Of the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs set to compete this season, only 15 – or 11 percent – won’t play an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). That’s down one from the 16 who didn’t play one last season.
Of the 15 teams on this year’s honor roll, 10 hail from a power conference, including Notre Dame, while five represent a Group of five league. The Big Ten again leads the way with five representatives, while while the Big 12 and Conference USA are tied for second with two teams apiece. The ACC, American, MAC, SEC, and Sun Belt each have one representative each.
The Mountain West is the only conference not represented, as every member, including Oregon State and Washington State, play FCS teams this season.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. Wyoming (Aug. 31), vs. Mississippi State (Sept. 7), at Texas State (Sept. 12)
Arizona State scheduled an FCS opponent as recently as the 2023 season, defeating Southern Utah 24-21 at home. Moving forward, Arizona State’s future schedule includes four games against Northern Arizona and one against Cal Poly.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. UNLV (Aug. 31), at Oklahoma (Sept. 7), vs. Rice (Sept. 14)
The Cougars last faced an FCS team on the gridiron in 2021, defeating Grambling State 45-0. Houston is not currently scheduled to face any FCS opponents in the future.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. Coastal Carolina (Aug. 29), at Louisville (Sept. 7), at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 14), vs. Southern Miss (Sept. 21)
Jacksonville State moved up from the FCS in 2023 and competed in Conference USA. The Gamecocks played an FCS foe in that inaugural season at the FBS level, crushing ETSU 49-3. An FCS opponent, Murray State, returns to Jax State’s future schedule next season.
2024 non-conference schedule: at Northwestern (Aug. 31), vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 14), at Notre Dame (Sept. 21), vs. UMass (Sept. 28)
The Miami RedHawks scheduled an FCS opponent the past three seasons, but will not face one in 2024. Miami will resume playing FCS foes in 2025 when they host Lindenwood. After that, its Holy Cross in 2026, Stonehill in 2027, and Norfolk State in 2029.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. Fresno State (Aug. 31), vs. Texas (Sept. 7), vs. Arkansas State (Sept. 14)
This is the fourteenth consecutive season that Michigan hasn’t squared off with an FCS foe, last doing so in 2010 when they defeated UMass, 42-37. The Wolverines currently don’t have any future dates set with FCS programs.
2024 schedule: at Texas A&M, vs. Northern Illinois, at Purdue, vs. Miami (Ohio), vs. Louisville, vs. Stanford, at Georgia Tech, vs. Navy, vs. Florida State, vs. Virginia, vs. Army, at USC
Prior to hosting Tennessee State last season, Notre Dame hadn’t played an opponent that was considered a “non-major” at game-time since 1941, when it traveled to face Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Irish have no future games scheduled with an FCS opponent.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. Akron (Aug. 31), vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 7), vs. Marshall (Sept. 21)
Ohio State played a rare contest against an FCS team last season, defeating Youngstown State, 35-7. Prior to that, the Buckeyes hadn’t hosted an FCS foe since Florida A&M visited Columbus in 2013. The Buckeyes currently have one FCS opponent on their future schedule — New Hampshire in 2027.
2024 non-conference schedule: at South Carolina (Aug. 31), vs. East Carolina (Sept. 7), vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 14), at Bowling Green (Sept. 28)
After an FCS-free season in 2022, Old Dominion hosted Texas A&M-Commerce last season and barely came away with a victory, winning a 10-9 defensive struggle. An FCS opponent returns to ODU’s future schedule in 2025 when North Carolina Central visits Norfolk. Then it’s Norfolk State in 2026 and William & Mary in 2029.
2024 non-conference schedule: at West Virginia (Aug. 31), vs. Bowling Green (Sept. 7), vs. Kent State (Sept. 21)
Penn State has played an FCS opponent in two of the past four seasons, hosting Villanova in 2021 and Delaware in 2023. The Nittany Lions’ future schedule includes one future FCS opponent — Villanova in 2025. Penn State previously scheduled a future FCS game against Delaware for the 2027 season, but the Blue Hens move up to the FBS and join Conference USA next season.
