The 20 best nonconference games for the 2024 FCS season

The 2024 FCS football season will be here in no time, and it's only right to highlight some of the best nonconference games you can't miss. These matchups could make or break your favorite team's season, either with playoff seeding or bragging rights.

Here are the top nonconference games for the 2024 season.

Week 0 

• Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is always a fantastic way to start the season in Week 0. This year the defending Celebration Bowl champion Florida A&M will be taking on Norfolk State, a team still looking to hit its stride under head coach Dawson Odums, who may be on the hot seat this year. Yet, Florida A&M head coach James Colzie III will also be under pressure in the opening week as his Rattlers will try to avoid being one-year wonders.

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Week 1

• Youngstown State at Villanova
• Holy Cross at Rhode Island
• South Carolina State at Florida A&M
• Alabama State vs. North Carolina Central in the Orange Blossom Classic

The first playoff rematch to hit the field in 2024 will come in Week 1 when Youngstown State faces Villanova. The Wildcats dominated the Penguins in the second round last year, and both teams will have their eyes set on the playoffs again this fall.

Speaking of teams with eyes on the postseason, Holy Cross and Rhode Island will look to pick up a key nonconference win after falling short of playoff expectations last fall. Meanwhile, Celebration Bowl contenders Alabama State and North Carolina Central will look to stake an early claim to being the best team in HBCU football at a neutral site game in Miami, Florida.

Florida A&M will also renew an old MEAC rivalry against South Carolina State.

Week 2 

• UIW at South Dakota State
• Southern Illinois at Austin Peay
• Montana at North Dakota
• Lafayette at Monmouth

The top game on the Week 2 slate is UIW at South Dakota State. It's a huge test for two-time defending champion South Dakota State against a UIW team that should be a playoff contender. There are also two games featuring two teams that played in the 2023 playoffs with Southern Illinois vs. Austin Peay and Montana facing North Dakota.

Moreover, Monmouth should serve as a good litmus test for defending Patriot League champion Lafayette. 

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Week 3 

• UAlbany at Idaho
• Nicholls at Sacramento State
• Southern at Jackson State
• UIW at Southern Illinois
• Duquesne at Youngstown State

Okay, I know the first thing that jumps out at you in the Week 3 slate is Southern at Jackson State being listed and you're asking, "Aren't both schools in the SWAC?" Yes, they are. However, 2024's Boombox Classic doesn't count as a conference game because of scheduling — all the more reason for the historic rivalry to make the cut here.

We also have two playoff rematches in Week 3, highlighted by a quarterfinal rematch between UAlbany and Idaho. The transfer portal decimated both rosters, most notably at quarterback, so this game will have a different look. There's a first-round rematch between Duquesne and Youngstown State, too. It'll show if the NEC can finally compete with at-large quality teams from a power conference like the Missouri Valley.

Southland title hopefuls Nicholls and UIW will also play important nonconference contests against projected playoff-quality teams Sacramento State and Southern Illinois. These are two games that we'll likely look back on in the at-large decision-making process in November.

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Week 4 

• Furman at William & Mary
• Southeast Missouri State at Southern Illinois
• Western Carolina at Montana
• South Dakota State at Southeastern Louisiana

One of my favorite nonconference games every year is Southeast Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois. The pair of annual playoff contenders are 3-3 in the last six meetings with four of the games being decided by one possession.

SoCon teams Furman and Western Carolina also have big nonconference games. WCU heads to national championship runner-up Montana, but the Grizzlies will have a new signal caller this fall going against Cole Gonzales for the Catamounts. Furman lost some pieces to the transfer portal and will head north to face an always tough William & Mary squad.

Closing out the slate is South Dakota State heading to the Bayou to play Southland title contender Southeastern Louisiana. It's another test for the Jackrabbits, who haven't lost a game since 2022.

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Week 8

• Tennessee State at Howard

Howard's homecoming is always an event by itself, but with Tennessee State coming to town in 2024, this year's action on the field should get as much attention as the events on The Yard. The Bison are the defending MEAC champions and the Tigers out of the OVC should be a good test ahead of conference play. It'll be the first time the two schools have met on the gridiron since 2001 and the second time in their history.

Week 13 

• Chattanooga at Austin Peay

Chattanooga and Austin Peay could be a matchup of two teams with automatic bids secure entering the final FCS regular season week, or it could be a matchup of two playoff bubble teams, serving as an elimination game of sorts. Most analysts around the country expect both teams to be playoff contenders in the preseason, so this game could be a great postseason preview.