CSU has added another game against nearby Northern Colorado to its future football schedules, giving the Rams the one game a season against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent they can count toward bowl eligibility through 2024.

Colorado State University will pay Northern Colorado a $400,000 guarantee for a game at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins on Sept. 7, 2024, under terms of the contract, FBSchedules.com reported Tuesday. CSU is also scheduled to host UNC on Sept. 19, 2020, for a guarantee of $325,000 under a previous contract.

The addition of the game against UNC leaves the Rams with just one more opening on their 2024 schedule. CSU is scheduled to open the 2024 season Aug. 31 at Texas in a game that guarantees the Rams $1.8 million. CSU will also play a home game Sept. 14, 2024, against the University of Colorado and eight games against Mountain West opponents.

CSU also has home games scheduled against FCS opponents Western Illinois (Sept. 7, 2019), South Dakota State (Sept. 4, 2021), Sacramento State (Sept. 24, 2022) and Dixie State (Sept. 30, 2023). NCAA rules allow Football Bowl Subdivision teams to count one win over an FCS team toward the six needed for bowl eligibility in a 12-game regular season or seven needed in a 13-game regular season.

The Rams have two nonconference games scheduled each season through 2026 against schools from Power 5 conferences.

CSU's all-time record against Northern Colorado is 20-0-1. Ten of the first 14 games in the series were played in Greeley while the past 11 have all been in Fort Collins.

CSU has 12 games scheduled each year through 2023 but could play a 13th in 2021 under an NCAA exception granted to teams playing games at Hawaii. Under the MW’s current scheduling format, the Rams’ next game at Hawaii will be in 2021.

CSU football’s future nonconference schedules

2020

Sept. 5 – COLORADO

Sept. 12 – at Oregon State

Sept. 19 – NORTHERN COLORADO

Sept. 26 – at Vanderbilt

2021

Sept. 4 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Sept. 11 – VANDERBILT

Sept. 18 – at Toledo

Sept. 25 – at Iowa

2022

Sept. 3 – at Michigan

Sept. 10 – MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Sept. 17 – at Washington State

Sept. 24 – SACRAMENTO STATE

2023

Sept. 2 – WASHINGTON STATE

Sept. 16 – at Colorado

Sept. 23 – at Middle Tennessee

Sept. 30 – DIXIE STATE

2024

Aug. 31 – at Texas

Sept. 7 – NORTHERN COLORADO

Sept. 14 – COLORADO

2025

Sept. 6 – TEXAS TECH

Sept. 27 – at Vanderbilt

2026

Sept. 19 – at Texas Tech

Sept. 26 – VANDERBILT

2027

Sept. 4 – ARIZONA

2028

Sept. 2 – at Arizona

Kelly Lyell covers CSU and other local sports and sports-related news for the Coloradoan. Follow him at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news and help support the work he and his fellow journalists do in our community by purchasing a subscription at coloradoan.com/subscribe.