Ivy League
FCS Non-Conference Schedule Analysis
Nothing much to write about as far as the Ivy League’s non-conference scheduling goes. They all make good use of the Patriot League, which is as traditional as it gets. Staying mostly in the northeastern geographic footprint is typical here. There are a couple of oddities in 2020, which is like nothing that’s already happened this year - SARCASM! - A rare lower division and an equally rare FBS game. Both of which are noted below.
Brown: vs. Bryant, @ Rhode Island, @ Holy Cross.
- The Bears have the three exact opponents as 2019, only the venues have switched. The travel is light, so that’s a plus. With no postseason to worry about, that’s the most important factor as far as the schedule is concerned.
Columbia: @ Lehigh, @ Georgetown, vs. Central Connecticut State.
- A couple of road games to Patriot League teams and a second straight home game with Central Connecticut State. Georgetown remains a fixture for Ivy League schedules and Lehigh is almost literally a back door and stone’s throw away opponent.
Cornell: vs. Marist, @ Bucknell, @ Colgate.
- Another installment of Ivy League scheduling. Cornell seems to stay pretty consistent with Northeastern Conference and Patriot League opponents.
Dartmouth: vs. New Haven (lower), @ Towson, vs. Marist.
- Dartmouth is getting the rare lower division opponent here. Most likely, this was a scramble and fill slot left by Jacksonville, who discontinued their football program. Dartmouth traveled there last year. Going to Towson should be very interesting.
Harvard: vs. Georgetown, vs. Holy Cross, @ Lafayette.
- No transcontinental match-up for Harvard this season. Instead, they opt for the Patriot League schedule, as all three non-conference opponents hail from there. These will be a good litmus test between the strength of the Patriots and Ivies.
Penn: vs. Bucknell, vs. Lafayette, vs. Sacred Heart.
- Penn was able to get all three non-conference games at home, that’s a nice bonus. Lafayette and Sacred Heart are repeats from 2019. Bucknell transitions in, replacing Delaware, who was on the schedule previously.
Princeton: @ Virginia Military, vs. Bucknell, @ Army (FBS).
- Tough schedule here for the Tigers. VMI looks like a team who might be turning a corner towards relevancy, especially offensively. Bucknell is a classic opponent. A trip to FBS Army is very rare nowadays, as FBS games against non-scholarship programs are mostly frowned upon. But it makes sense historically and geographically.
Yale: @ Holy Cross, vs. Lehigh, vs. Richmond.
- Holy Cross and Lehigh fill the Patriot League portion of the schedule. Getting a home game returned from Richmond is a great get for the Bulldogs. It should get a few more eyes on them than normal, not that Ivy League teams ever lack real exposure.
Ivy League Numbers
3 vs. CAA
3 vs. Northeast
13 vs. Patriot
2 vs. Pioneer
1 vs. Southern
1 vs. FBS
1 vs. Lower Division (Div-II, Div-III, NAIA, NCCAA)
