2024 is a year of new faces in new places in college football.
There’s a new playoff system, plenty of transfers and coaching changes, and massive changes when it comes to conference realignment to boot.
And of course, that means there’s plenty of first-ever matchups between schools that have never faced each other in the 150-plus year history of the sport.
Normally, this article consists of a couple of Power Four non-conference games and some Group of Five contests. But this year, realignment means that there’s over a dozen Power Four conference games between teams that have never played each other — including all of the ones highlighted here.
So here’s seven first-time clashes that you should be on the lookout for this year.
SOUTH CAROLINA at OKLAHOMA – Sat., Oct. 19
Welcome to the SEC, Sooners.
Oklahoma has faced most of their new conference mates, but this will be the first time they’ve faced the Gamecocks.
This matchup also happens to land right in between the Red River Rivalry and a road game at what should be a highly-ranked Ole Miss squad.
There’s no such thing as an easy game in the SEC, and that might just be a lesson the Sooners have to learn the hard way.
INDIANA at UCLA – Sat., Sept. 14
Two blue-bloods of the hardwood meet on the gridiron for the first time, in what looks like a Rose Bowl matchup from the eighth year of an NCAA Football 14 dynasty.
It’s a Big Ten showdown now, and speaking of new faces in new places, it’s also a matchup between a pair of brand-new head coaches in UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti — both of which will be gunning for a win in their first major non-conference game of the year.
FLORIDA STATE at SMU – Sat., Sept. 28
SMU’s return to the Power Four comes with a brand new marquee matchup as the Mustangs welcome reigning ACC champion Florida State to Dallas. Talk about a top-tier first-ever meeting.
The cheapest tickets I can find on the secondary market (after an admittedly brief search) are quickly approaching 200 bucks. Safe to say the Mustang faithful are excited for this one.
STANFORD at SYRACUSE – Fri., Sept. 20
It’s a color-on-color clash as the Cardinal face the Orange for the first time in this ACC battle.
Stanford opens ACC play with this cross-country road trip, and with Syracuse still adjusting to new head coach Fran Brown, this could be a chance for head coach Troy Taylor and the Cardinal to build momentum to begin Taylor’s second year — while the same can be said of Brown and the Orange.
MARYLAND at OREGON – Sat., Nov. 9
Of all the newcomers to conferences this season, Oregon is easily one of the most likely to contend for a championship in their new home.
But to do that, they’ve got to avoid a classic Big Ten trap game in this brand-new Maryland matchup that falls in between road trips to Michigan’s Big House and Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium. This could be a welcome reprieve for the Ducks, or a trap game that proves to the newcomers why the Big Ten is such a gauntlet.
RUTGERS at USC – Fri., Oct. 25
West Coast, meet East Coast. East Coast, meet West Coast.
The Scarlet Knights make the trip to Los Angeles to take on the Trojans for the first time in this Big Ten clash.
It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s an opportunity for Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano to make a quite frankly hilarious statement. What more could you ask for?
NC STATE at CALIFORNIA – Sat. Oct. 19
I would love to be a fly on the wall for every single interaction between Cal fans and NC State fans. Apparently, cultural exchanges are an unexpected benefit to conference realignment.
In all seriousness, this game comes in what should be a softer part of the Wolfpack’s conference slate, sandwiched in between home games against Syracuse and Stanford. One of those could become a trap game, with late-season clashes against rivals Duke and North Carolina on the horizon.
As A Michigan Wolverines Fan I am giving USC Trojans a chance.
As A Georgia Bulldogs Fan I am giving Texas Longhorns a chance.
As A Syracuse Orange Fan I am giving California Golden Bears a chance.
As A Arizona State Sun Devils Fan I am giving entire Big 12 a chance.