College football scheduling can be tricky sometimes, especially with schedules being filled up years in advance. A few days ago it was announced that Texas and Arizona State will be playing a home-and-home series in 2032 and 2033. In what seems like an odd twist, the series became possible because Arizona State agreed to give one of its opponent sin 2021 to the Longhorns.
As confirmed in an announcement form Arizona State, the Sun Devils agreed to give away a 2021 home game previously scheduled against Louisiana Lafayette to the Longhorns as Texas worked to fill out its schedule in the upcoming years. Seems strange, right?
The addition of Louisiana-Lafayette to the Texas schedule in 2021 gives the Longhorns a complete schedule that will also include a home game against Rice and a road game at Arkansas. Why Texas couldn’t find another opponent to play at home in the first week of the 2021 season without poaching one from another future opponent is beyond me, but there is likely some sort of headache behind the whole ordeal.
According to FBSchedules.com, Arizona State agreed to pay ULL $200,000 to cancel the football game. A men’s basketball game between the schools was also added as part of the agreement to cancel the football game. Arizona State has already filled the vacancy on the 2021 schedule with the addition of FCS opponent Southern Utah.
The lesson learned here is if Texas is interested in playing a home-and-home series with you, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.