Whether it’s because of geography, history, potential viewership or a competitive advantage, each conference has a “go-to” league it tends to partner with most often.
To illustrate, the 14 teams of the Big Ten will play a total of 42 non-conference games in 2018. Of these, 12 – or 29% – are scheduled against members of the MAC.
On the flip side, there are leagues who very rarely clash during the regular season. This year there are seven conference combos between the 10 FBS leagues that will happen just once. Beyond that, there are two matchups that won’t happen at all.
Most Played Overall: Big Ten vs. MAC (12) and SEC vs. C-USA (12)
The only Big Ten teams not playing a MAC team in 2018 are Ohio State and Wisconsin. As for the MAC, only Ohio and Toledo don’t have a Big Ten school booked. Akron (Nebraska and Northwestern) and Kent State (Illinois and Penn State) both have two such games slated apiece.
In the SEC, only Alabama, Florida, Missouri, and Ole Miss won’t play a member of C-USA. LSU (Louisiana Tech and Rice) and Tennessee (UTEP and Charlotte) play two members each. That leaves FIU, FAU, Old Dominion, UTSA, and Western Kentucky as the only C-USA members without a date with an SEC school. Louisiana Tech (LSU and Mississippi State) has two SEC opponents and Middle Tennessee (Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Kentucky) has the unenviable task of facing three SEC institutions.
Not Played at All: ACC vs. MWC and Pac-12 vs. Sun Belt
The ACC squared off with the Mountain West as recently as Sept. 22, 2017 when Virginia visited Boise State on the back end of a home-and-home series and won 42-23. The Pac-12/Sun Belt combo was also featured last season, New Mexico State falling at Arizona State on Aug. 31 and Texas State losing at Colorado on Sept. 9.
Most Played Among Power Conferences: ACC vs. SEC (7)
In addition to the annual rivalry games between Clemson/South Carolina, Florida State/Florida, Georgia Tech/Georgia and Louisville/Kentucky the ACC and SEC will clash three times in the regular season: Louisville vs. Alabama (in Orlando, Fla., Sept. 1), Miami Fla. vs. LSU (in Arlington, Texas, Sept. 2), and Clemson at Texas A&M (Sept. 8).
Most Played Among Group of Five Conferences: C-USA vs. Sun Belt (6)
Louisiana Tech at South Alabama (Sept. 1), Appalachian State at Charlotte (Sept. 8), ULM at Southern Miss (Sept. 8), UAB at Coastal Carolina (Sept. 8), Southern Miss at Appalachian State (Sept. 15), and Texas State at UTSA (Sept. 22).
Most/Least Played by Conference:
ACC
Most: American Athletic (8)
Boston College vs. Temple (Sept. 29), Georgia Tech at USF (Sept. 8), North Carolina at East Carolina (Sept. 8), North Carolina vs. UCF (Sept. 15), Pitt at UCF (Sept. 29), Syracuse vs. UConn (Sept. 22), Virginia Tech vs. Eastern Carolina (Sept. 15), and Wake Forest at Tulane (Aug. 30).
Least: Pac-12 (1)
North Carolina at California (Sept. 1)
BIG TEN
Most: MAC (12)
Illinois vs. Kent State (Sept. 1), Indiana vs. Ball State (Sept. 15), Iowa vs. Northern Illinois (Sept. 1), Maryland at Bowling Green (Sept. 8), Michigan vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 8), Michigan State vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 29), Minnesota vs. Miami Ohio (Sept. 15), Nebraska vs. Akron (Sept. 1), Northwestern vs. Akron (Sept. 15), Penn State vs. Kent State (Sept. 15) Purdue vs. Eastern Michigan (Sept. 8), and Rutgers vs. Buffalo (Sept. 22).
Least: SEC (1)
Purdue vs. Missouri (Sept. 15)
BIG 12
Most: Big Ten (4)
Iowa State at Iowa (Sept. 8), Kansas vs. Rutgers (Sept. 15), TCU vs. Ohio State (Sept. 15 in Arlington, Texas), and Texas at Maryland (Sept. 1 in Landover, Md.).
Least: MWC and Sun Belt (1 each)
Oklahoma State vs. Boise State (Sept. 15) and Oklahoma State vs. South Alabama (Sept. 8).
