FBS Team History

Our FBS Team History 

Our primary Goal started to attend games played by every major Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football program. First appearances of every FBS team and all-time records on Collegefootballfan.com’s schedule to date appear in our archives below. As teams join the FBS, we make the effort to see them. Now in retirement from “the real world,” I am trying to make it to as many stadiums not yet attended. 

Keys to tables below

  • Names of teams in italics indicate that we’ve attended a game at their home stadium over the course of our history.
  • The numeral under the column marked “order” indicates the sequential order in which we watched that team play in the FBS for the first time.
  • You can read about all of the games we saw each team play for our first time up until Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Team No. 131, James Madison, in my book, Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly. Click on the cover on the upper right of this page to order your copy today!  My book “Fifty Years” entails not only the first time we’ve seen every FBS team play, but also our most memorable of each since.  Read about the college football trip of a lifetime.  More to come!
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
1 2 Army Navy W 23-14 12/2/1972 Philadelphia (JFK) 20-39
2 129 Charlotte Old Dominion L 37-34 10/10/2015 Norfolk, VA 0-2
3 57 East Carolina Army W 33-14 10/2/1999 West Point, NY 2-2
4 113 Florida Atlantic North Texas W 17-16 11/18/2006 Denton, TX 1-0
5 61 Memphis Army W 26-15 9/23/2000 West Point, NY 3-1
6 1 Navy Army L 23-14 12/2/1972 Philadelphia (JFK) 44-44
7 114 North Texas FAU L 17-16 11/18/2006 Denton, TX 0-1
8 81 Rice Hawaii L 33-28 11/16/2002 Houston, TX 0-1
9 15 Temple William & Mary W 42-0 9/5/1981 Philadelphia, (Franklin Field) 19-14
10 50 Tulane Army L 34-10 10/19/1996 West Point, NY 1-2
11 110 Tulsa Navy W 24-23 OT 9/23/2006 Annapolis, MD 1-6
12 66 UAB Army W 27-7 11/18/2000 West Point, NY 2-1
13 105 USF UConn L 15-10 11/26/2005 East Hartford, CT 1-5
14 121 UTSA South Alabama W 33-31 9/1/2012 Mobile, AL 2-0
At the first game of our FBS Team History, Army played Navy. In 2024, Army joins Navy in a conference for the first time in the American Athletic. The two will continue their archrivalry as the last regular FBS game of every season. However, the game will always be scheduled for both as non-conference games.

At the first game of our FBS Team History, Army played Navy in 1972. In 2024, Army joins Navy in a conference for the first time in the American Athletic. The two will continue their archrivalry as the last regular FBS game of every season. However, the game will always be scheduled for both as a non-conference game.

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
15 27 Boston College Navy W 37-0 10/5/1974 Annapolis, MD 12-9
16 72 California Rutgers W 20-10 11/25/2001 New Brunswick, NJ 2-1
17 12 Clemson Maryland L 34-7 11/1/1980 College Park, MD 2-5
18 33 Duke Rutgers L 7-0 10/3/1987 East Rutherford 6-2
19 39 Florida State Kansas W 42-0 8/28/1993 East Rutherford 4-4
20 37 Georgia Tech Penn State L 34-22 8/27/1991 East Rutherford 2-4
21 44 Louisville Army L 30-29 10/15/1994 West Point, NY 3-7
22 24 Miami Auburn W 20-18 8/28/1993 East Rutherford 7-2
23 28 North Carolina Navy W 21-19 9/7/1985 Annapolis, MD 4-2
24 11 NC State Penn State L 21-13 11/8/1980 State College, PA 3-3
25 18 Pittsburgh Syracuse W 23-10 10/24/1981 Pittsburgh, PA 7-8
26 112 SMU Tulsa W 34-24 11/18/2006 Dallas, TX 2-2
27 74 Stanford Boston College L 34-27 9/7/2002 Chestnut Hill, MA 2-1
28 6 Syracuse Navy L 10-6 10/1/1975 Annapolis, MD 12-12
29 17 Virginia Rutgers L 3-0 9/18/1991 East Rutherford 2-5
30 54 Virginia Tech Syracuse L 28-26 11/14/1998 Syracuse, NY 5-5
31 19 Wake Forest Richmond W 34-22 11/14/1981 Richmond, VA 12-2
Among historic regional rivalries we've attended, we watched The Big Game between Stanford and Cal of the PAC-12 in Berkely, CA in 2016. Evidently, geography is no longer taught in college. These two teams not far from San Francisco Bay will become members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. SMU, located in Dallas, Texas, closer to the Gulf of Mexico, will also join the ACC.

