McNeese (0-0) vs. West Florida (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021
Louis Bonnette Field at Cowboy Stadium • Lake Charles, La.
TV/Stream: ESPN+ (Lyn Rollins and Gary Reasons)
Radio: 92.9 The Lake or 929thelake.com (Tom Hoeffer, Ron Hayes, Kip Texada)
Meeting: First meeting
 
Coaches:
McNeese – Frank Wilson (3-4, 2^nd season at McNeese; 22-33, 6^th season overall)
UWF – Pete Shinnick (35-17, 5^th season at UWF; 138-63 (18^th season overall)
 
Last Season/Record:
McNeese – Spring 2021/3-4
UWF – Fall 2019/13-2 (Division II national champion)
 
 
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will kick-off its 78^th season of football on Saturday at noon when the Cowboys host Division II's preseason No. 1 team and defending national champion West Florida.
 
COWBOYS OPEN FALL SEASON SATURDAY VS. WEST FLORIDA
• McNeese will open the fall season at home on Saturday, playing its first game in Cowboy Stadium in a fall season since November 2, 2019.
• The Cowboys will enter the season with the longest fall winning season streak in the FCS at 15 straight years.
• This will be the first fall season at McNeese for head coach Frank Wilson, and second season overall. The Cowboys posted a 3-4 mark in an abbreviated spring slate just a few month ago.
• Winners of 7 straight when opening the season at home (2002, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019).
• McNeese has won 215 games in "The Hole" in the 55-year history of Cowboy Stadium.
 
SERIES VS. WEST FLORIDA
• This will be the first-ever matchup between the Cowboys and Argonauts.
• West Florida will be the first Division II opponent the Cowboys will face since beating Florida Tech, 42-21, on Sept. 9, 2017.
• The Cowboys are 21-0 vs. non-Division I opponents since 1990.
 
WELCOME TO "THE HOLE"
• This fall will mark the 57th season of McNeese football being played in Cowboy Stadium, aka, the Hole.
• The unique setting was constructed in the early 1960s with a target date to open up in 1964, however, work issues backed the date up to Sept. 18, 1965, where the Cowboys dropped a 16-12 game to Tampa in the stadium's first-ever game.
• The Hole, which is nestled 12 feet below normal ground level, was created by over 80,000 cubic yards of soil being removed.
• Original capacity was 12,000 and expanded in 1975 to increase capacity to 17,410. Seating along the hills allow capacity to be as much as 20,000.
• In 2008 the natural grass field was replaced by an artificial turf which was named Louis Bonnette Field in honor of McNeese's longtime SID who retired in 2012 after a 46-year career.
• The turf was replaced in 2018 and then again in 2020 following damage caused by Hurricane Laura and Delta.
• McNeese is 216-94-5 all-time in Cowboy Stadium.
 
COWBOYS STADIUM PROHIBITED ITEMS
The following items are prohibited in Cowboy Stadium:
• Coolers, ice chests, bottles, cans, cups or containers of any kind
• All bags and purses larger than 4.5in x 6.5in.
• Clear bags cannot exceed 12in x 6in x 12in
• Outside food or drink
• Umbrellas
• Baby strollers
• Pets of any kind. Paperwork for service animals must be up-to-date and presented to event staff upon arrival
• Video cameras
• Weapons – guns, knives, multi-function tools, and any item deemed inappropriate by event staff
• Banners, flag poles, projectiles of any kind and any obtrusive and obstructive signage
 
COWBOY STADIUM POLICIES
• All persons must have a ticket to enter
• No re-entry
• No smoking in seating areas
• All persons entering the facility are subject to search
• No throwing of objects from stands
• Portable cooling or heating devices will not be allowed in the stadium (mini handheld and neck fans will be allowed)