College football scheduling continued its recent run of turbulence Thursday, with a couple of future marquee series canceled, new matchups quickly added and even an international season opener validated as programs continue reshaping long-term calendars around expanding conference demands.
Florida State and Georgia are the recent high-profile series to be scrapped, mutually agreeing to cancel their planned 2027-28 home-and-home series. Both schools indicated the move comes amid shifting scheduling realities, including larger conference slates in both the ACC and SEC, as well as existing rivalry commitments that limit non-conference flexibility. The two programs are still discussing a possible neutral-site meeting in the future, but the original two-game format is off the books.
Another major SEC-Big 12 matchup also disappeared, as Alabama and Oklahoma State agreed to cancel their 2028-29 home-and-home series. Both sides had previously acknowledged complications of aligning future open dates for the series, which had been scheduled to begin in Stillwater before moving to Tuscaloosa the following year, particularly with other non-conference commitments already in place.
While those matchups fell apart, Oklahoma State quickly found a replacement. The Cowboys will now face Michigan State in a home-and-home series in 2028 and 2029, marking the first-ever football meetings between the programs. Michigan State will visit Stillwater in 2028, with the return game in East Lansing the following year.
The Spartans added even more to their future schedule, also announcing a home-and-home series with Cincinnati in 2030 and 2031, along with a 2027 nonconference game against FCS opponent Duquesne at Spartan Stadium.
The shifting matchups reflect a broader pattern across the sport, where previously long-term nonconference agreements are increasingly subject to change as conferences expand and prioritize internal scheduling formats. Schools across the Power Four have been navigating reduced flexibility for nonconference games, particularly when rivalry obligations and conference mandates already occupy large portions of the calendar.
College football’s international stage expands north of the border
Amid the reshuffling, college football will also continue its push into international markets.
The ACC revealed that Syracuse and Wake Forest will open the 2027 season in Toronto, Canada, in a Week 0 matchup at BMO Field — home of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and MLS side Toronto FC. The game will mark the first NCAA football game played at the venue and will serve as a conference contest, with Wake Forest designated as the home team.
The matchup is scheduled for either Aug. 28 or Aug. 29, with kickoff time and broadcast details to be finalized at a later date.
The Toronto announcement continues a growing international footprint for the sport, particularly for the ACC, which has made regular use of overseas season openers in recent years. That includes multiple games in Dublin, Ireland, through the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. North Carolina is scheduled to face TCU in Dublin this August, while Pittsburgh will meet Wisconsin in the 2027 season opener.
The ACC’s international slate also includes a trip to South America, with NC State and Virginia set to meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in a conference matchup.