Cowboys open SLC early
McNeese State will travel to San Antonio for the league opener on Monday, December 1, against Incarnate Word. Some consider the Cardinals a dark horse in the league race.
It will be the first conference game coached by Bill Armstrong, who replaces Will Wade on the Cowboy bench. Wade went 58-11 with McNeese over two seasons, leading the school to back-to-back titles and NCAA Tournament berths for the first time.
'The standard has been set here, and that's to win championships,' said Armstrong. 'That is our goal.'
Only three players return from both those championship teams: senior guards Javohn Garcia and DJ Richards, and junior guard T'Johnn Brown. Garcia was the Southland's Player of the Year last season, while Richards started most games a season ago.
'We want to win it a third time,' Richards. 'We aren't done.'
McNeese still has one more game left on its overall schedule to sign.
The Southland released its league schedules Wednesday, a day after it was learned the Cowboys will be heading back to play Michigan on Dec. 29 to end 2025, as first reported by the American Press.
'We have some irons in the fire,' said Armstrong. 'I think we are close to being done with our schedule. I hope we are.'
After the league opener, McNeese will play a pair of home games against Northwestern State (Dec. 5) and East Texas A&M (Dec. 12). That will be part of a stretch where the Cowboys will be in the Legacy Center for six of seven conference contests.
The Cowboys are 23-0 the last two years on their home floor against SLC competition. They are also 40-2 overall against the league, losing just once in each of the previous two seasons.
Their only road game during that home run will be at Houston Christian on Dec. 15.
McNeese will play rival Lamar, whom they beat in the SLC championship game last season, for the first time on Jan. 3 to start 2026. That will start four straight games in Lake Charles, which will be followed by five of six on the road.
'I think those home games give us an opportunity to get off to a good start in the league,' said Armstrong. 'We still have to win them, though.'
The Cowboys will finish the regular season on the road at Nicholls on March 2. A week later, they will host the Southland Conference Championships with the hopes of a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in the making.
'Making the tournament is what's expected with this program now,' said Armstrong.
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