2024 non-conference schedule: at Rice (Aug. 31), at UCF (Sept. 7), vs. Hawaii (Sept. 14), vs. Texas State (Sept. 28; in Houston, TX)
Like Jacksonville State, Sam Houston also moved up from the FCS and played its first season in Conference USA in 2023. But the Bearkats didn’t play an FCS opponent and don’t currently have one on their future schedule.
2024 non-conference schedule: at Oklahoma (Aug. 30), vs. Coastal Carolina (Sept. 14), vs. Utah State (Sept. 21), at UConn (Oct. 5)
Temple squared off against Norfolk State last season in Philadelphia and came away with a 41-9 win. Looking ahead, the Owls have one FCS opponent on their future schedule — Rhode Island to open the 2026 season.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. Colorado State (Aug. 31), at Michigan (Sept. 7), vs. UTSA (Sept. 14), vs. ULM (Sept. 21)
This is the 18th consecutive season that Texas will not face an FCS opponent. The Longhorns last played an FCS team in 2006, scoring a 56-3 win over Sam Houston State. Currently, Texas doesn’t have an FCS team on its future schedule.
2024 non-conference schedule: at Hawaii (Aug. 31), at LSU (Sept. 21), vs. Fresno State (Nov. 30)
UCLA bucked a recent trend of not scheduling FCS opponents when it played a pair of HBCU programs — Alabama State and North Carolina Central — in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Bruins don’t have another FCS team on their future schedule until 2027 when they host UC Davis.
2024 non-conference schedule: vs. LSU (Sept. 1, in Las Vegas, NV), vs. Utah State (Sept. 7), vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 30)
The Trojans haven’t played a club that was considered a “non-major” at game time in 72 seasons. That contest was against San Diego Navy in 1952, a 20-6 win for the Trojans on the way to a 10-1 finish. USC doesn’t have any future plans to face an FCS opponent.
2024 non-conference schedule: at Vanderbilt (Aug. 31), vs. Marshall (Sept. 7), at Old Dominion (Sept. 14), vs. Rutgers (Sept. 21)
Virginia Tech’s last FCS opponent was in 2022 against the Wofford Terriers, which resulted in a 27-7 Hokies victory. The only FCS matchups on Virginia Tech’s future schedule are Wofford in 2025 and VMI in 2026.
Historical data courtesy of Sports Reference/College Football.
I would like to see My Michigan Wolverines play an FCS Team like North Dakota Fighting Hawks in future other then that I have zero issues with Wolverines not playing FCS Team.
My dream is that Notre Dame play Host to Villanova Wildcats in 2025 & have Furman be FCS replacement opponent for Penn State & to allow Clemson play Notre Dame in South Bend.
I now accept Notre Dame playing Boise State on 10/4/25 & now I’m flexible about 12th & last opponent hopefully A sixth ACC Team is on My primary wish list for Notre Dame.
Dan is pulling for California Golden Bears to play Notre Dame in 2025.
I am very confident That Notre Dame will play Stanford in foreseeable future with 2026 as earliest.
Great roundup. Story Idea: A list of teams playing 2 FCS teams would be an interesting article too
Would it even be a list? Just UMass?
Just UMass.
I have “0” interest in seeing FBS play FCS, UNLESS,,, it’s the FIRST game of the year, and that could be FGS’s PRE-SEASON game!!!
LOL I thought there might be more than 1
Nothing honorable about an FBS team not playing an FCS.
What’s honorable about an FBS school hosting an FCS school?
I am A Fan of FBS Teams like Illinois Fighting Illi playing host to Southeast Missouri State Redhawks & I do respect Teams like Michigan Wolverines that do not play A FCS Team last was 2010.
Credit to all the AD’s for not scheduling an FCS team except for Ohio State who is not playing a Power 4 team this year. Akron, W Michigan and Marshall (all at home of course) is a disapointing Out of Conference schedule. Michigan did not play an out of conference Power 5 team the last two years, but at least they are playing Texas this year.
CBS gets Ohio State hosting Akron Week 1 8/31.