Prepare for Missouri’s non-conference schedule in 2015 to be a punchline.

Athletic director Mike Alden, who met with the media Wednesday, all but ruled out the possibility of scheduling a power conference team, calling it “really difficult” at this point.

Currently the team’s only two non-conference games on the schedule are at home against Southeast Missouri State, an FCS school from the Ohio Valley Conference, and in Jonesboro, Ark., against Arkansas State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

The two vacant spots for non-conference games next season probably won’t be sexy either, when they’re eventually filled. It seems likely that Alden will have to scrounge for two other teams from the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt Conference looking for a payday and willing to travel to Columbia.

The worst-case scenario? Missouri has to schedule two FCS opponents for 2015 in addition to traveling to Arkansas State.

Beginning in 2016, the SEC mandates that all 14 of its teams must face at least one team in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 per season.

Missouri and Illinois have flirted, Alden said, but even if something gets done to schedule a home-and-away, it likely won’t be near-term. So after filling out next year’s non-conference schedule, Alden’s next big task is to secure a power-conference foe for 2016.

Don’t expect any more road games against schools like Toledo (this Saturday) and Arkansas State (Sept. 12, 2015), Alden said. The school has struggled with scheduling as it transitioned to the SEC, and particularly the Arkansas State home-and-away (Missouri hosted the Red Wolves in 2013) came out of necessity.

Alden also is interested in neutral-site games against power conference foes in St. Louis and Kansas City.

Here are some other notes from Alden’s interview:

  • After Missouri dismissed him from the team, receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and Oklahoma applied for a special waiver from the NCAA that would’ve allowed him to play for the Sooners in 2014. The NCAA denied the waiver. Alden said Missouri’s athletic department had minimal involvement in that decision and that the NCAA did not ask the Tigers for any sort of opinion on Green-Beckham. The school simply confirmed some facts related to the decision to dismiss Green-Beckham from the team, Alden said.
  • Missouri plans to select an architect for a new football practice facility (and a new softball stadium) in January.
  • Alden defended Missouri in the wake of the recent ESPN report related to Title IX and specifically former running back Derrick Washington. The Tigers issued a statement acknowledging errors following the report. On Wednesday, Alden said Missouri “was not alone” with its Title IX failings and that there’s been a big wake-up call nationally.
  • Alden did not budget for any income from the first year of the SEC Network. So any millions that Missouri gets from the network will be a bonus.