Urban Meyer Says NCAA Should Mandate Top Non-Conference Football Matchups

The ex-Ohio State coach suggested the Wolverines' 2023 games justify schedule centralization.

Accusations of teams ”not playing anybody” are as old as college football itself. They were leveled at Kansas State in the '90s, Baylor in the '10s, and Boise State for most of its glory years. Even Alabama dealt with them in 1992, when they won the national title after beating Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and Tulane in non-conference play.

Michigan would appear to be a candidate to attract such chatter this season, as the powerful Wolverines lead off 2023 with East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green. To Urban Meyer—former coach of Michigan rival Ohio State as well as Florida, Utah and BGSU—such a slate cries out for centralized scheduling.

“I just think the NCAA should mandate scheduling. When I see [Michigan] and Georgia’s preseason schedule. I just think with this 12-team Playoff, if I’m the head coach at Ohio State, I could care less about my preseason schedule, the non-league schedule,” Meyer told Tim May during their podcast for On3. “Why would Ohio State play Notre Dame anymore?”

Georgia plays Tennessee-Martin, Ball State and UAB this season to go with its traditional rivalry with Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes play Youngstown State and Western Kentucky, but also Notre Dame, as Meyer alluded to.

"I think you should play a premier school, a middle school and then you can play a smaller school," Meyer said. "But I think that should be some kind of mandate."