If you’re a Memphis football fan, your Thanksgiving plans might have just changed.
The American Athletic Conference released its 2024 football schedule on Thursday, and Memphis’ contains a unique feature — a Thanksgiving Day game against Tulane in New Orleans to close out the regular season. That would have been a key game for the Tigers regardless of when it was played, but the late-season showdown will now be something to build toward all season.
Memphis already knew its opponents before Thursday’s schedule release, so fans knew the Tigers would play the most difficult games of its season (at least on paper) on the road. They’ll kick off conference play at Navy on Sept. 21, just a week after their trip to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in a non-conference showdown against former Memphis coach Mike Norvell.
The Tigers open the season with a pair of non-conference games against North Alabama and Troy then close out non conference play at home against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 28. Their first conference home game won’t be until Oct. 19, when they host North Texas.
Memphis will play two Friday night games — at South Florida on Oct. 11 and home against Rice on Nov. 8. The Thanksgiving game against Tulane will be the only Thursday night game of the season. Because of a calendar quirk, most college football teams will have two bye weeks in 2024. Memphis will be off before the trip to South Florida and then during the penultimate week of the regular season, so the Tigers will have extra time to prepare for the game against Tulane.
The Tigers will no doubt be met with higher and higher expectations as the season gets closer. The expanded College Football Playoff will have a spot for the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, and the AAC titlist will have an inside track on that spot. Memphis is expected to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/memphis-football-2024-schedule-includes-180016147.html
Author : The Commercial Appeal
Publish date : 2024-02-29 18:00:16
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