A&M-Commerce and West Florida announce home-and-home football series.

The teams will open the 2020 season in Pensacola and return the game in Commerce in 2021

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Texas A&M University-Commerce and the University of West Florida have announced a home-and-home football series between the programs for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

The teams will open the 2020 season on Thursday, September 3, in Pensacola in a rematch of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The schools will also play Saturday, September 18, 2021, at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium in Commerce.

Initially, A&M-Commerce planned to play Simon Fraser – the only Canadian member of NCAA Division II – to open 2020. For UWF, the game replaces the game with West Virginia Wesleyan after the Mountain East Conference chose to play a conference-only season this year. 

“With the landscape of our 2020 football schedule in question, and adjustments happening throughout the NCAA landscape, we believed this series was the best step in solidifying our schedule for the next two seasons,” said A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Tim McMurray. “I am ecstatic that we were able to secure a high-profile and familiar opponent while adding a seventh home game to our 2021 schedule. Our students and fans deserve that.” 

The Lions went 11-3 in their first season under head coach David Bailiff in 2019, advancing to the Super Region Four final after two road playoff wins. A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 3 by Street & Smith’s and No. 8 by Lindy’s Sports in preseason national polls. 

The Lions have qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship the last five seasons, which is the third-longest active streak in the division. The Lions also have four straight seasons of 10 or more wins with a 46-9 record in the last four years.

“We’re excited to play the defending national champions. I think it’ll be a great football game,” said A&M-Commerce head coach David Bailiff. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best. When you play somebody that’s as talented as they are, it will show you early in the year what you’ve got to work on. You don’t get exposed when you play a weak opener, and they will show us what we’re good at and what we’ve got to work at.” 

UWF went 13-2 and won its first NCAA Division II Football National Championship last season. In contrast, the Argonauts have won 30 games in the previous three seasons with a 9-1 mark in two NCAA Playoff appearances. UWF is ranked No. 1 nationally in preseason polls by both Street & Smith’s and Lindy’s Sports magazines in their college football preview editions. 

In the only previous meeting between the Lions and Argos, A&M-Commerce beat UWF 37-27 in the 2017 Division II National Championship Game in Kansas City, Kan., which is UWF’s only postseason loss. 

Lion fans are encouraged to stay tuned to LionAthletics.com and our social media channels for full ticket and season information or additional schedule adjustments as the academic year draws closer. 

2020 Lion Football Schedule

as of June 15, 2020

Thur.	Sept. 3	at West Florida	TBA
Sat.	Sept. 12	at Midwestern State *	7 p.m.
Sat.	Sept. 19	BOWIE STATE Hall of Fame/Former Letterwinners’ Weekend	6 p.m.
Sat.	Sept. 26	A&M-KINGSVILLE * Parents & Family Weekend	6 p.m.
Sat.	Oct. 3	at Azusa Pacific	6 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. CDT)
Sat.	Oct. 10	MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE Youth Sports Day	6 p.m.
Sat.	Oct. 17	at Western New Mexico *	6 p.m. MDT (7 p.m. CDT)
Sat.	Oct. 24	WEST TEXAS A&M * Homecoming	4 p.m.
Sat.	Oct. 31	at UT Permian Basin *	6 p.m.
Sat.	Nov. 7	ANGELO STATE * Senior Day/Local Heroes Day	4 p.m.
Sat.	Nov. 14	at Eastern New Mexico *	1 p.m. MST (2 p.m. CST)

2021 Lion Football Schedule
as of June 15, 2020

Thur.	Sept. 2	at Colorado St.-Pueblo
Sat.	Sept. 11	MIDWESTERN STATE *
Sat.	Sept. 18	WEST FLORIDA
Sat.	Sept. 25	at A&M-Kingsville *
Sat.	Oct. 2	AZUSA PACIFIC
Sat.	Oct. 9	SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
Sat.	Oct. 16	WESTERN NEW MEXICO *
Sat.	Oct. 23	at West Texas A&M *
Sat.	Oct. 30	UT PERMIAN BASIN *
Sat.	Nov. 6	at Angelo State *
Sat.	Nov. 13	EASTERN NEW MEXICO *