Nebraska Football: Cornhuskers add BYU, Carl Pelini's FAU to Future Schedules

“The schedule is now complete. When we last met, I was but the learner; now I am the master.”

OK, so that’s not exactly what Darth Vader said to Obi-Wan Kenobi just before their lightsaber duel at the end of Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

But it does provide me with an alpha-geek opportunity for a lead to the story about Nebraska filling out its football schedules for 2012-2019. So let’s take a look at what Nebraska fans will see on the NU schedule in the upcoming seasons.

2012 – IDAHO STATE

As expected, Nebraska capped off its 2012 schedule with an FCS opponent, this time with Idaho State.

The Bengals were 2-9 last year, and are no strangers to paycheck games, having taken trips to BYU, Georgia, Arizona State, Washington State, and Oklahoma in the last three seasons.

Nebraska and Idaho State will meet for the first time on Sept. 22, 2012, in Memorial Stadium.

2014 – FLORIDA ATLANTIC

It’s the Pelini Bowl! Probably! After the 2011 season, Carl Pelini resigned as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator to take the head coaching position at Florida Atlantic. Now, Nebraska has added the Owls to its non-conference schedule for 2014.

We assume (and most hope) that both Pelinis will still be the head coaches of their respective schools on Aug. 30, 2014, when the brothers will face off head-to-head.

Nebraska has played FAU once before, in 2009, with NU notching a 49-3 win in Lincoln. FAU joins a non-conference schedule for Nebraska in 2014 that includes games against Fresno State in Fresno and Miami (Fla.) in Lincoln.

2015 – BYU

Easily the most intriguing addition to Nebraska’s schedule from a football standpoint, the Cougars will travel to Lincoln on Sept. 5, 2015, for the first meeting between the schools.

BYU’s new status as an independent helped make this game possible, particularly without requiring Nebraska to make a trip to Provo in return, as BYU needs marquee games to fill out its schedule.

Whether BYU will still be independent in 2015 is up for debate (although I would be shocked if they still were), so it’s a good idea for Nebraska to get the contract signed and the agreement sealed now.

I wouldn’t put this game in my list of five most anticipated upcoming Nebraska games, but it might be No. 6. BYU joins Southern Mississippi and and a road trip to Miami (Fla.), making the 2015 non-conference schedule one of the most difficult slates in recent Nebraska history.

2015 and 2019 – SOUTH ALABAMA

Nebraska added another paycheck game for the 2015 and 2019 schedules with South Alabama.

The Jaguars will be an FBS school for the first time in 2012, playing in the Sun Belt Conference, meaning Nebraska can add USA (USA! USA!! USA!!!) to the schedule and still leave open the option for an FCS school on the 2015 or 2019 schedule.

USA will play in Lincoln on Sept. 12, 2015, and will be part of a non-conference schedule that includes Southern Mississippi in Lincoln and Miami (Fla.) in Miami, plus the BYU addition discussed above.

In 2019, USA will face Nebraska in Lincoln on Aug. 31, 2019 (mark your calendars now!) and are Nebraska’s first non-conference opponent scheduled for the 2019 season.

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