Among historic regional rivalries we’ve attended, we watched The Big Game between Stanford and Cal of the PAC-12 in Berkely, CA in 2016. Evidently, geography is no longer taught in college. These two teams not far from San Francisco Bay will become members of the “Atlantic Coast” Conference in 2024. SMU, located in Dallas, Texas, closer to the Gulf of Mexico, will also join the Atlantic Coast Conference.

BIG TEN √            
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
32 62 Illinois Penn State L 39-25 10/21/2000 State College, PA 1-4
33 43 Indiana Penn State L 38-31 11/6/1993 State College, PA 2-2
34 23 Iowa Penn State W 42-34 9/17/1983 State College, PA 4-5
35 13 Maryland Clemson W 34-7 11/15/1980 College Park, MD 8-9
36 42 Michigan Penn State W 21-13 10/16/1993 State College, PA 5-6
37 36 Michigan State Rutgers W 34-10 9/29/1990 East Rutherford 4-2
38 41 Minnesota Penn State L 38-20 9/4/1993 State College, PA 2-3
39 22 Nebraska Penn State W 44-6 8/29/1993 East Rutherford 3-3
40 45 Northwestern Penn State L 45-17 10/28/2000 State College, PA 2-6
41 30 Ohio State Alabama L 16-10 8/27/1996 East Rutherford 9-7
42 46 Oregon Penn State L 38-20 1/2/1995 Pasadena, CA 1-1
43 9 Penn State Syracuse W 35-7 10/20/1979 East Rutherford 89-28
44 49 Purdue Penn State L 31-14 10/12/1996 State College, PA 1-7
45 8 Rutgers Princeton W 38-14 9/29/1979 Princeton, NJ 27-40
46 35 USC Syracuse W 34-16 8/31/1990 East Rutherford 4-2
47 69 UCLA Washington W 35-13 10/13/2001 Pasadena, CA 3-1
48 68 Washington UCLA L 35-13 10/13/2001 Pasadena, CA 2-2
49 21 Wisconsin Tennessee L 28-21 12/14/1981 East Rutherford 1-6
Another PAC-12 rivalry heads away from the Pacific Rim football. USC will still battle UCLA in Las Angeles, but as members of the Big Ten. When will they have the "guts" to call this the Big Sixteen? Don't colleges even teach math anymore? No more epic Rose Bowl battles between these two, Oregon, or Washington against Midwest powers annually anymore.

Another PAC-12 rivalry heads away from “Pacific Rim” football to alter FBS team history. USC will still battle UCLA in Las Angeles, but both as members of the Big Ten. When will they have the “guts” to call this the Big Sixteen? Don’t colleges even teach math anymore? No more epic Rose Bowl battles between these two, Oregon, or Washington against Midwest powers annually anymore.  Now, they will all play in the same conference.

