BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will play an 11-game schedule, highlighted by five homes games, for the 2021 fall season announced Director of Athletics Marco Born Saturday evening. The schedule will be LU's first in its transition into the Western Athletic Conference.
 
For the 2021 season, the Cardinals will be a part of the WAC-ASUN Challenge. The two conferences have partnered to form a scheduling alliance for the 2021 fall season. The agreement allows the seven schools to be eligible for an automatic qualification into the 2021 NCAA FCS Playoffs.
 
The alliance will consist of LU, Abilene Christian, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin from the WAC, and Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State from the ASUN.
 
"We're very excited to be announcing our first schedule in the WAC," said LU Director of Athletics Marco Born. "The 2021 spring season will be an exciting one because it will be a part of the WAC-ASUN alliance. We are also excited to have five home games next year, including the opportunity to bring in FCS powerhouse Jacksonville State to Beaumont on Homecoming."
 
The Cardinals will kick off the season – the second under head coach Blaine Morgan – Thursday, Sept. 2^nd against North American University. The season opener will be the Cardinals' lone home game in the first three weeks of the season.
 
The second week will see Big Red travel to UTSA (Sept. 11^th) and then Northern Colorado (Sept. 18) before returning home to host Abilene Christian (Sept. 25). The game against the Wildcats will be one of two contests between the two schools in 2021. The second meeting will come Saturday, Oct. 16^th in Abilene. The first meeting will serve as a non-conference contest.
 
The Cardinals will open league play Saturday, Oct. 9 at Sam Houston, followed by the trip to Abilene the next week. LU's conference home opener will be Saturday, Oct. 23^rd against Central Arkansas. Following the game against the Bears, LU will hit the road for its final two-game road swing of the season – at Eastern Kentucky (Oct. 30^th) and Tarleton State (Nov. 6).
 
Big Red will close out the season with two games at home beginning Saturday, Nov. 13^th against Jacksonville State (Homecoming).  The Cardinals will close the regular season against Stephen F. Austin Saturday, Nov. 20^th.