West Georgia adds first FBS opponent to future schedules

By Kevin Kelley -

The West Georgia Wolves have scheduled their first future football contest against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), FBSchedules.com has learned.

Back in September, it was announced that West Georgia will move up from Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) beginning with the 2024 season. The Wolves will compete in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which is the new name for the alliance between the football-playing schools of the ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference.

Last month, West Georgia’s inaugural UAC football schedule was unveiled, which includes eight league contests plus a non-conference game against fellow UAC member Abilene Christian.

West Georgia has now added its first FBS opponent to its future schedules, and it’s a Power opponent that just completed its first season in the Big 12 Conference.

West Georgia will travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 4, 2027. The Bearcats will pay the Wolves a $400,000 guarantee for the contest, according to a copy of the contract obtained from the University of Cincinnati via a state public records request. The contract was executed on Dec. 12, 2023.

Leading the Wolves into the FCS era will be head coach Joel Taylor, who spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Mercer University.

With the addition of the game against West Georgia, Cincinnati has tentatively completed its non-conference schedule for the 2027 season. Following the game against the Wolves, which will be the season-opener, the Bearcats are scheduled to make consecutive road trips to face the Miami RedHawks on Sept. 11 and the Boston College Eagles on Sept. 18.

Football Schedules