Need to get back to scheduling a Nevada, SJSU maybe Cal every year. While I love the road trip to Dallas next season, UCLA the season after, it's a better trip for the local fanbase to just go play Nevada.

Regarding the schedule, the Go-Gos are facing an identity crisis, and I'm not talking about which cowboy hat to wear or what check is the president going to write that the football program will have to cash. Nor are they the victim of atrocious Big Sky officiating any longer. I'm talking about who are they? Here's what we know:
*FBS Independent beginning in 2026
*They have two games schedule for next year. From an athletic administration standpoint, that is a nightmare on November 19. The Go-Gos allegedly play @ Fresno State and host Youngstown State according to the web. Also, some sites have them playing Southern Utah and Lamar. I'm not sure how much I trust random websites that aren't official, but this points to them not closing the door on FCS opponents. Their plan may be a slow rise with a hybrid schedule, I haven't followed it close enough.
*Ironically, the date UC Davis is slated to host the Hatters of Stetson, is also listed as the date that the Go-Gos are hosting the Penguins of Youngstown. This tells me that IF one of the parties wanted to keep the Causeway alive, that was the open date to do it and it didn't get done for whatever reason. My guess is that the Ags needed a home game on that date and the Go-Gos wouldn't oblige for obvious reasons. Davis isn't the one needing games so they got a home cupcake before the Griz come to town. Winning the Big Sky > keeping the Causeway alive.

So who is CSU Sacramento? From all appearances, they're a self-declared FBS program that will need to fund an additional 35+ scholarships and play their games at a renovated horse track while begging for games. Can someone say Cal State Northridge... add a bunch of scholarships, play at Devonshire Downs, travel the world, ooops, not sustainable, drop football. Stay in your lane. I hope they don't ever come to this for the good of the game.

Do you think Nevada or SJSU wants to play UC Davis at this juncture? Nothing to gain, everything to lose from a recruiting standpoint. If I were Choate or Kenny I would want no part of that game. Their FCS games need to be against schools they don't recruit against. Cal and UCLA are different stories. UC schools helping each other out, big Aggie alumni/recruiting/fan bases in both regions, I'd try to play both those games as often as possible.

Won't make much difference here pretty soon - when we're in the same conference.

Great Preview fellas, Flush is a great guy

Get Yourself a Last Causeway Classic T-Shirt!
https://aggiepridepodcast.com/product/the-last-causeway-shirt/

Haha! Exactly

Good to hear Flush talking about 'making this a Davis crowd' for Causeway.

I've said it before but playing Cal is mutually beneficial for both schools.

Cal: Don't need to pay too much for a local FCS school, slight attendance boost, it's a way to keep money in the UC system.

Davis: saves travel money with a 1 hr bus trip, connections with alumni in the Bay, and networking with UC Berkeley and UC Office of the President in nearby Oakland.

SJSU just fired their Defensive and Special Teams Coordinators as they wrap up a miserable 3-7 season. Nevada, aka. the other Tahoe team, sits at 2-8 with victories against the Go-Gos and, you guessed it, San Jose State. WHY WOULD WE LEAVE THE BIG SKY/FCS TO BE A PART OF THIS?!!! Group of 5 football sucks, the stadiums are mostly empty, and they play for The Snoop Dawg, Famous Idaho Potato, LA, Hawai'i, and New Mexico Bowls, possibly the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Is it worth the additional TV revenue? I would rather aspire to win the Big Sky and FCS titles than go play a bunch of crap programs (half the current MWC is sub-.500 and they'll be left behind by the "new" PAC 12 schools) and money games.

Idaho was so insightful in bailing on the FBS pipedream, kudos to them and the Big Sky is better with them. Boise will never come back, but Nevada should. The Go-Gos should come back with their cowboy hats in hand. The Ags can stay put for another decade+. Even with the facility upgrades that dropped today, it's still not the best stadium or atmosphere in the Conference. Keep building the foundation, develop players and coaches, raise money, and we'll know when the time to jump is right.

Just one man's humble opinion...

The Stetson game was scheduled before Sac left the Big Sky. I think they would have to pay Stetson to get out of that game.
Sac may identify as an FBS independent but that is aspirational. I guess the NCAA can revisit, but nothing has changed.

From what I heard, Sac offered to pay off Stetson for us to back out and play in Davis. But, our financial payout to the Hatters was a pretty sweet deal so we are saying ‘thanks, but no thanks’..we’ll take a lesser opponent at home before SMU.

Can you elaborate on the "pretty sweet deal?"

I believe what was meant bid they got them to come out here at a much cheaper price than they would’ve normally paid for a one-of. With SUU and Utah Tech part of the BSC, finding FCS schools to come here is going to be a challenge.

True, I feel like SUU and Utah Tech were common OOC opponents.

We might be seeing more U. of San Diego? (I'd like to limit our Pioneer exposure to just USD after Stetson is out of the way)
Maybe more MVFC lower-tier teams? NEC for the lighter competition games as well.

I've enjoyed going through this in the past (D1 era only)
https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/football/opponent-history


Utah Tech / Dixie (as OOC)
2021
2024
2025

SUU (as OOC)
2023
2024
2025