COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce has released its 2021 football competition schedule, featuring 11 games with an exciting neutral site contest in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The Lions' game against Midwestern State on September 11 will be played at Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Park in Arlington_, with A&M-Commerce as the home team. This will mark the Lions' first regular season neutral site game since the Lone Star Conference Football Festival in 2014, and the first Division II game played at Choctaw Stadium. Choctaw Stadium will be in its second fall season as a football facility.
 
"I think it will be an exciting opportunity for the young men on this football team to play at Choctaw Stadium," A&M-Commerce head football coach David Bailiff said. "I went to several of the XFL games there last year, and it's a beautiful venue with incredible amenities. I'm excited for this team and this university to show what we have there."
 
Tickets for this game will be sold by the Texas Rangers ticket office beginning in early April. More information, including specific sale date, will be released on LionAthletics.com and our social media channels in the coming days.
 
The 2021 game is the first of a two-game series between A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State at Choctaw Stadium. The 2022 game between the Lions and Mustangs will be played at Choctaw Stadium on October 8, with Midwestern State as the home team.
 
The Lions and Mustangs will be meeting for the 26th time in a hotly contested series, with the Lions holding a 14-11 lead in the all-time series. This will be the first true neutral site game in the series since 1952. The split game in 2018 which finished at Denton's Apogee Stadium was classified as an MSU home game, as the game began in Wichita Falls.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome two storied Lone Star Conference football programs to Choctaw Stadium for the next two college football seasons," said Sean Decker, Rangers Executive Vice President for Sports and Entertainment. "Our ability to successfully host professional, college, and high school football events in our iconic setup has already proven to be a tremendous experience for student-athletes, fans, and coaches. It has been a pleasure to work with the leadership at Texas A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State to make this game a reality."
 
The Lions have also completed their 11-game schedule for the fall with the addition of the University of Fort Lauderdale for a home game on Saturday, October 2. The Eagles are members of the National Christian College Athletic Association. This contest fills the spot in the schedule left when Azusa Pacific dropped its program.
 
"We are ecstatic to usher in our 2021 season with a schedule which gives our students, alumni, and fans seven opportunities to see the Lions within our north Texas footprint," said A&M-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray. "Not only do we have a chance to showcase our institution in iconic Globe Life Park, but our schedule allows for six true home opportunities in Commerce. We appreciate our partners at the Texas Rangers for allowing us to bring Lion Football to a larger stage."
 
The schedule updates for the year gives the Lions six home games, four road games, and a neutral site contest. The home opener is now the West Florida game on September 18, which will be a rematch of the 2017 national championship game and matches up two of the last three NCAA Division II National Champions.
 
"It's going to be great to have six home games and a game you don't have to travel far to," Bailiff said. "Our student-athletes won't get exhausted with a lot of travel, and it's also an incredible value to our fans to know they can come to six games in Commerce. Very rarely in my career have I had the chance to have six home games and the normal routine a team develops will help in a long season."
 
Season ticket plans will go on sale shortly, which will include the Homecoming game on October 16 against Western New Mexico. The Hall of Fame game, other special dates, and other important details will be announced soon.
 
2021 LION FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
as of March 24, 2021
 

Sept. 2 (Thur.)	at Colorado State-Pueblo	Pueblo, Colo.	6 p.m. MDT
Sept. 11	vs. Midwestern State *	Arlington (Choctaw Stadium)	6 p.m.
Sept. 18	WEST FLORIDA	Commerce	6 p.m.
Sept. 25	at Texas A&M-Kingsville *	Kingsville	TBA
Oct. 2	FORT LAUDERDALE	Commerce	6 p.m.
Oct. 9	SAGINAW VALLEY STATE	Commerce	4 p.m.
Oct. 16	WESTERN NEW MEXICO *	Commerce	4 p.m.
Oct. 23	at West Texas A&M *	Canyon	6 p.m.
Oct. 30	UT PERMIAN BASIN *	Commerce	4 p.m.
Nov. 6	at Angelo State *	San Angelo	6 p.m.
Nov. 13	EASTERN NEW MEXICO *	Commerce	4 p.m.