Texas State Athletic Director Larry Teis announced Aug. 3 that the football team’s season opener against SMU will take place during the first weekend of the fall semester.
The game will now take place Aug. 29 instead of Sept. 5. The move allows both teams to be more flexible with their schedules while navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our original schedule did not have any open dates in September,” Teis said. “This improves our approach to manage the conditions of these unprecedented times safely.”
While “Week Zero” is usually reserved for the start of the FCS season and FBS teams who have to play a 13-game schedule, known as the Hawaii Rule, the effects of the pandemic have forced the NCAA to allow schools to schedule games during this period due to the pandemic.
Though Texas State’s non-conference schedule still remains intact, many of the Group of Five teams saw their nonconference schedules implode. Power Five Conferences opting to have a conference-only schedule could potentially cost the G5 schools millions of dollars, leaving athletic directors scrambling to fill out their non-conference schedules.
In the 2019 matchup between the two teams, SMU defeated Texas State 47-17. The Mustangs put up 639 yards of total offense compared to the Bobcats’ 241.
Texas State announced July 2 that tailgates would be canceled for the football season.
The Star will provide updates as more information becomes available.