While doing some checking on next year’s football schedule and a source close to the program has stated that it looks like Houston is on the schedule but details are being worked on. As to whether they will be the team opening the new stadium is another matter. North Texas fans will have to wait for at least six months to find out who the official opponent will be to open the stadium. It could be Houston or someone else.

The reason is simple. There have been some changes in the college conference realignment which may lead to some openings for some very attractive opportunities for North Texas to carpe diem.

For example only, since Nebraska has changed conferences and will start to play Big Ten schools next year what will happen to all the Big 12 schools they were suppose to play along with the out of conference opponents? They need games. Could North Texas hook up with one of those teams?  Nebraska was supposed to play Texas, Washington, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas A&M, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Western Kentucky, Idaho and South Dakota State. Could Athletic Director Rick Villarreal’s staff convince one of them to open up the new stadium? Would one of them be a better opponent to open the stadium then Houston? What if Kansas State was convinced to close Fouts Field and make a return visit to open up the new stadium? Could Nebraska be willing to schedule North Texas as their OOC opponent in case they can not honor their OOC schedule because of Big Ten dates?

There are always changes going on with scheduling because of television. National networks are willing to pay to see two teams play on a certain date because they feel it will garner a big television audience and big advertising revenues. If those teams are not playing on the day the television wants, the two teams will start to rearrange their schedule. Some opponents can’t move their schedule so they get dropped, moved to another season or given additional games. As a result, at the last moment, some teams find themselves in a position of needing a game. Maybe North Texas can pick one of them up.

When some teams were scheduled they were not very good but have gotten better. As a result some big name teams would rather pay the buyout then play them. As a result openings become available for both teams.

So, North Texas is waiting to see to if maybe there is a big name opponent they might be able to schedule at the last moment before they officially name the opponent for the stadium opener.  It’s part of the scheduling process and part of what happens in the life of a college football athletic director.