McNeese State will renew its football rivalry with Tarleton State starting in 2026.

Thursday, Cowboys’ Athletic Director Heath Schroyer confirmed a report published by FBSchedules.com, which first reported that the two teams had signed a two-game deal. The games will be played in back-to-back seasons starting September 12, 2026, at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles.

McNeese will travel to Stephenville, Texas, on Sept. 11, 2027, to play the rematch at Memorial Stadium. 

“They are a very good FCS program, and I think it is a good series for both teams,” said Schroyer. “It is good for our fans and for our program.”

The two teams have split four games over the years, with each winning once on the other’s home field. McNeese won the first two contests, while the Texans opened the last two seasons with victories.

Last year, Tarleton won a nationally televised game 26-23 when the Cowboys missed a game-tying field goal in the final seconds in Texas. The Texans went on to make the FCS playoffs, while McNeese finished the season 6-6.  

The agreement gives McNeese three non-conference games set for the 2026 season. McNeese is scheduled to play at Alcorn State on Sept. 19. 

The Cowboys were scheduled to play LSU originally on Sept. 12, but the date had been previously moved at the request of the Tigers. That game is now set for Oct. 3.

There has been recent talk that big programs are looking to move on from playing FCS schools, but the game is still expected to be played.

“We hope those games continue for us,” said Schroyer. “They are important for our budgets.”

McNeese is also scheduled to play the Tigers in 2029. These games continue to be big paydays for smaller schools. 

With the addition of Tarleton, the Cowboys have three non-conference games signed for the 2027 schedule. They will play Alcorn State at home on Sept. 4 of that fall. 

McNeese was expected to play at South Dakota State the following weekend, but the game will change as the Cowboys head to Tarleton on Sept. 11, 2027. 

South Dakota State’s return game is scheduled for Sept. 16 in Lake Charles, 2028. That is the only game on the McNeese schedule for that season.

The Southland Conference has not officially released this year’s league football schedule. The Cowboys will open against Louisiana Christian on Aug. 30, the first game of a second-straight 12-game season. 

After a game at Louisiana-Lafayette the following week, McNeese will return home for a game against Weber State from the Big Sky Conference. The Cowboys beat Weber last season in Utah.

They will conclude their non-conference with a game at Utah State on Sept. 20 as Matt Viator returns to the McNeese sidelines after a nine-year absence.

In other football news, All-American punter Finn Lappin is transferring to Kansas after one season with the Cowboys. 

Lappin posted a record-breaking season for the Cowboys in 2024 as he set a new single-season record for punting average with a 46.1 mark. Lappin had 21 punts that went for 50 yards or more, three of 60 yards or further, including a long of 68 yards, and had 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.