BIG XII √            
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
50 55 Arizona Penn State L 41-7 8/28/1999 State College, PA 0-1
51 87 Arizona State North Carolina W 33-31 10/18/2003 Chapel Hill, NC 1-0
52 97 Baylor Army W 20-10 9/17/2005 West Point, NY 3-1
53 26 BYU Boston College W 28-14 8/29/1985 East Rutherford 4-1
54 34 Cincinnati Penn State L 41-0 9/19/1987 State College, PA 3-4
55 109 Colorado Colorado State L 14-10 9/9/2006 Mile High Stadium 0-2
56 14 Houston Navy W 35-0 12/30/1980 East Rutherford 3-3
57 98 Iowa State Army W 28-21 19/23/2005 West Point, NY 1-2
58 40 Kansas Florida State L 42-0 8/28/1993 East Rutherford 0-2
59 115 Kansas State Auburn L 23-13 9/1/2007 Auburn, AL 0-2
60 117 Oklahoma St. Texas Tech W 49-45 9/22/2007 Stillwater, OK 1-0
61 76 TCU Army W 46-27 10/12/2002 West Point, NY 2-0
62 83 Texas Tech NC State L 49-21 9/23/2003 Raleigh, NC 0-2
63 99 Utah North Carolina L 31-17 10/1/2005 Chapel Hill, NC 0-2
64 91 UCF Penn State L 37-13 9/18/2004 State College, PA 0-2
65 7 West Virginia Syracuse L 24-14 9/15/1979 East Rutherford 3-7
In a colorful tribute by the Iowa State Cyclone Marching Band at the 2023 Liberty Bowl, they brandished the flags of their fellow Big XII members. In 2024, Oklahoma and Texas fled to the SEC. Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado now join the 16-team Big XII. This must be what they now call "new math." Very hard to understand.

In a colorful tribute by the Iowa State Cyclone Marching Band at the 2023 Liberty Bowl, they brandished the flags of their fellow Big XII members. In 2024, Oklahoma and Texas fled to the SEC. Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado now join the 16-team Big XII. This must be what they now call “new math.” Very hard to understand. Nine stadiums remain in the Big XII for us to visit. Challenges ahead.

CONFERENCE USA          
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
66 111 Florida Int’l Maryland L 14-10 9/23/2006 College Park, MD 0-1
67 132 Jacksonville St. UTEP W 17-14 8/26/2023 Jacksonville, AL 3-0
68 133 Kennesaw St. Jacksonville St. L 63-24 10/4/2024 Kennesaw, GA 0-2
69 130 Liberty UMass L 62-59 11/3/2018 Amherst, MA 1-2
70 59 Louisiana Tech Penn State L 67-7 9/9/2000 State College, PA 0-3
71 64 Middle Tenn. UConn W 66-10 11/4/2000 Storrs, CT 5-8
72 58 New Mexico St. Army L 35-18 10/23/1999 West Point, NY 0-1
73 134 Sam Houston St. TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
74 106 UTEP San Diego St. W 34-27 9/5/2009 San Diego, CA 1-2
75 120 Western Kentucky Tennessee L 63-7 9/5/2009 Knoxville, TN 4-4
Conference USA is where we reap growth in our FBS Game History. In 2023, we added Jacksonville State as our 132nd FBS team. Thet defeated UTEP and MTSU in their games we attended. In 2024, we will see a Conference USA game featuring Kennesaw State as our Team # 133. Sam Houston State looms as Team # 134 in 2025 and we will probably welcome Delaware as FBS Team # 135 then as well.

Conference USA is where we reap growth in our FBS Game History. In 2023, we added Jacksonville State as our 132nd FBS team. They defeated UTEP and MTSU in their games we attended. In 2024, we will see a Conference USA game featuring Kennesaw State at home as our Team # 133. Sam Houston State looms as Team # 134 in 2025, and we will probably witness Delaware as FBS Team # 135 then as well.

 

INDEPENDENTS √          
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
76 3 Notre Dame Navy W 15-6 11/2/1974 Philadelphia (The Vet) 16-7
77 65 UConn MTSU L 66-10 11/4/2000 Storrs, CT 6-7
78 123 UMass Indiana L 45-6 9/8/2012 Foxboro, MA 1-5
One thing looks to be certain regarding our FBS Team history, Notre Dame will probably be the last standing Independent remaining in FBS football. We plan to see them play Navy in 2024. Could be our GAME 700.

