The non-conference analysis is simply a look at who each FCS team is playing as of late May / early June. Occasionally schedules change, FBS schools buyout contracts and swap opponents, causing a domino effect. So these are tentative opponents, subject to change.
Southland
Abilene Christian: @ New Mexico, @ Colorado State
Central Arkansas: @ Kansas State, @ Murray State
Houston Baptist: @ Texas State, @ Texas Southern
Incarnate Word: @ Fresno State, @ Sacramento State, vs. Prairie View A&M
Lamar: @ North Texas, Texas-Permian Basin
McNeese State: vs. Florida Tech, @ Alcorn State
Nicholls State: @ Texas A&M, vs. Prairie View A&M
Northwestern State: @ Louisiana Tech, @ Grambling
Sam Houston State: vs. Richmond, @ Prairie View A&M
Southeastern Louisiana: @ Louisiana-Lafayette, vs. Bethune-Cookman
Stephen F. Austin: @ Southern Methodist, vs. Southern Utah
The Southland is always going to feel like its own country since the FCS allows an eleven game schedule and they play nine conference games (Incarnate Word only plays eight). Add to that, that most play an FBS opponent for that road game guaranteed money grab, it leaves one game to play someone else. Only Lamar and McNeese drop below the Division I level for a non-conference game. The aforementioned McNeese and Sam Houston State are the only two not playing the FBS. SHSU hosts Richmond in a major inter-conference match-up. Abilene Christian is going to feel like one of the teams in the Mountain West Conference, playing New Mexico and Colorado State their first two games. Of the eleven FCS games on the non-conference slate, six are against the Southwestern, three of which are Prairie View A&M.
