Tarleton State Football to open 2024 season at home against McNeese on August 24

STEPHENVILLE – There has been a change to Tarleton State’s football schedule, and the Texans will now open their 2024 campaign at home.

The Texans will begin next season at Memorial Stadium against McNeese on Aug. 24. This game will be nationally broadcast, with network details and kickoff time to be announced soon.

This will be a Week 0 contest, one of just seven such games across NCAA Division I between FBS and FCS.

“I want to thank the NCAA and United Athletic Conference for supporting our efforts to start our season on Week 0, when we will begin our first season as a full-fledged Division I program by playing on the national stage,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz said. “Tarleton State’s season opener will be available to a national audience, and thus, will bring greater exposure to this elite program, our deserving student-athletes, and this top-tier university.”

Tarleton State was previously scheduled to host its home opener on Sept. 14 against McNeese after playing two road games. Now, the Texans will open with the Cowboys before heading to Baylor on Aug. 31.

The now vacant Sept. 14 date will serve as one of two bye weeks for Tarleton.

Tarleton State University begins classes on Aug. 22, so students will need to wait just a couple of days before packing Memorial Stadium to cheer on Tarleton State. After the home opener, the Texans won’t play in Stephenville until five weeks later, with three road games and a bye week set before Tarleton will take on Southeastern Louisiana at home on Sept. 28.

The 2024 campaign was already going to be the longest season on record at Tarleton State.  There will now be 91 days separating Tarleton’s season opener and regular season finale, with Aug. 24 serving as the earliest game played in a calendar year by the program since at least 1975 (not including the Spring 2021 pandemic season). The earliest date on record for Tarleton is Aug. 25, when the Texans hosted East Central in 2007, a 44-7 Tarleton win.

The updated full schedule is below, and can be found here. Season tickets are on sale and can be purchased here.

Dates and times subject to change | Home games in bold | * UAC Game