Saw someone say (with 50+ upvotes) there are more big non-conference CFB games today than 30+ years ago. Here is some data to illustrate how hilariously wrong that is.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/reedistight on 2026-02-16 16:46:19+00:00.

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Michigan non conference schedules ~30 years ago.

1984 vs #1 Miami, vs #16 Washington

1985 vs #13 Notre Dame, at #15 South Carolina, vs #17 Maryland

1986 at Notre Dame, vs Oregon State, vs #20 Florida State

1987 vs #16 Notre Dame, vs Washington State

1988 at #13 Notre Dame, vs #1 Miami, vs Wake Forest

1989 vs #1 Notre Dame, at #24 UCLA, vs Maryland

1990 at #1 Notre Dame, vs UCLA, vs Maryland

1991 at Boston College, vs #1 Notre Dame, vs #7 Florida State

1992 at #3 Notre Dame, vs Oklahoma State

1993 vs Washington State, vs #11 Notre Dame

1994 vs Boston College, at #3 Notre Dame, vs #7 Colorado

1995 vs #17 Virginia, at Boston College

1996 at #5 Colorado, vs Boston College, vs UCLA

1997 vs #8 Colorado, vs Baylor, vs Notre Dame

1998 at #22 Notre Dame, vs #19 Syracuse

Ohio State non conference schedules ~30 years ago

1986 #5 Alabama (Neutral), at #17 Washington, vs Colorado

1987 vs West Virginia, vs Oregon, at #4 LSU

1988 vs Syracuse, at Pittsburgh, vs #7 LSU

1989 vs Oklahoma State, at #12 USC, vs Boston College

1990 vs Texas Tech, at Boston College, vs #18 USC

1991 vs Arizona, vs Louisville, vs Washington State

1992 vs Louisville, at #8 Syracuse

1993 vs #12 Washington, at Pittsburgh

1994 at #25 Washington, vs Pittsburgh

1995 #22 Boston College (neutral), vs #18 Washington, at Pittsburgh, vs #15 Notre Dame

1996 vs Pittsburgh, at #5 Notre Dame