BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University completed its football schedule for 2010 Friday with the addition of Panhandle State as the Cardinals’ 11th opponent for the school’s first season of competition since 1989.

“We are certainly happy to finalize our schedule for what we believe will be a truly exciting season for our students and the entire community,” said Billy Tubbs, Lamar’s director of athletics. “We are particularly happy to have six home games and only five on the road.”

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Lamar will open the 2010 season on Sept. 4, at McNeese State, the same school the Cardinals defeated 22-17 in their final game on Nov. 18, 1989. The Cardinals’ first game in 17,000-seat Provost Umphrey Stadium which is undergoing massive renovations to include the installation of field turf and the replacement of all seating will be Sept. 11, against Webber International, an NAIA school from Babson Park, Fla.

The Cardinals’ other home games will be against Sam Houston State on Oct. 2, Langston University on Oct. 9, South Alabama on Oct. 16, South Dakota on Nov. 13 and Panhandle State on Nov. 20.

The Cardinals’ other road opponents will be Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 18, Stephen F. Austin State on Sept. 25, North Dakota on Oct. 30 and Georgia State on Nov. 6.

“It is a very competitive schedule for a first-year schedule,” said Ray Woodard, Lamar’s head coach. “We have some familiar Southland Conference foes (McNeese State, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State) and a couple of games against some programs (South Alabama and Georgia State) in the same boat we’re in – that of being startup programs.

“We wanted to play at home as many times as possible, because we want to give our fans plenty of opportunities to join in on the fun and excitement of resurrecting the program. It’s tough to find home playing dates late in the season, because so many schools are involved in conference play at that time. We were fortunate to get South Dakota and Panhandle State to come to our place that late.”

An additional highlight to the 2010 season is the Cardinals will play in two domed stadiums – Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, where Georgia State will play its home games, and the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Lamar’s 1975 Cardinals became the first collegiate team to play in two domed stadiums (Houston’s Astrodome vs. the University of Houston and New Orleans’ Superdome vs. Southern Mississippi) in the same season.

Rush Wood
Lamar Media Relations
http://www.lamarcardinals.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081409aaa.html