The second Matt Viator era at McNeese State will begin with a historic opening.

Viatar returns as the Cowboy head coach after a nine-year absence tied for most wins in program history at 78. 

He should stand alone after the season-opener against NAIA Louisiana Christian from Pineville inside Cowboy Stadium on Saturday night, Aug. 30. 

The game will debut McNeese’s new $32M pressbox, which includes 22 luxury suites. The upgrade is part of the facility’s recovery from the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura five years ago. 

It will be the first meeting between the schools since 1966. McNeese has a 15-2 record against the Wildcats.

The Cowboys will then travel to Lafayette for a game against their old rivals, the Ragin Cajuns of the Sun Belt League. In Week 2, ULL will debut its own stadium additions during its home opener.

It will be the 39th time the schools have met, the first since the 2016 season. McNeese leads the all-time series 20-16-2, which is tied at 3-3-2 since the Cajuns moved up to the higher level in 1982.

McNeese will play at home against Weber State the following week. The teams will meet for the second straight year and the sixth time overall. 

McNeese upset 25th-ranked Weber 28-26 in Utah. The Cowboys won the last meeting in Lake Charles in 2013, 43-6, and hold a 4-1 record in the series, winning the previous four meetings.

The Cowboys will finish their pre-league schedule at Utah State in Logan during Week 4. Utah State, a member of the Mountain West Conference, will be McNeese’s second FBS foe, joining ULL. 

The Cowboys will play two FBS schools (LSU and Missouri) in the same season for the first time since 2010, and it will be the first game between them and Utah State.

While the Southland Conference has not officially released the league schedule, they are expected to play four home games, one more than last season. 

The Cowboys will likely host Houston Christian, Southeastern, Northwestern State, and Southland newcomer Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which will make its debut football season this fall.

McNeese is expected to play road games against East Texas A&M, Nicholls, Stephen F. Austin and finish the year against rival Lamar. 

The Cowboys are not expected to play Incarnate Word next fall. However, the Cardinals, who have won a portion of each of the last two Southland titles, will again be considered contenders for the crown next season.

As for the Cowboys, they are coming off a 6-6 campaign that saw them finish 3-4 in the conference after going 0-10 in 2023. Hope is that under Viator, McNeese can relieve some of the success he had during his first 10 seasons leading the program.

Viator’s teams won four SLC championships and made five FCS playoff appearances during his decade on the sidelines, from 2006 to 2015. He has already filled his coaching staff, and they hope to start adding players this week.

Tuesday, Kamden Sixkiller, considered at one time to be the future quarterback of the Cowboys, announced on social media he was transferring to Campbell for the spring semester.

Sixkiller played in 13 games for McNeese the last two seasons, 10 in 2024. He finished 129 of 242 (53 percent) for 1,513 yards. 

He threw for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 

The Cowboys schedule:

Aug. 30 vs. Louisiana College 

Sept. 6 @ Louisiana-Lafayette

Sept. 13 vs. Weber State

Sept. 20 at Utah State

Southland Conference expected games

Home:

HCU, Southeastern, Northwestern State, UTRGV

Away:

Nicholls, SFA, ETAM, Lamar