Joel Klatt ranks top five non-conference games that should be played every year

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt ranked his top five non-conference games that should be played every single season. As it stands, these games don’t happen or are currently on the chopping block with no guarantees to keep playing.

So Klatt made it his mission to mention the five biggest rivalries that should be a regular occurrence. Simply put, if you love college football, you’ll want to watch these games.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Klatt’s list. We’ll start with a blatantly obvious one.

1. Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State

Klatt: “Man, I want Bedlam every year. Nothing is scheduled right now. In December, Joe Castiglione, the athletic director at Oklahoma, said it wouldn’t be until well into the, you know, 30s, that we’re going to get this match up. We should be better than that in college football.”

Klatt made the obvious choice here, which was thrown out with Oklahoma’s move to the SEC. It stunk for all involved, but currently there’s nothing on the docket to bring Bedlam back for football.

2. Colorado vs. Nebraska

Klatt: “This is the rivalry that I grew up on. This is the rivalry that made me personally fall in love with college football. We should have Colorado-Nebraska every single year. There were so many years, if you look from like the middle of the 80s until about 2005 this matchup likely either decided the the Big 8 champion or the Big 12 North Division champion.”

Colorado and Nebraska ran it back, finally, in 2024 as the Huskers beat Deion Sanders and crew. But with the high profile of both programs, it’d be logical to bring this old school rivalry back.

3. Florida vs. Miami

Klatt: “This is a no brainer. I want to see Miami and Florida every single year. Nothing is scheduled after 2025. They used to be an annual opponent for them in the late 80s. And listen, this has been a series that we kind of get and then it goes away. We should have it. All the kids that go to Florida and Miami play against each other their entire lives.”

Klatt’s right, this one is a no-brainer. They’re in the same state for goodness sake! Yes, it’s SEC vs. ACC, but there’s a non-conference slot open every year. Get it done folks! 

4. Kansas vs. Missouri

Klatt: “How about one of the most historic, and before they actually ended their annual match up because of conference realignment, was the game that had been played more than any other game in the country? And that’s Kansas-Missouri.”

People might forget about this one considering Missouri’s SEC standing. They’ve been successful, Lance Leipold has pushed the right buttons at Kansas as well. So, make this natural geographical rivalry a thing again!

5. USC vs. Notre Dame

Klatt: “Did you know that Notre Dame USC is actually not scheduled after 2026. We’ve had this series since 1926. Okay, so that’s 100 years. And Lincoln Riley spoke last year about the uncertainty around the game and this specific matchup for the future. It’s like, hey, we should probably find a way to lock that in.”

USC and Notre Dame not being a regularly scheduled non-conference game is kind of mind boggling! At least in terms of it not being locked in. This should be a staple.