Chip Kelly said after practice Tuesday he’d rather play high-profile non-conference games than put his team up against FCS competition, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. He said that games are often scheduled against teams like Portland State or Tennessee Tech simply to fill out the Ducks’ schedule.
“We have to play a 12-game schedule,” Kelly said. “All the instances where we’ve played (FCS teams), those are the only teams available.”
For FCS teams, playing an opponent like the Ducks means a big payday and national exposure. Savannah State made more than $800,000 for scheduling games against Oklahoma State and Florida State in consecutive weeks, and lost by a combined score of 139-0. Since 1984, Tennessee Tech has played 26 games against FBS/Div-1A opponents without a victory.
But for FBS teams, the stakes are much higher. One out-of-conference loss can ruin a team’s post-season aspirations. Convincing teams to come to Autzen Stadium then becomes a bit of a challenge.
“We’ve had a lot of offers to play neutral site games,” Kelly said. “But I don’t want to play neutral site games. I want to play in Autzen Stadium and then we’ll reciprocate and go play in their place.”
Kelly said the Ducks have a home and homes in the works with Michigan State and Texas A&M, and that he’s currently in talks with another series for 2020 and 2021, but he wouldn’t say what school that was.