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NCAA Football: Non-conference scheduling do’s and don’ts

By Patrik Nohe

Jul 14, 2014; Irving, TX, USA; College football playoff executive director Bill Hancock with the new championship trophy during a press conference at the college football playoff headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2014; Irving, TX, USA; College football playoff executive director Bill Hancock with the new championship trophy during a press conference at the college football playoff headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA;Georgia Southern Eagles safety Darius Safford (6) attempts to intercept the ball as Florida Gators wide receiver Solomon Patton (83) breaks it up during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA;Georgia Southern Eagles safety Darius Safford (6) attempts to intercept the ball as Florida Gators wide receiver Solomon Patton (83) breaks it up during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

DON’T: Take Your Scheduling Cues From the University of Florida

No school — in the BCS era or that’s a part of the SEC — has taken advantage of its position more than the University of Florida. Florida fans are quick to point out that UF plays in the Southeastern Conference, not long after you’d hear how the SEC is by-and-far the best conference in football and just playing eight games a season against SEC foes more than justifies whatever else gets put on their schedule.

But that hasn’t stopped Alabama from traveling to play teams like Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech — all quality non-conference opponents. That hasn’t stopped LSU from traveling to compete against TCU and Oregon. These may be neutral site games but they still show a willingness by the top teams in the SEC to step outside of their conference, go on the road and face tough non-conference foes. The University of Florida hasn’t left their own state for a non-conference game since September 21st, 1991.

Now before we go any further, yes, Florida has to play Florida State every year. But that decision was taken out of their hands. Florida’s state legislature has taken steps to ensure that the state’s two premiere public universities (Miami is private) play every year. Were that not the case, it’s likely that the FSU-UF series would have gone the way of Florida’s other great in-state rivalry — annual meetings were discontinued at Florida’s behest in the mid 1980’s (shortly after Miami came to power). As far as the games UF actually gets to pick, they haven’t left the state for a non-conference game since that 38-21 defeat in the Carrier Dome back in ’91. They haven’t won a non-conference game on the road since they beat Memphis State in 1989.

And by the time UF finally does leave the state again for another non-conference game (in Arlington, TX for the Cowboy Classic against Michigan in 2017) it will have been 25 years, 11 months and 12 days between road trips. This might have worked in the past, it’s probably not wise to emulate it in the future.

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