One thing looks to be certain regarding our FBS Team history, Notre Dame will probably be the last standing Independent remaining in FBS football. We plan to see them play Navy in 2024. Could be our GAME # 700.

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
79 88 Akron UConn L 38-37 10/25/2003 East Hartford, CT 1-2
80 84 Ball State Boston College L 53-29 9/27/2003 Chestnut Hill, MA 1-2
81 60 Bowling Green Temple L 31-14 9/16/2000 Philadelphia, (Franklin Field) 0-2
82 101 Buffalo Ohio U. L 34-20 10/29/2005 Amherst, NY 1-3
83 56 Central Michigan Syracuse L 41-17 9/11/1999 Syracuse, NY 0-2
84 75 Eastern Michigan Maryland L 45-3 9/21/2002 College Park, MD 0-2
85 79 Kent State UConn L 63-21 11/9/2002 Storrs, CT 0-1
86 53 Miami (O.) Army W 14-13 9/12/1998 West Point, NY 3-1
87 89 Northern ILL Maryland L 23-20 9/4/2004 College Park, MD 1-1
88 100 Ohio U. Buffalo W 34-20 10/29/2005 Amherst, NY 3-0
89 63 Toledo Navy W 35-14 10/28/2000 Annapolis, MD 3-1
90 90 Western Michigan Virginia Tech L 63-0 9/11/2004 Blacksburg, VA 0-1
The Mid-American Conference remains as the conference that looms with the most stadiums left for us to visit. Last season, we visited the tribute to "The Cradle of Coaches" at Miami in Oxford, Ohio. This season, we will attend our first game at Central Michigan. We look to take advantage of MACtion weekday games in the future to get to see the seven remaining home stadiums.

The Mid-American Conference remains second after the Big XII as the conference that looms with the most stadiums left to visit. Last season, we visited the tribute to “The Cradle of Coaches” at Miami in Oxford, Ohio. This season, we will attend our first game at Central Michigan. We look to take advantage of MACtion weekday games in the future to get to see the seven remaining home stadiums.

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
91 38 Air Force Navy L 17-0 10/4/1976 RFK Stadium, D.C. 7-6
92 94 Boise State Georgia L 48-13 9/3/2005 Athens, GA 1-1
93 108 Colorado State Colorado W 14-10 9/9/2006 Mile High Stadium 2-0
94 103 Fresno State San Jose St. W 41-7 11/5/2005 Fresno, CA 2-0
95 80 Hawaii Rice W 33-28 11/16/2002 Houston, TX 2-2
96 119 Nevada Idaho W 37-21 10/27/2007 Reno, NV 1-0
97 95 New Mexico Missouri W 45-35 9/10/2005 Columbia, MO 1-2
98 107 San Diego St. UTEP L 34-27 8/31/2006 San Diego, CA 0-2
99 102 San Jose St. Fresno State L 41-7 11/5/2005 Fresno, CA 0-1
100 78 UNLV Wyoming W 49-48 OT 11/5/2005 Las Vegas, NV 1-0
101 71 Utah State UConn W 38-31 11/10/2001 Storrs, CT 2-2
102 77 Wyoming UNLV L 49-48 OT 11/5/2005 Las Vegas, NV 0-2
In 2021, we attended our last all Mountain West game when Hawaii visited Logan, Utah to face Utah State for our first game there. In 2024, plans include games at New Mexico and at Wyoming to add to our FBS Team History.

In 2021, we attended our last all Mountain West game when Hawaii visited Logan, Utah to face Utah State for our first game there. In 2024, plans include games at New Mexico and at Wyoming to add to our FBS Team History.

PAC – 12 CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
103 73 Oregon State Temple W 35-3 9/5/2002 Philadelphia, (Franklin Field) 1-0
104 82 Washington St. Notre Dame L 29-26 OT 9/6/2005 South Bend, IN 1-1

We saw the two sole survivors of the original PAC-12 venture east to see them play. WAZU also played at Rutgers in 2015.  We plan to pull together an excursion to see these two play in the Great Pacific Northwest.

