As part of a 12-game slate, McNeese State will host Southern on Aug. 31, 2019, the school announced Thursday, marking the Jaguars’ first ever trip to Lake Charles.

“We’re excited to have such a great program come to Cowboy Stadium, in what will no doubt, draw a big crowd,” said McNeese athletic director Bruce Hemphill in a news release. “It’s always great when you can get an in-state team like Southern to come to your place. With their large fan base and alumni numbers, it will make for an exciting atmosphere and more than likely a capacity crowd.”

The two Football Championship Subdivision powers have only one other prior meeting — a 2004 game at A.W. Mumford Stadium that McNeese won 35-18. Southern has nine Black College National Championships and 19 SWAC titles.

“With our commitment to broadening the Southern University brand, traveling to Lake Charles to face McNeese will provide a unique opportunity to add a storied in-state football program to our 2019 schedule and expose Southwest Louisiana to Jaguar football and the Jaguar Nation,” said Southern interim athletic director Roman Banks.

Southern joins a 2019 schedule that already features a guarantee game at Big 12 power Oklahoma State and a home tilt with Alcorn State.