Finding big games for the upcoming season has not been easy for Will Wade and the McNeese State basketball team.

But the Cowboys managed to look enticing to one Power Five school last week.

McNeese signed to play at Michigan this winter. The Cowboys will close out their 2023 portion of the schedule with a game in Ann Arbor on Dec. 29. The contract was inked late last week, McNeese officials said.

“It is a great opportunity for us to play a really good basketball program,” Wade said. “We are excited for the opportunity.”

Michigan finished last season with an 18-16 record, earning a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. The Wolverines are coached by Juwan Howard of Fab Five fame who went on to become a first-round NBA draft pick and a 19-year career.

The teams have never met. McNeese played at No. 2 Michigan State in East Lansing to open the 2013-14 season. The Cowboys played a home-and-home series against Central Michigan in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

In the past, big schools threw money at the Cowboys to come play. Last season they had four so-called money games on their schedule. Not so this season.

With Wade at the helm, teams have not been so quick to schedule McNeese.

“It is completely different,” McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer said. “And getting games at home for football in the future is even tougher.”

Still, Wade said he’s not worried, saying he will get games set as the season draws closer.

“Those who are twos at 10 are 10 at 2,” meaning the closer the season comes and big schools get more and more desperate to fill out their schedules, smaller schools look better.

The first-year McNeese head coach went on to say that he is looking for two more games against major-conference programs that will complete his scheduling.

The Cowboys will have three mid-majors come to Lake Charles — Tennessee-Martin, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Southern Mississippi.

“This is a good problem to have,” Wade said recently about the scheduling issues. “It means we have a team that people don’t want to play.”

As for his team, Wade said the club is working hard.

“We got everybody on campus and they are working out together,” Wade said. “We have to work to get in better condition but there are good things happening.”