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
105 10 Alabama Auburn W 25-18 12/1/1979 Birmingham, AL 10-1
106 92 Arkansas Auburn L 38-20 10/16/2004 Auburn, AL 2-2
107 5 Auburn Georgia T 22-22 11/18/1978 Auburn, AL 6-9-1
108 29 Florida Auburn W 14-10 11/2/1985 Auburn, AL 3-1
109 4 Georgia Auburn T 22-22 11/18/1978 Auburn, AL 3-0-1
110 32 Kentucky Rutgers L 19-18 8/28/1993 East Rutherford 2-5
111 16 LSU Notre Dame L 27-9 9/12/1981 South Bend, IN 2-3
112 48 Mississippi Auburn L 27-21 9/8/2001 Auburn, AL 2-1
113 93 Mississippi St. Arkansas L 24-21 11/13/2004 Starkville, MS 0-3
114 96 Missouri New Mexico L 45-35 9/10/2005 Columbia. Mo 4-2
115 116 Oklahoma Tulsa W 62-21 9/21/2007 Tulsa, OK 2-3
116 48 South Carolina Vanderbilt W 52-14 10/21/1995 Columbia, SC 11-4
117 20 Tennessee Wisconsin W 28-21 12/14/1981 East Rutherford 7-2
118 25 Texas Penn State W 28-3 9/29/1984 East Rutherford 4-0
119 34 Texas A&M Nebraska L 23-14 8/27/1988 East Rutherford 1-4
120 47 Vanderbilt South Carolina L 52-14 10/21/1995 Columbia, SC 1-6
In 2024, Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. Let's just say regarding our FBS Team History, it wasn't pretty when the Sooners played the Tigers in the 2019 CFP semi-final. LSU won 63-24, and it wasn't that close.

In 2024, Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. Let’s just say regarding our FBS Team History, it wasn’t pretty when the Sooners played the Tigers in the 2019 CFP semi-final. LSU won 66-28, and it wasn’t that close.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE √        
No. Order Team Opponent Score Date Location Record
121 126 Appalachian St. Georgia State W 44-0 11/1/2014 Boone, NC 2-2
122 104 Arkansas State Army L 38-20 11/19/2005 West Point, NY 1-1
123 129 Coastal Carolina GA Southern W 28-17 12/2/2017 Conway, SC 1-1
124 128 GA Southern Navy L 52-14 11/15/2014 Annapolis, MD 0-2
125 127 Georgia State Appalachian St. L 44-0 11/1/2014 Boone, NC 0-1
126 131 James Madison Louisville L 34-10 11/5/2022 Louisville, KY 0-2
127 86 Louisiana UL Monroe L 45-42 10/11/2003 Lafayette, LA 3-1
128 51 Marshall Army W 35-25 9/6/1997 West Point, NY 3-1
129 125 Old Dominion Marshall L 56-14 10/4/2014 Norfolk, VA 1-1
130 122 South Alabama UTSA L 33-31 9/1/2006 Mobile, AL 1-2
131 52 So. Mississippi Penn State L 34-6 9/5/1998 State College, PA 1-1
132 124 Texas State Navy L 21-10 11/17/2012 Annapolis, MD 2-4
133 70 Troy State Maryland L 47-10 11/3/2001 College Park, MD 2-3
134 85 UL Monroe Louisiana W 45-42 10/11/2003 Lafayette, LA 1-0
The Sun Belt is fast becoming a favorite conference of ours to attend games. We will see at least five conference members compete this season. We plan to see an Arkansas State home game in Jonesboro. Most of the remaining venues fall within a day's drive to add to our FBS Team History.

The Sun Belt is fast becoming a favorite conference of ours to attend games. We will see at least five conference members compete this season. We plan to see an Arkansas State home game in Jonesboro. Most of the remaining venues fall within a day’s drive to add to our FBS Team History in upcoming seasons.

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