Wildcats will open 2018 season against Baylor
2/26/2015 3:58:00 PM | Football
ABILENE – ACU director of athletics Lee De León announced Thursday that the Wildcats will open their 2018 football season against the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 at McLane Stadium, one of five non-conference games ACU has scheduled against FBS opponents from 2015-2019.
ACU will open the 2015 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Bulldog Stadium against Fresno State, and will open the 2016 season against Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. On Sept. 2, 2017, the Wildcats will be in Albuquerque, M.M., to take on the Lobos of the University of New Mexico, and then on Sept. 1, 2018, the Wildcats will visit Waco to play Baylor in football for the first time in program history.
The Baylor game will represent one of the program's highest-profile opponents in its history, although ACU did play Florida State in the 1950s before the Seminoles became a national powerhouse. The Wildcats have also scheduled a 2019 game at North Texas, although a date for that game hasn't yet been set.
"This is just a different part of the history of this university and football program," ACU head football coach Ken Collums said. "It's becoming more and more the norm for FCS programs to schedule these games. We've played New Mexico State and two FBS teams last year in Georgia State and Troy. Now the games are getting bigger and bigger, but so is the quality of our football program. This is a great opportunity for people to find out who we are and what we do. It's unique and we deserve the chance to tell our story and people need to hear it."
ACU and Fresno State have played four times with the series tied at 2-2. The last time the teams played was in 1963 in Fresno, Calif., when the Wildcats went to Fresno and beat the Bulldogs, 32-29, in a memorable game because of the circumstances surrounding the contest.
ACU was scheduled to play in Fresno on Nov. 23, 1963, but the game was delayed after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. The Wildcats learned of the Kennedy assassination Friday afternoon while in Phoenix on a re-fueling stop of their charter flight to Fresno. The flight resumed to Fresno, where the next morning coaches and officials from the two schools met and decided not to play.
Players were allowed to vote to re-schedule the following Saturday and they voted to play the game on Nov. 30, 1963, in Fresno. The Wildcats – who flew back to Abilene on Nov. 23 – returned the next week and rallied for a 32-29 win over the Bulldogs. ACU finished the season 8-1 after a season-opening loss to then-East Texas State.
ACU has never played the Air Force Academy nor New Mexico in football. ACU is 8-14-1 all-time against North Texas, although the Wildcats and Eagles haven't played since 1994. The Mean Green will enter that 2019 contest having won seven straight games against ACU.
De León also said the Wildcats have two more Power 5 conference games that are "strong possibilities" in 2020 and 2021, but contracts with those schools have yet to be signed.
ACU will open the 2015 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Bulldog Stadium against Fresno State, and will open the 2016 season against Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. On Sept. 2, 2017, the Wildcats will be in Albuquerque, M.M., to take on the Lobos of the University of New Mexico, and then on Sept. 1, 2018, the Wildcats will visit Waco to play Baylor in football for the first time in program history.
The Baylor game will represent one of the program's highest-profile opponents in its history, although ACU did play Florida State in the 1950s before the Seminoles became a national powerhouse. The Wildcats have also scheduled a 2019 game at North Texas, although a date for that game hasn't yet been set.
"This is just a different part of the history of this university and football program," ACU head football coach Ken Collums said. "It's becoming more and more the norm for FCS programs to schedule these games. We've played New Mexico State and two FBS teams last year in Georgia State and Troy. Now the games are getting bigger and bigger, but so is the quality of our football program. This is a great opportunity for people to find out who we are and what we do. It's unique and we deserve the chance to tell our story and people need to hear it."
ACU and Fresno State have played four times with the series tied at 2-2. The last time the teams played was in 1963 in Fresno, Calif., when the Wildcats went to Fresno and beat the Bulldogs, 32-29, in a memorable game because of the circumstances surrounding the contest.
ACU was scheduled to play in Fresno on Nov. 23, 1963, but the game was delayed after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. The Wildcats learned of the Kennedy assassination Friday afternoon while in Phoenix on a re-fueling stop of their charter flight to Fresno. The flight resumed to Fresno, where the next morning coaches and officials from the two schools met and decided not to play.
Players were allowed to vote to re-schedule the following Saturday and they voted to play the game on Nov. 30, 1963, in Fresno. The Wildcats – who flew back to Abilene on Nov. 23 – returned the next week and rallied for a 32-29 win over the Bulldogs. ACU finished the season 8-1 after a season-opening loss to then-East Texas State.
ACU has never played the Air Force Academy nor New Mexico in football. ACU is 8-14-1 all-time against North Texas, although the Wildcats and Eagles haven't played since 1994. The Mean Green will enter that 2019 contest having won seven straight games against ACU.
De León also said the Wildcats have two more Power 5 conference games that are "strong possibilities" in 2020 and 2021, but contracts with those schools have yet to be signed.
ACU Baseball: Rick McCarty Press Conference | Feb. 23, 2026
Tuesday, February 24
ACU Men's Basketball: Brette Tanner Press Conference | Feb. 23, 2026
Monday, February 23
ACU Softball: Jo Koons Press Conference | Feb. 23, 2026
Monday, February 23
ACU Men's Basketball: vs. Southern Utah postgame | Feb. 21, 2026
Sunday, February 22
