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In case you missed it, I named myself the Non-Conference Schedule Czar (NCSC for short) of the Mountain West Conference. As we get into the thick of a rather good Mountain Division race (four teams with a chance to win it!), someone needs to be responsible for making the best possible non-conference games for each team.
This week, we are filling out Boise State’s schedule. There’s not much to be done, as the Broncos have all but one game already locked in through 2025. All that’s left to do is fill in one home game for the 2024 season (assuming Boise wants two home games and two road games, which they do).
But that’s not what I’m going to do. Sometimes czars go a little off script.
First, let’s give Boise State well earned props for building entertaining non-conference schedules. While we can’t rely on program quality four to six years out, the teams that Boise State will face are almost certain to provide great football for the blue and orange faithful. Here are some highlights of those schedules:
2020: Florida State visits the blue turf!
2021: A home game against Oklahoma State and a premier G5 matchup at UCF!
2022: Technically a P5 road game against Oregon State, and Sparty travels to Boise!
2023: Road game in East Lansing, and return games in Boise for UCF and the Beavs!
2024: Another great G5 matchup as BSU hosts Houston, and a trip to Autzen Zoo!
2025: TWO great G5 road games (USF and Houston), and Oregon completes the home/home!
That’s as far as we’ll go, but it continues with that same level of quality through 2027. The Broncos have historically scheduled tough teams and won many marquee games because of it. In that spirit, it is time for Boise State to start a new tradition when it comes to non-conference scheduling.
LAS VEGAS KICKOFF GAMES!
That’s right. Las Vegas is getting an NFL team, and who better than the premier Mountain West team to play some high profile contests in that fancy new stadium? Boise fans travel well, and getting to Vegas shouldn’t be a challenge for the fanbase. I am sure that somewhere in the college football landscape this is already being discussed, but the Schedule Czar is able to cut through red tape much more quickly than regular CFB administrators.
That game against Houston in 2024? Yeah, we are moving it to Vegas. The TV exposure and the regional distribution of Bronco fans should provide Boise State more than enough revenue and attendance to ensure a home field advantage. I would expect a game like this to earn an ABC or ESPN slot, and fans love a getaway game to a fun location.
The locals will be so happy to see a competent football team they may just burn UNLV down and build a new Boise State South Campus. Thank me later, Broncos.
That still leaves one more home game for 2024. Oregon will be a big test, and the aforementioned Houston team will likely be a Dana Holgorsen-coached team that draws from one of the richest recruiting pools in the nation. To top it off, Georgia Southern will throw a wrench in the works with that triple option offense. Boise needs something a little more casual to make sure they aren’t walking into conference play with more bumps and bruises than they can handle. If only there was an in-state rival that a long history against the Broncos that recently moved to FCS.
Wait...what? Oh, that’s right!
We are making Boise State play a one-off game against the Vandals at home. The Schedule Czar LOVES local FBS-FCS games, and if Boise rejects this then we are making them play Idaho State anyway. They may as well just accept this as fait accompli.
Congratulations to Boise State on starting up one of the best new football traditions in the West!
More importantly, congratulations to me for thinking it up before anyone can officially announce something that is almost definitely already in the works.