE at WESTERN MICHIGAN – Saturday, Sept. 26
Seating differential: 19,062, Carrier Dome (49,262) vs. Waldo Stadium (30,200)
The Orange visited a Group of 5 opponent as recently as last season, playing at Liberty and extinguishing the Flames 24-0 in the opener. It also kicked off the 2018 season with a G5 roadie, winning 55-42 at Western Michigan. Its last such loss came in 2015, a 45-24 defeat at South Florida.
TEXAS TECH at UTEP – Saturday, Sept. 5
Seating differential: 8,954, Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454) vs. Sun Bowl Stadium (51,500)
The Red Raiders haven’t traveled to a Group of 5 venue since making the trip down to Houston early in the 2017 season and edging the Cougars 27-24. They haven’t lost at a non-Power school since 2009, another roadie to Houston, resulting in a 29-28 loss to the then No. 17 Cougars.
UCLA at HAWAII – Saturday, Sept. 5
Seating differential: 42,542, Rose Bowl Stadium (92,542) vs. Aloha Stadium (50,000)
The Bruins visited a Group of 5 school as recently as last season, opening with a 24-14 loss at Cincinnati. It also fell 48-45 at Memphis in 2017. It hasn’t won such a game since 2015, when it played at UNLV and won 37-3.
UCLA at SAN DIEGO STATE – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: 38,542, Rose Bowl Stadium (92,542) vs. SDCCU Stadium (54,000)
UCLA has visited San Diego State seven times previously and has never lost.
UTAH at WYOMING – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: 16,626, Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,807) vs. War Memorial Stadium (29,181)
The Utes last hit the road to play a non-Power team in 2018, making the trek to Northern Illinois for a 17-6 win. Their most recent loss at a Group of 5 school came in 2012, a 27-20 defeat at Utah State.
VIRGINIA at OLD DOMINION – Saturday, Sept. 24
Seating differential: 39,020, Scott Stadium (61,500) vs. S.B. Ballard Stadium (22,480)
The Cavaliers’ most recent visit to a Group of 5 venue came in 2017, a 42-23 win at Boise State. The most recent loss came the season before, a 13-10 defeat at UConn.
VIRGINIA TECH at MIDDLE TENNESSEE – Saturday, Sept. 19
Seating differential: 35,445, Lane Stadium (66,233) vs. Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium (30,788)
The Hokies last hit the road to play a non-Power school in 2018, suffering a 49-35 loss at Old Dominion. The most recent win came the season before, in 2017, a 64-17 beatdown of East Carolina in Greenville.
WAKE FOREST at OLD DOMINION – Friday, Sept. 4
Seating differential: 9,020, BB&T Field (31,500) vs. S.B. Ballard Stadium (22,480)
The Demon Deacons played at a Group of 5 school last season, beating Rice 41-21 in Houston. They haven’t lost such a game since rolling into Louisiana-Monroe in the 2014 season opener and falling 17-10.
WASHINGTON STATE at UTAH STATE – Thursday, Sept. 3
Seating differential: 7,852, Martin Stadium (32,952) vs. Maverik Stadium (25,100)
The Cougars last visited a non-Power program in 2018, winning 41-19 at Wyoming. The most recent defeat at a Group of 5 venue came in 2016, a 31-28 loss at Boise State.
Historical data courtesy of Sports Reference-College Football.