BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will play 30 matches during the 2024 season, which includes 10 home dates and four non-conference tournaments announced head coach Ariel Apolinario Wednesday morning. The schedule will also include a new look to the Southland Conference as the league has added UT Rio Grande Valley and welcomed back Stephen F. Austin.
 
"Without having played any official matches yet, we truly believe to be a better program today than what we were back in late January," said Apolinario. "We are undoubtedly not where we want to be yet, but we continue working at closing that gap. With the official campaign just weeks away (Aug. 24th at Texas State - exhibition match) we begin to set eyes on the preseason training (Aug. 8th)."
 
The Cardinals will open the season with an exhibition match at Texas State on Saturday Aug. 24^th less than a week before the regular-season opener in the Norfolk State Tournament. The two-day tournament, which kicks off Friday, Aug. 30 will have LU face Miami of Ohio and tournament host Norfolk State on the first day before closing the tournament out on Saturday, Aug. 31^st against Gardner-Webb.
 
The Cardinals will then travel to down the road Tuesday, Sept. 3 to take on Prairie View A&M, before making the trek to Itta Bena, Miss., to compete in the MVSU Tournament for two matches against Mississippi Valley State (Sept. 6^th and 7th) and Grambling State (Sept. 7).
 
Big Red will kick off the home portion of its schedule Tuesday, Sept. 10^th against Tarleton State. The match against the TexAnns is slated for a 4 p.m. start from McDonald Gym. The Red and White will then hit the road three days later to compete in the Memphis Tournament where they will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Sept. 13), Memphis (Sept. 13) and Indiana State (Sept. 14).
 
The final week of the non-conference portion of the schedule will have Lamar hosting Prairie View (Sept. 17) before traveling to Huntsville, Texas to take on former conference-foe Sam Houston (Sept. 20) and Texas Southern (Sept. 21).
 
"Constructing our out-of-conference schedule was one of the areas we have felt very satisfied with," said Apolinario. "We planned our non-conference slate based on who we are today, not who we want to become. And in order to get there, we understand we must continue laying the foundation.
 
"We will certainly be challenged in many ways and probably get 'hit in the mouth' a few times. However, I am personally looking forward to seeing how we handle these situations the most. I believe we have a great group of people ready to be part of the change we want to become," added Apolinario.
 
The Cardinals will open Southland Conference play with two matches on the road – at Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 26) and New Orleans (Sept. 28) – before returning to open the home portion of the conference schedule against Texas A&M-Commerce Thursday, Oct. 3.
 
All Lamar home matches will take place in McDonald Gym.