Assessing Georgia Southern’s future non-conference schedules

Lost in the news this week of Clemson and Oklahoma scheduling a home-and-home series 17 years away was Georgia Southern’s 2020 game at Ole Miss being pushed back from Oct. 31 to Nov. 21. The Eagles’ trip to Oxford was originally scheduled for Sept. 12, but has since been pushed back twice now.

All four of GS’ non-conference games for 2020 are set: Sept. 5 at Boise State, Sept. 12 against Campbell, Sept. 19 against Florida Atlantic and the November meeting with the Rebels.

The 2020 season opener in Idaho will be the first meeting between GS and Boise, and the two schools are set to complete the home-and-home in Statesboro in 2024. This game will be the first game the Eagles play against a team in the Mountain West Conference since moving up the FBS level.

Campbell fills the annual tout with an FCS program, 2020’s edition with the Fighting Camels from Buies Creek, North Carolina. Since GS’ transition to FBS, the Eagles are 4-1 against FCS teams.

FAU and GS also have never faced each other on the gridiron, but it could be one of the more exciting Group of 5 games with two of the most watchable coaches playing each other... given that Lane Kiffin remains in charge of the Owls. The two teams play again in Boca Raton, Florida in 2021.

After 33 of Ole Miss’ wins were vacated because of the usage of ineligible players in certain games, officially the Eagles have never faced the Rebels. However, they did play in Oxford midway through the 2016 season. GS was up 21-10 deep into the second quarter, but a failed onside kick sacrificed all momentum and the Eagles fell 37-27.

The non-conference schedules for GS are also complete through 2023.

In 2021, the Eagles host Gardner-Webb and BYU and travel to Arkansas and FAU. The next year, GS hosts Morgan State and Ball State and is set to venture to Nebraska and UAB.

2023’s season begins with home games against The Citadel and Ball State before visiting Wisconsin and Ball State.

The only games scheduled for 2024 are the back ends of home-and-homes with Boise State and BYU. From 2025 to 2027, there’s a total of just four games—two each against Houston and Liberty.

Unless GS provides upsets against some Power 5 schools in the upcoming years, it’d be safe to assume that ACC and non-Georgia or Florida SEC teams fill the holes, post-2023.