PAC 12’s Non-Conference (NC) Schedule

The PAC 12 enters 2018 coming off its worst Bowl showing in conference history, going 1-8,  (SC lost to Ohio State, 24-7, in the cotton Bowl, Arizona lost to Purdue, 38-35, in the Foster Farm Bowl, Arizona State lost to NC State, 52-31, in the Sun Bowl, UCLA lost the Cactus Bowl to Kansas State, 35-17, Washington lost the Fiesta Bowl to Penn State, 35-28, Stanford got beat by TCU, 39-37, in the Alamo Bowl, Oregon lost to Boise State, 38-28, in the Las Vegas Bowl & Washington State lost Michigan State, 42-17, in the Holiday Bowl) with Utah getting its sole win, 30-14 over West Virginia, in the Heart of Dallas Bowl!

The PAC 12 plays 9 conference games, same as the B-12 & B-10, 5 division games and schedule 4 of the 6 teams in the other division! That leaves 3 NC games for each team, equaling a conference total of 36 NC games per season! We will divide NC opponents into 3 categories, Power 5 (P5), Group of 5 (G5), & Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Alright, let’s see what we got in 2018!

South Division

1. Arizona plays 1 P5, BYU. Independent (On Sully’s College Football Page, BYU & ND are treated as P5’s) at home, in Arizona Stadium, 1 G5, Houston, a team from the American Athletic Conference (AAC), in Houston, @ TDECU Stadium, and 1 FCS club, Southern Utah, Big Sky Conference (B-Sky) @ Home.
2. Arizona State takes on 1 P5, Michigan State (B-10), @ Sun Devil Stadium and 2 G5 opponents, Texas San Antonio, Conference USA (C-USA) and San Diego State Mountain West Conference (MWC). The Devils do not plat an FCS team in 2018!
3. Colorado lines up against 1 P5, Nebraska (B-10) in Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium! They also take in state rival Colorado State, a G5 team out of the MWC. This game is played annually (Rocky Mountain Showdown) at a neutral site, Denver’s Mile High Stadium. The Buffs finish off their NC against a FCS squad, New Hampshire, a team from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), a home tilt played @ Folsom Field!
4. UCLA challenges 1 P5 team, Oklahoma (B-12), as the Bruins travel to Norman Ok in the 2nd week of the 2018 season! They then ‘lace em up’ against 2 G5 opponents, Cincinnati (AAC) & Fresno State (MWC), both of these games are in the Rose Bowl, as the Chip Kelly era begins!
5. USC breaks the mold as the Trojans battle 2 P5’s, Texas (B-12) in Austin and ND, at home, in the LA Coliseum. SC also kicks it off against 1 G5 opponent, UNLV, in Los Angles. This is the best roster Southern Cal has fielded in several years!
6. Utah plays 1 P5, in the “Holy War” vs BYU (IND) @ home, in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes tackle 1 G5 opponent, Northern Illinois, a team out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and welcome Weber State (B-Sky), an FCS team, to Salt Lake City!

The South Division plays Seven P5 opponents (Two  from the B-12 , Two out of the B-10, & Three IND’s), The PAC 12 South play Eight G5’s teams (AAC 2, C-USA 1, MAC 1, MWC 4), & 3 FCS teams (Two B-Sky & One CAA) for a total of 18 NC games!

North Division

1. California plays 2 P5’s North Carolina, a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) @ home in California Memorial Stadium and BYU (IND) in Provo, UT. The Bears also welcome 1 FCS to Berkeley, Idaho State (B-Sky) to round their NC schedule!
2. Oregon does not play an P5 opponent in its NC schedule, rather they play 2 G5’s and a FCS Team! The welcome all 3 to Eugene, Bowling Green (MAC) & San Jose State (MWC), and the FCS club hails from the B-Sky, Portland State!
3. Oregon State, unlike Oregon does play a P5 and does so in a big way, as the Beavers travel to the ‘Horse Shoe’ to take on Ohio State (B-10). OSU then lines it up against 1 G5, Nevada (MWC) in in Mackay Stadium, Reno and 1 FCS, Southern Utah (B-Sky), @ home, in Reser Stadium.
4. Stanford challenges 1 P5, ND in South Bend, a team the Cardinal have beaten 7 of the last 9 times they have played, however the road team is 2-8 in the last 10! Stanford takes on 1 G5, San Diego State, a team that beat them a year ago in  SDCCU Stadium, 20-17, and 1 FCS, UC Davis, @ Stanford Stadium!
5. Washington steps up big in its 2018 opener, they kick-off the 2018 season in Atlanta, against Auburn, a team that beat both CFP finalist a year ago, Georgia, 40-17 & the National Champion, Alabama, 26-14! They play BYU in Seattle, @ Husky Stadium and welcome North Dakota (B-Sky), who is in transition from the B-Sky to the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) beginning in 2019, to the great state of Washington!
6. Washington State, a 2nd North Division that does not play a NC Power 5 team in 2018, the Cougars play 2 Group of Five and one Football Championship Subdivision team. WSU takes on Wyoming (MWC), in Laramie, @ War Memorial Stadium and San Jose State (MWC) at home, in Martin Stadium. The Cougars welcome 1 FCS to Cougar country, Eastern Washington (B-Sky) to finish up their 2018 schedule. It should be noted, Eastern Washington beat WSU, 45-42, in the 2016 season opener!

The North Division plays Six P5 opponents (1 from the ACC, 1 from the B-10, 1 out of the SEC, & Three IND’s), The PAC 12 North play six G5’s teams (MAC 1, MWC 5), & Six FCS teams (All from the B-Sky ) for a total of 18 NC games! The North Division has an even split of its 18 NC game schedule, playing 6 P5’s, 6 G5’s and 6 FCS opponents!

The PAC 12 overall, have 36 NC games (12 teams X 3 games each = 36) play P5 opponents 13 times, G5 Teams on 14 dates, and line it up on 9 occasions vs FCS teams!