SOUTHWESTERN
Alabama A&M: vs. Miles (Low), vs. North Alabama, @ Cincinnati (FBS), vs. Grambling State.
This seems like a pretty typical non-conference schedule here. Have a lower class game and a road game to FBS to fund the athletic budget. It does have one of the two SWAC non-con match-ups also.
Alabama State: vs. Tuskegee (Low), @ Auburn (FBS), @ Kennesaw State, @ South Alabama (FBS).
Two road games with FBS should earn them a big chunk of change. The third road game with Kennesaw State may end up be an equally long afternoon.
Alcorn State: @ Georgia Tech (FBS), vs. Louisiana College (Low), vs. Texas Southern, @ New Mexico State (FBS).
Opening at Georgia Tech isn’t strange, but they did a favor to New Mexico State by playing them in November. Being a new FBS Independent, finding games is tough.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: vs. Morehouse (Low), vs. Cumberland University (Low), @ South Dakota State, @ Florida International (FBS).
Two lower class home games precede a rough pair of away dates. On top of that, neither are particularly close.
Grambling State: @ Louisiana (FBS), @ Northwestern State, vs. Bacone College (Low), @ Alabama A&M.
Three of the four are road games, but two of those are in-state, so it’s not as bad as perceived initially. They also play one of the SWAC non-con match-ups.
Jackson State: @ Southern Mississippi (FBS), @ Tennessee State, @ Florida A&M, vs. North Alabama.
Three of these four are on the road, which leads into an overall schedule with only four home games. The one home game here is against FCS-transitioner, North Alabama.
Mississippi Valley State: @ North Dakota, @ Jacksonville State, @ Bethune-Cookman, vs. Hampton.
Another team with seven road games and three of four non-cons traveling. The first two, in particular, are going to be really tough. They did get a home game from Hampton, helping with their schedule woes.
Prairie View A&M: @ Rice (FBS), vs. North Carolina Central, @ Sam Houston State, @ Nevada-Las Vegas (FBS).
This might be the worst schedule in Division I football. Two FBS road games, an FCS roadie and a neutral site game. They won’t play a home game until October 13! They finish with four of five at home.
Southern: @ Texas Christian (FBS), @ Louisiana Tech (FBS), vs. Langston (Low).
Only three non-conference games here as Southern had major issues finding an eleventh game. October 6 or November 3 with Hampton would have worked, and still could technically. Two FBS road games will be filling their pockets otherwise.
Texas Southern: vs. Texas-Permian Basin (Low), @ Texas State (FBS), @ Alcorn State, @ Houston (FBS).
Two FBS games, a SWAC non-con and a lower class home game. Another typical schedule.
Southwestern Opponent Breakdown
1 vs. Big Sky
1 vs. Big South
3 vs. Mid-Eastern
1 vs. Missouri Valley
2 vs. Ohio Valley
2 vs. Southland
4 vs. Southwestern, these come from two head-to-head “non-conference” match-ups
3 vs. FCS Independent
14 vs. FBS
8 vs. Lower Class Opponents (Div-II, Div-III or NAIA)
It’s hard to fault the Southwestern teams for how they schedule. Compared to other FCS schools, these don’t seem to collect the same kind of alumni revenue. This means mandatory multiple FBS games and/or road games with major FCS programs. Grambling State is the only school here that doesn’t play six true road games. Mississippi Valley State is the only team not playing an FBS opponent, but they have two “money” games with higher-profile FCS schools to make up for it.
