Twelve games every fall may become the norm for McNeese State, not just occasionally.

The Cowboys and the rest of the Football Championship Subdivision usually play an 11-game schedule unless the weekly calendar allows 12 games before Thanksgiving. That usually happens about every four or five seasons.

It will happen this fall for the second straight season, which is rare. McNeese will play six home games and six more on the road this year, starting with Louisiana College at Cowboy Stadium on Aug. 30. 

Last year, McNeese played five home games and seven on the road, finishing with a 6-6 record, the program’s first non-losing season since 2019.

However, 12 games could be added to the FCS level every season, joining its Division 1 big brothers from the upper level. 

Earlier this week, the FCS Oversight Committee met and recommended that its schools go to the 12th game annually starting with the 2026 schedule. The one-game extension is expected to be finalized during the Division I Council meeting June 24-25. 

“I think it will go through,” said Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant, an oversight committee member. “I did not get the feeling of much push-back from either mid-majors or the Power 4 conferences on the FBS level.”

Currently, only 11 games are permitted on the FCS and lower levels unless there are 14 Saturdays from the first allowed game weekend through the last playing date in November, like this year.

If fully approved, this would be considered a big win for FCS programs, which are seeking national attention and extra money to pay for a settlement with the NCAA over revenue sharing.

“I think this is a big deal for our members,” said Grant. “It gives us a lot of different directions we can go in for each school. We can play an extra home game or money game, or even start looking at a conference championship game.

“The big thing is it will be good for us to build on our brand. We may see an extra regional game against another FCS school.”

When the House settlement is finished, FCS schools will likely have to raise an extra $200,000-$250,000 for each of the next 10 years. A big-time money game could cover that.

“In today’s landscape, this would give us more opportunities to find our financial footing,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “Getting the sixth home game would be big every year for us. An extra money game would also do a lot.

“It just opens up avenues for us to explore for added revenue and other purposes. 

This year, for instance, McNeese will not play a Power 4 money game. Instead, the Cowboys will have two FBS games against mid-major programs, playing at Louisiana-Lafayette out of the Sun Belt Conference and Utah State from the Mountain West. 

McNeese will earn $225,000 at Lafayette and $400,000 to play in Logan, Utah. The following season (2026), the Cowboys will get a school-record $750,000 for their trip to Baton Rouge when they take on LSU.

McNeese has two nonconference games scheduled in 2026. The Cowboys will play at home against Tarleton State and at LSU. If the new recommendation is passed, they will need two more games.

A conference championship game might be challenging to hold right away, with only 10 football-playing schools in the Southland, especially if you are trying to get multiple teams into the postseason playoffs.

If the league expands to 12 football schools, that might be more interesting.

Grant said he didn’t expect any expansion in the near future, but he added that things are constantly changing, and the Southland could move in any direction needed. 

Currently, each team plays only eight conference games, even in 12-week seasons. This year, the Cowboys won’t play Incarnate Word. 

“I don’t expect that this will change,” said Grant. “It’s important that our schools be able to maximize their own scheduling opportunities.”