Football schedules have always been a hot topic. In the era of the College Football Playoff, the strength of a school’s schedule is part of the entirely subjective process of determining the four CFP teams. The format is evolving into something closer to a true playoff system. The field is expanding to 12, and five of those teams will be conference champions. The rest will be at-large selections, and the selection committee will still use the schedule.
Football schedules are also good topics for discussion online. There was the debate between the SEC and everyone else about November games. That’s largely dying out. ACC and Big 12 fans argue over who has the toughest schedule. The easier games usually end up at the bottom of the conferences’ TV options.
Recently, Ohio State removes UConn from its 2025 football scheduleThe Buckeyes then replaced UConn with Grambling, a historically black college (HBCU) in the Football Championship Subdivision. This caused an uproar among college football fans. Why did Ohio State buy out UConn, a Football Bowl Subdivision school, and replace it with a lower-division program?
So why should the FBS have a relationship with the FCS? The short answer is that FBS schools have to schedule FCS schools to balance their budgets. The football schedule is the foundation for the rest of the athletic department.
Balance the budget
As the legal process of several cases against the NCAA develops and unfolds, schools are beginning to see how the landscape is changing. With the settlement of Home vs NCAA While the plan is on track to come to fruition, part of it is to allow schools to create a pool of money that will be used to pay players. With football being the bread and butter of many college sports programs, schools need to maximize their revenue to keep up with the changing landscape. Balancing the budget was already a challenge for most schools. Now, it’s even more daunting.
Back to Ohio State/UConn. Why was this game canceled? There could be a number of reasons. The UConn game was scheduled for October 18th and the Grambling game is now scheduled for September 6th. Their place in the football schedule could be the reason. UConn could potentially be preparing for a conference affiliation change as they are currently one of the few independents in the FBS. It was ultimately a mutual decision where Ohio State agreed to pay a $650,000 buyout, which is one-third of the $1.95 million guarantee. Ohio State’s guarantee to Grambling is $1 million, a king’s ransom for an FCS team. Typically, FCS schools receive a fraction of that. In short, Ohio State moved this non-conference game from mid-October to early September and will save them $300,000. UConn could potentially find another buy-in to make up for the missing guarantee. Maybe Ole Miss or USC are available.
The budget problem affects all schools. Group of Five schools are also struggling. They agree to buy games with powerful conference schools for multimillion-dollar payments out of necessity. MAC schools like Ball State might benefit from lower travel costs for conference games, but the revenue they generate from home games and their media package is far less than a larger school like Oklahoma State or Stanford.
It’s not just an FBS problem
It’s not limited to FBS. FCS schools are also participating in their own money games. Announced earlier this month, the Youngstown State football team has scheduled a 2025 home game against Mercyhurst. Mercyhurst is a small school that begins reclassifying from Division II to the FCS in 2024. YSU is guaranteeing Mercyhurst $100,000 for the game.
FCS schools playing non-Division I opponents to balance their budgets is also a thing. In 2022, there were 40 games between FCS and non-Division I schools. Non-Division I includes Divisions II, III, NAIA (a small association similar to the NCAA), and NCCAA (an association for Christian colleges). In 2024, This number has increased to 57. In Mercyhurst’s case, since this is their first season in Division I, they still have several Division II teams on their football schedule. Most schools don’t have more than one.
Breaking with the NCAA
There has been repeated discussion of the possibility of major conference schools breaking away from the NCAA to form their own football leagues. The Knight Commission, which specializes in reforming college sports, has said that FBS College Football Should Have Its Own Governance Structure The idea of a “Super League” has been proposed as a way to try to level the playing field financially while creating some antitrust protection. It’s an interesting idea on paper and P4 fans like it. However, it could create football scheduling issues if the league is completely divorced from access to other NCAA schools. If the Ohio States of the world needs at least seven home games, who in the Super League will move to five? Better yet, who can do it and balance their budget?
The truth is that the FBS needs the FCS. Sure, pundits can say that powerhouse conference schools need to schedule games with FBS-only schools, but they cost at least double what FCS schools do. With the need to find money to pay players, schools have to be careful with their football schedules. That means planning smart. If an FCS game counts toward bowl eligibility and you can save somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million by scheduling a lower-division team, especially as an early-season tune-up, that’s not a bad idea. It’s also a financial boon to the lower-division school. That six-figure payout is a significant facet of their budget.
Towards the unknown
As we venture into uncharted territory financially, balancing the budget will continue to become more challenging. Presidents and athletic directors will have to consider all options, including extreme measures. They could decide to cut sports or even close entire departments. Small Division I schools Lindenwood and Loyola Marymount are dropping several non-revenue sports this fall. Lindenwood is dropping 10. Last year, Hartford moved from Division I to Division III. This year, several schools have closed entirely. Some of those closures include Division II member Notre Dame College and Division III Birmingham Southern, which qualified for the 2024 DIII College World Series. North Carolina State dropped its rifle team in 2023. No one is safe.
Once the deal between the House and the NCAA is finalized and the financial impact begins to trickle down to schools, we could see more changes in college sports. One thing is for sure: When it comes to the football schedule, the FBS still needs the FCS.
