FCS programs South Dakota State, North Dakota, and Georgia Southern are all coming to town.

Nebraska announced the schedule additions this afternoon, adding six games against FCS opponents in seasons where Nebraska only has 4 Big Ten home games.

Who else is excited to see Georgia Southern play Nebraska? They just hired New Mexico’s offensive coordinator who has been developing a shotgun-based triple option offense like Scott Frost’s.

As for the Jacks, they’re 0-3 against Nebraska while North Dakota’s sole loss to Nebraska came in 1961.

Probably not the heavy hitters you hoped for, but then again, the Playoffs have shown that non-conference slates should be cuddly and soft.

The official release from Nebraska:

Nebraska has added a total of six home games against three non-conference opponents to its future football schedules and also adjusted the date of a previously scheduled game.

The games added to the Nebraska schedule include:

South Dakota State—Sept 12, 2020; Aug. 31, 2024; Sept. 9, 2028

North Dakota—Sept. 3, 2022; Sept. 19, 2026

Georgia Southern—Sept. 10, 2022

The 2020 matchup with South Dakota State will take place a week after Nebraska opens the season against Purdue in a Big Ten Conference game. In order to complete its 2020 schedule, Nebraska has changed the date of its game against Cincinnati. The Bearcats will visit Lincoln on Sept. 26, in a game previously scheduled for Sept. 12, 2020.

South Dakota State will also play at Memorial Stadium for the Huskers’ 2024 season opener, and in the 2028 season. Nebraska and South Dakota State have met three times previously, with the Huskers owning a 3-0 series edge, including wins in 2010 and 2013.

The Jackrabbits have made the FCS playoffs for six straight seasons and will play in the national semifinals this weekend. In addition to its recent trips to Lincoln, SDSU has played non-conference games against Kansas, Missouri and Illinois in the past six seasons.

Nebraska will open the 2022 campaign against North Dakota, and will face Georgia Southern a week later, and will also take on UND in 2026.

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks compete in the Big Sky Conference in the FCS ranks and reached the second round of the NCAA Playoffs in 2016. North Dakota faced Utah this season and has upcoming non-conference matchups with Washington and Kansas State, in addition to the trips to Lincoln.

The Big Ten Conference announced earlier this year that league institutions are permitted to schedule FCS opponents in years when the school plays only four conference home games. Nebraska has four Big Ten home games scheduled in even-numbered years, including 2022 and 2026.

Georgia Southern competes in the Sun Belt Conference in the FBS ranks, and regularly faces a difficult non-league slate. The Eagles faced Auburn and Indiana on the road this season, and have future games against Clemson, LSU, Minnesota, Ole Miss and Arkansas in the next four seasons.

The addition of North Dakota and Georgia Southern completes Nebraska’s 2022 non-conference schedule. Nebraska will play host to Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Memorial Stadium. The game with North Dakota in 2026 is the second contest on NU’s schedule that season, with the Huskers also hosting Tennessee on Sept. 12 in Lincoln.

Nebraska’s non-conference schedules through 2022 are now complete and the Huskers’ full schedules, including Big Ten Conference games have been announced through the 2021 season.

Upcoming Nebraska Non-Conference Schedules (2018-2022)

2018

Sept. 1 Akron

Sept. 8 Colorado

Sept. 15 Troy

2019

Aug. 31 South Alabama

Sept. 7 at Colorado

Sept. 14 Northern Illinois

2020

Sept. 12 South Dakota State (FCS)

Sept. 19 Central Michigan

Sept. 26 Cincinnati

Note: Nebraska opens season against Purdue on Sept. 5

2021

Sept. 4 Northern Illinois

Sept. 11 Buffalo

Sept. 18 at Oklahoma

2022

Sept. 3 North Dakota (FCS)

Sept. 10 Georgia Southern (FCS)

Sept. 17 Oklahoma