PAC-12
Most: MWC (9)
Arizona State at San Diego State (Sept. 15), Colorado vs. Colorado State (Sept. 1 in Denver, Col.), Oregon vs. San Jose State (Sept. 15), Oregon State at Nevada (Sept. 15), Stanford vs. San Diego State (Aug. 31), UCLA vs. Fresno State (Sept. 15), USC vs. UNLV (Sept. 1), Washington State at Wyoming (Sept. 1), and Washington State vs. San Jose State (Sept. 8).
Least: ACC, SEC and C-USA (1 each)
California vs. North Carolina (Sept. 1), Washington vs. Auburn (Sept. 1 in Atlanta, Ga.), and Arizona State vs. UTSA (Sept. 1).
SEC
Most: C-USA (12)
Arkansas vs. North Texas (Sept. 15), Auburn vs. Southern Miss (Sept. 29), Georgia vs. Middle Tennessee (Sept. 15), Kentucky vs. Middle Tennessee (Nov. 17), LSU vs. Louisiana Tech (Sept. 22), LSU vs. Rice (Nov. 17), Mississippi State vs. Louisiana Tech (Nov. 3), South Carolina vs. Marshall (Sept. 15), Tennessee vs. UTEP (Sept. 15), Tennessee vs. Charlotte (Nov. 3), Texas A&M vs. UAB (Nov. 17), and Vanderbilt vs. Middle Tennessee (Sept. 1).
Least: Big Ten and Pac-12 (1 each)
Missouri at Purdue (Sept. 15) and Auburn vs. Washington (Sept. 1 in Atlanta, Ga.).
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Most: ACC (8)
East Carolina vs. North Carolina (Sept. 8), East Carolina at Virginia Tech (Sept. 15), Temple at Boston College (Sept. 29), Tulane vs. Wake Forest (Aug. 30), UCF at North Carolina (Sept. 15), UCF vs. Pitt (Sept. 29), UConn at Syracuse (Sept. 22), and USF vs. Georgia Tech (Sept. 8).
Least: Pac-12 and SEC (1 each)
Houston vs. Arizona and Tulsa at Arkansas (Oct. 20)
C-USA
Most: SEC (12)
Charlotte at Tennessee (Nov. 3), Louisiana Tech at LSU (Sept. 22), Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State (Nov. 3), Marshall at South Carolina (Sept. 15), Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt (Sept. 1), Middle Tennessee at Georgia (Sept. 15), Middle Tennessee at Kentucky (Nov. 17), North Texas at Arkansas (Sept. 15), Rice at LSU (Nov. 17), Southern Miss at Auburn (Sept. 29), UAB at Texas A&M (Nov. 17), and UTEP at Tennessee (Sept. 15).
Least: Pac-12 (1)
UTSA at Arizona State (Sept. 1)
MAC
Most: Big Ten (12)
Akron at Nebraska (Sept. 1), Akron at Northwestern (Sept. 15), Ball State at Indiana (Sept. 15), Bowling Green vs. Maryland (Sept. 8), Buffalo at Rutgers (Sept. 22), Central Michigan at Michigan State (Sept. 29), Eastern Michigan at Purdue (Sept. 8), Kent State at Illinois (Sept. 1), Kent State at Penn State (Sept. 15), Miami Ohio at Minnesota (Sept. 15), Northern Illinois at Iowa (Sept. 1), and Western Michigan at Michigan (Sept. 8).
Least: Sun Belt (1)
Western Michigan at Georgia State (Sept. 22)
MWC
Most: Pac-12 (9)
Colorado State vs. Colorado (Sept. 1 in Denver, Col.), Fresno State at UCLA (Sept. 15), Nevada vs. Oregon State (Sept. 15), San Diego State at Stanford (Aug. 31), San Diego State vs. Arizona State (Sept. 15), San Jose State at Washington State (Sept. 8), San Jose State at Oregon (Sept. 15), UNLV at USC (Sept. 1), and Wyoming vs. Washington State (Sept. 1).
Least: Big 12 (1)
Boise State at Oklahoma State (Sept. 15)
SUN BELT
Most: SEC (6)
Arkansas State at Alabama (Sept. 8), Coastal Carolina at South Carolina (Sept. 1), Louisiana at Mississippi State (Sept. 15), Louisiana at Alabama (Sept. 29), ULM at Texas A&M (Sept. 15) and ULM at Ole Miss (Oct. 6).
Least: Big 12 and MAC (1 each)
South Alabama at Oklahoma State (Sept. 8) and Georgia State vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 22).