What Happens to The Independents If Conferences Use Conference Game Only Scheduling?

Due to the sporting-world chaos that has been created by the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been rumors that conferences might only play conference games. This puts the current FBS Independents at risk of not having a season.

Lucky for them, we at Forgotten 5 solved the problem.

There are two different schedules, one with Notre Dame and one without.

Given that Liberty and UConn each have a total of five games against the ACC (UVA, Va Tech, Syracuse, UNC and NC State), if only a couple decide they’d rather have Notre Dame as a conference member for schedule purposes, they’d be out of this loop.

But we included that option anyways because it was fun.

With Notre Dame

• 12 games
• In-season home and home between all teams
• Two bye weeks

	Army	BYU	NMSU	UMass	UConn	Liberty	Notre Dame
Week 1	@ UConn	@ NMSU	BYU	Liberty	Army	@ UMass	BYE
Week 2	ND	@ Liberty	UMass	@ NMSU	BYE	BYU	@ Army
Week 3	BYE	@ ND	@ Liberty	@ UConn	UMass	NMSU	BYU
Week 4	NMSU	UConn	@ Army	ND	@ BYU	BYE	@ UMass
Week 5	@ BYU	Army	ND	BYE	Liberty	@ UConn	@ NMSU
Week 6	@ Liberty	@ UMass	BYE	BYU	@ ND	Army	UConn
Week 7	UMass	Liberty	@ ND	@ Army	BYE	@ BYU	NMSU
Week 8	BYE	NMSU	@ BYU	UConn	@ UMass	ND	@ Liberty
Week 9	Liberty	BYE	@ UMass	NMSU	ND	@ Army	@ UConn
Week 10	@ NMSU	@ UConn	Army	@ Liberty	BYU	UMass	BYE
Week 11	@ ND	UMass	UConn	@ BYU	@ NMSU	BYE	Army
Week 12	UConn	ND	Liberty	BYE	@ Army	@ NMSU	@ BYU
Week 13	BYU	@ Army	BYE	@ ND	@ Liberty	UConn	UMass
Week 14	@ UMass	BYE	@ UConn	Army	NMSU	@ ND	Liberty

 

Notre Dame traveling to Las Cruces and East Hartford sounds like so much fun. There is about a zero percent chance the Fighting Irish agree to it, but it’s a fun idea to think about.

We can’t forget about the continuation of the Army/Notre Dame rivalry. The two have played 51 times with the last time coming in 2016.

Again, there is almost a zero percent chance that this happens because Notre Dame will feel like they’re above this schedule even though nothing they’ve done in the last 20 years would warrant them feeling that way.

Without Notre Dame

• 12 games
• In-season home and home between all teams
• Two games against regional FCS teams
• Two bye weeks

	Army	BYU	NMSU	UMass	UConn	Liberty
Week 1	Liberty	BYE	NAU	@UConn	UMass	@ Army
Week 2	NMSU	SUU	@ Army	Liberty	BYE	@ UMass
Week 3	UConn	Liberty	UMass	@ NMSU	@ Army	BYU
Week 4	@ BYU	Army	UConn	Holy Cross	@ NMSU	BYE
Week 5	Albany	@ UConn	@ Liberty	BYE	BYU	NMSU
Week 6	UMass	BYE	SHSU	@ Army	@ Liberty	UConn
Week 7	@ NMSU	@ Liberty	Army	UConn	@ UMass	BYU
Week 8	@ UConn	@ UMass	BYE	BYU	Army	JMU
Week 9	SBU	@ NMSU	BYU	BYE	Liberty	@ UConn
Week 10	BYE	UMass	@ UConn	@ BYU	NMSU	Richmond
Week 11	BYU	@ Army	@ UMass	NMSU	Yale	BYE
Week 12	@ UMass	Weber St.	Liberty	Army	BYE	@ NMSU
Week 13	BYE	NMSU	@ BYU	@ Liberty	CCSU	UMass
Week 14	@ Liberty	UConn	BYE	Harvard	@ BYU	Army

 

Army gets to play Albany and Stony Brook as their two FCS games. Albany and Stony Brook are not only the SUNY’s best football rivalry but they are also actually pretty good opponents. I’d argue they are harder opponents than UConn and maybe even UMass.

BYU and UMass got the only two in-state FCS schools for their state. NMSU doesn’t have any in-state FCS schools, so I went with two states that border New Mexico.

UConn gets an Ivy League matchup plus Central Connecticut State. Lastly, Liberty plays Richmond and national powerhouse James Madison.

These FCS games aren’t pushovers either. All of these teams should be able to hang with their FBS opponent and some might be able to win.

I think that this scenario is much more feasible given that Notre Dame isn’t involved.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this, and teams can play their normal schedule but conferences may say “conference games only” to cut down on travel and to keep their schools at home-ish. This isn’t a bad plan to have in the back pocket.

This plan is perfect for the independents instead of scrambling to play games against anyone. To the AD’s of these schools who are definitely reading this, we have it all planned out for you, make it happen.