Two 2024 FCS-FBS Matchups Change Dates; Five Future Games Scheduled

Two 2024 FCS versus FBS matchups have seen a date change. The Eastern Illinois at Illinois game has been changed from Saturday, August 31 to Thursday, August 29. This is the second time the game has been moved this offseason. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 24 but moved back a week to August 31. Jackson State’s game at Louisiana-Monroe has also been moved from Saturday, August 31 to Thursday, August 29.

The Mercer Bears will travel to play the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, November 22, 2025, according to FBSchedules. Mercer is already scheduled to play another SEC opponent, Alabama, in 2024.

Texas State announced four future FCS-FBS games with all games scheduled against Texas-based FCS programs. Incarnate Word will play at Texas State in 2026 (exact date is TBD per Texas State’s website), UT Rio Grande Valley will travel to San Marcos in 2027 and 2030 (dates TBD), and Texas Southern will make the trek in 2028 (date TBD). The game against UTRGV is the first known FCS-FBS matchup for the Vaqueros who begin their FCS journey in 2025 as a member of the Southland Conference.

As of this posting, there are over 430 FCS-FBS games scheduled over the next decade. A full list of future FCS versus FBS matchups can be found here.

FCS Team	FBS Team	Year(s)	Notes
Eastern Illinois	Illinois	2024	Date changed from 8/31 to 8/29
Jackson State	Louisiana-Monroe	2024	Date changed from 8/31 to 8/29
Mercer	Auburn	2025	New matchup announced for 11/22
Incarnate Word	Texas State	2026	New matchup announced; Date TBD
UTRGV	Texas State	2027	New matchup announced; Date TBD
Texas Southern	Texas State	2028	New matchup announced; Date TBD
UTRGV	Texas State	2030	New matchup announced; Date TBD

Photo Credit to the University of Incarnate Word Athletics