TCU is scheduled to host UNC in 2026. It was just announced that the TCU home game will be played in Ireland, as part of the kick off weekend. TCU fans have mixed feelings, but I see why they’re doing this- the league needs a unique time slot and to have the nation tune in.
TCU has “hosted” a couple of major power non-conference games over the last dozen years- LSU and tOSU- with each game played in Arlington. Those teams want to play games in front of their fans and DFW recruits more than they want to experience Frog Alley.
I got curious about other IR8 teams- how many major, national programs do they get to host, in non-conference? I looked at the last 50 years-
1. ISU: none
2. KU: none
3. KSU: Miami, USC (20-25 years ago)
4. TCU: none, unless you count the Arlington games
5. Baylor: Auburn (50 years ago), USC (40 years ago)
6. UH: they would play some, over 25 years ago when they played in the Astrodome
7. TT: UW (45 years ago), Miami (35 years ago), USC (30 years ago)
8. OSU:, UGA, UW
Before, these schools could argue that they didn’t need to schedule major powers for home-and-home, because their league schedule was tough enough (plus, they typically had Texas and Oklahoma visiting in alternate years). Now, their league schedules are impressive, and they need to give home viewers a reason to dial in. Any big name visitor I’d uninterested with getting ten percent of a 48k stadium. I really don’t see many solutions for them.