The wait is finally over! New Mexico State released their first Indy schedule and all I can say is, wow.
BREAKING: Aggies release their 2018 schedule!! https://t.co/xbOQ1wjFm1#AggieUp #MakeAPlay pic.twitter.com/G2acI3C5UM
— NM State Football (@NMStateFootball) August 25, 2017
While the schedule has the Aggies playing five home games and seven away, it makes up for it with a schedule that is surprisingly competitive.
The Aggies will open the 2018 season at home against Wyoming on August 25. Five days later, they will travel to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers in what will be a tough turnaround game.
The September slate has the Crimson taking on a slew of rivals. The first game will be in Logan, Utah against former Western Athletic Conference rival Utah State. A week later, NMSU returns home to face New Mexico with the UTEP game rounding out what should be a fun month of football!
October sees more familiar foes with games against Sun Belt members UL-Lafayette, Georgia Southern and Texas State. New Mexico State will play each of these teams this season.
October also welcomes the Liberty Flames to Aggie Memorial Stadium for the first time. Liberty is another FBS Independent and comes to Las Cruces to begin a unique two game season series with the Aggies. It will be the teams’ first meeting.
The final month has the Aggies going back to Utah to face another Independent in BYU, return home to face FCS Alcorn State (which will be their first FCS game since 2014), and go to Lynchburg, Virginia to finish the series with Liberty.
Reaction
I can’t commend AD Mario Moccia and the whole department for the job they have done. The schedule is competitive, will be fun to watch, and really, has the Aggies primed for a bowl run in 2018 (how’s that for an early hot taek?)
Most surprisingly, and the most impressive fact about the schedule, is that the Aggies were able to get enough money for the athletic department while only scheduling one true P5 opponent (Minnesota), who they have played twice before.
Additionally, I love the creativeness of the two game Liberty series. Both teams are new to being an Independent and created a perfect solution to help them both fill their schedules, find a competitive opponent and keep one another afloat. Well done!
The games against current Sun Belt foes is also a nice touch to the schedule. The Aggies won’t be heading to very unfamiliar places which is good for a team feeling out Independent status, in my opinion.
Overall the schedule has me very excited for the 2018 season! #AggieUp!