SMU football released its 12-game 2017 schedule on Thursday, consisting of seven home games and five road games. SMU will play a four-game non-conference schedule in September before starting American Conference play.

The Mustangs open up against an FCS team, Stephen F. Austin at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Sept. 2. They then host North Texas, travel to TCU and return home to play Arkansas State, rounding out their non-conference schedule.

SMU’s conference schedule begins September 30 against UConn, and is followed by games in Houston and Cincinnati, with a bye week sandwiched in between their road contests. The Ponies return home from Cincinnati to play Tulsa on a Friday night, with UCF coming in the next week. SMU will make its final regular season road trip on November 11 and 18 against Navy and Memphis, before finishing the regular season with a home game against Tulane. If SMU wins the AAC West Division, it will play for the conference title on December 2.

After suffering two dispiriting blowouts in non-conference play last year to Baylor and TCU, SMU has a good shot to head into conference play with a winning record this season. TCU is their only matchup against a power-five opponent.

Eight of SMU’s 2017 opponents made bowl games last year, while only Arkansas State, Houston, Navy and Memphis finished the season with winning records.