BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University football team will play an 11-game schedule in 2016, highlighted by six home games, including a season-opening date against Coastal Carolina, announced LU head coach Ray Woodard Wednesday afternoon.
 
"Obviously, when you play a nine-game league schedule, and play in a conference as tough as the Southland you are playing a very demanding schedule every year," said Woodard. "When you add to that a season opener against a great team like Coastal Carolina who was one of the toughest in the nation last season, along with a road date at Houston, this is a schedule that will challenge us early and often."
 
The Cardinals kick off the season Saturday, Sept. 3 with a 7 p.m. home game against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers climbed as high as No. 2 in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll last season, and spent four weeks as the nation's second-ranked team before ending the year in the playoffs with a No. 16 national ranking.
 
Big Red will take a trip down I-10 the following week to face the University of Houston. Coming off one of their biggest bowl wins in program history, the Cougars ended the year ranked among the nation's top 10 after a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State.
 
After opening the season with two non-conference teams who will most likely be ranked in their respective top 25 polls, things don't get any easier for the Cardinals as they open conference play Saturday, Sept. 17 against Sam Houston State in Beaumont. A perennial playoff team, the Bearkats advanced to the FCS semifinal last season before getting ousted by eventual runner-up Jacksonville State.
 
"We've played well at home since bringing back the program," said Woodard. "We're opening the conference slate with two very tough opponents, so we are looking forward to playing those games in front of our home fans. We need to take advantage of this opportunity."
 
LU will get an open week before hosting Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, Oct. 1. Following the game against the Lions, LU will rotate home and away games each week for the rest of the season. The Red and White will be in Abilene Saturday, Oct. 8 to take on Abilene Christian before returning home to host Northwestern State the following Saturday.
 
The Cardinals stretch run will consist of road dates at Central Arkansas (Oct. 22) and Nicholls (Nov. 5), and home dates against Houston Baptist (Oct. 29) for Homecoming and Incarnate Word (Nov. 12), before closing out the regular season against rival McNeese State (Nov. 19).
 
All of LU's home games will be played at Provost Umphrey Stadium. LU's games against Coastal Carolina, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana will kick off at 7 p.m., and the remaining three home games will all be 6 p.m. starts.
 
-LU CARDINALS-