STEPHENVILLE, Texas — As part of its 125 Years of Excellence celebration and T-Week, Tarleton State University has moved up the date for its home football game against McNeese State University to Saturday, Aug. 24 at Memorial Stadium.
This will be the first nationally televised football game in program history for the Texans.
“Kicking off the celebration of the last 125 years of excellence at our university in front of a national audience is an exciting opportunity to showcase our Texan pride,” said Tarleton State University President Dr. James Hurley. “This monumental opportunity allows us to show why Tarleton State has become one of the fastest growing universities in the country. This is an incredible step in our quest to become the premier comprehensive national university. I can’t think of a better way to kick off a new academic year and highlight the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students.”
The university and the athletic department will be coordinating efforts to sell out Memorial Stadium. This historic game will be a special part of the celebratory events honoring the 125th year of Tarleton State.
“I’m thankful for President Hurley, McNeese State Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer and Commissioner Brian Thornton for their hard work and cooperation in making this game happen,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz. “Now it’s time for Texan Nation to fill Memorial Stadium. We’ve got 125 years of Tarleton State, a nationally ranked football team and we’re ready to compete for an FCS national championship. It’s truly an exciting time to be a Tarleton State Texan.”
The game was originally slated for Sept. 14, with both sides working together to make the week zero meeting possible. The date will now serve as a bye week for the Texan football team.
“I’m really excited to move our game with Tarleton State to week zero this season,” said Schroyer. “I want to personally thank Dr. Hurley for working with me on this and for his leadership during this entire process. The ability to help kick off the 2024 college football season on a national broadcast is a fantastic opportunity for us both. Enhancing our brand as an athletic department and as a university has been one of my major objectives at McNeese State, and this move helps us do just that. I couldn’t be more excited.”
More information on the broadcast and a kickoff time will follow in the coming weeks. Season tickets are available now on https://tarletonsports.com/tickets or by calling 254-968-1832.
Last season, the Texans went 8-3, including winning four straight to cap the campaign.
For more information on the 125 Years of Excellence celebration, visit https://www.tarleton.edu/125years/.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.