Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard provided an update to the Iowa State community on Thursday, regarding the Big 12’s and the Iowa State football teams scheduling plans.

Pollard said that Iowa State aims to play its non-conference game on Sept. 12 and that conference play is set to begin on Sept. 26. 

Iowa State is scheduled to play Ball State on Sept. 12. Pollard did not confirm, whether Ball State would be the opponent that Iowa State would play on that day.

Iowa State’s first Big 12 game is supposed to be on Sept. 26 against Texas Tech.

According to the letter, Iowa State will still play the teams at home that it’s scheduled to play but the dates may have to change.

“The Big 12 is reworking its 2020 football schedule to create more flexibility given the anticipated need for bye weeks to accommodate potential coronavirus-related delays,” Pollard said. “We will still play the same opponents at home this year, but we anticipate new dates from what was originally released.”

Iowa State has contracts to play against three non-Big 12 teams this year, Ball State, South Dakota and UNLV.

The Cyclones were scheduled to play South Dakota on Sept. 5, Ball State on Sept. 12 and UNLV on Sept. 19, but can now only choose to play one of those teams and it looks like Iowa State wants to play that game on Sept. 12.

Iowa State has to make this choice because earlier in the week, the Big 12 voted to move to a “9+1” scheduling model, meaning that Iowa State will play nine conference games and one non-conference game. 

“The Big 12 Presidents voted earlier this week to limit non-conference football schedules to one game. As a result, we must cancel two non-conference games,” Pollard said. “We are currently working with all three opponents to determine the best pathway forward. Any decision is dependent upon scheduling parameters from other conferences and NCAA policies, which may delay the decision.”

UNLV’s conference, the Mountain West Conference, is sponsoring “fall sports to begin competition no earlier than the week ending Sept. 26,” meaning that the earliest Iowa State could play UNLV, would be Sept. 20.

If Iowa State is set on playing its non-conference game on Sept. 12, then it looks like South Dakota or Ball State will be the team that it is going to play.