In less than a month the Cowboys will return for football camp.

McNeese State players will report on July 30 with the first official workout set for Aug. 2.

“We are excited to get everybody going,” head coach Gary Goff recently said. “We are looking forward to this season.”

The Cowboys will have one month to get ready for their season opener on Sept. 2 at home against Tarleton State.

Of course, the Cowboys have been working through the summer. Despite the heat Goff said they have been able to get a lot done.

“They have been working hard, especially in the weight room,” Goff said.

After suffering through three consecutive losing seasons, McNeese is looking to make a major move up the Southland Conference standings.

The league itself is in a state of flux, with four new head coaches making up half the eight-team conference. There are also a number of new players through the NCAA transfer portal and seemingly as many moving out.

That leaves the league title up for grabs with three or four teams contending for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. McNeese will need much improvement to be one of those teams.

After a busy offseason of recruiting, Goff and his staff look to put together a completely different-looking team this fall, particularly on offense. This is what the summer workouts and upcoming camp will focus on, he said.

Last year’s Cowboys had trouble moving the football in Goff’s Air-Raid attack, especially through the air. Poor play on the offensive line, quarterback and receiver positions were all problems for a coach who believes in the passing game.

“We know we needed to upgrade at those spots,” Goff has said.

Goff said he believes he did that by bringing in linemen, four new quarterbacks, two of whom are fighting for the starting job, and nine players who can catch the football. How this group comes together will be the most significant factor in the Cowboys’ season.

“We have been working hard to get bigger, stronger and better,” Goff said. “The players have been very focused.”

Earlier in the summer Goff mentioned that he didn’t want it to be so hot that McNeese players couldn’t go though full workouts. Last year the Cowboys took several heat breaks and even worked in a few rain delays in case those happen during the season.

It’s all part of getting ready for what the Cowboys hope is a move back into contention and postseason play.