13 FBS programs skip FCS opponents in 2026 schedule shift
Thirteen FBS programs left FCS opponents off their 2026 boards, tightening a payday market that still powers many smaller athletic budgets. Mercyhurst drew three FBS trips.
FCS athletic departments are staring at a thinner guarantee-game market, and the first full look at 2026 scheduling showed why. As of March 28, 13 FBS programs had no FCS opponent lined up, while 27 FCS schools still lacked an FBS date, even as the overall slate reached 127 FCS-versus-FBS matchups, up from 126 in 2025 and 121 in 2024.
That matters because these games are often the checks that help balance a budget. Week 1 alone has been tracked at more than $35 million in payouts across at least 55 games, with individual guarantees ranging from about $300,000 to $1.9 million. When the market tightens, the programs most dependent on those paydays have less room to absorb travel, roster, and operating costs.
Mercyhurst is the clearest example of how lopsided the calendar can still get. It is the only FCS team scheduled for three FBS opponents in 2026, with trips to New Mexico State on Sept. 5, New Mexico on Sept. 12 and Western Kentucky on Sept. 26. At the other end, Buffalo and UMass are the only FBS schools with more than one FCS opponent scheduled.
The SEC’s move to nine conference games in 2026 adds another layer of pressure. Every league school still must schedule at least one nonconference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Notre Dame, and that keeps some FCS dates on the board even as Power Four matchups take priority. Alabama showed how quickly the calendar can shift: when its game with South Florida was pushed to 2032, Chattanooga was added for 2026, and the school said that year would have been its first without an FCS opponent since 2008.
The broader trend is unmistakable. FCS teams beat FBS opponents six times in 2024, the subdivision record remains 16 upsets from 2013, and the FCS has not reached 10 wins over FBS foes in a season since 2021. Even with 127 cross-division games still scheduled, the market is moving toward fewer paydays and more pressure, especially for programs that rely on one or two guarantee checks to keep their seasons afloat.
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