The Cowboys-Cajuns rivalry will be get a revival in 2025.

According to a report by FBSchedules.com on Thursday, and confirmed by the American Press, McNeese State will travel to Cajun Field on Sept. 6, 2025.

The programs last met in 2016 with Louisiana-Lafayette holding on for a 30-22 victory. The schools were supposed to have played in 2020 but the game was canceled due to COVID.

McNeese will receive $275,000 to travel the 75 miles east to Lafayette to play the Football Bowl Subdivision team, the report said.

“We worked really hard to secure this game,” McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer said. “I appreciate Bryan (Cajun A.D. Bryan Maggard) and the staff at UL for working with us. I’m really excited about the UL game.

“Obviously it’s an instate game and one our fans and team will be excited about. I know our fans will love the opportunity to go an hour up the road and compete with the Ragin’ Cajuns.”

It will be the third meeting between the teams since the Cajuns left the Southland Conference after the 1981 season and moved to the FBS level and 39th game overall.

McNeese owns a 20-16-2 series lead and hasn’t beaten the Cajuns since a 38-17 win in 2007 in Lafayette. Prior to that the teams hadn’t met since 1986, the last time they played in Lake Charles.

It is the first game scheduled for McNeese in the 2025 season. The Cowboys will play Rice in Houston on Sept. 10 as their FBS game for this fall. Next year McNeese will play at Florida and follow that in 2024 with a game at Texas A&M.

McNeese opens this season on Sept. 3 with a trip to Bozeman, Montana, for a game against the second-ranked Bobcats of Montana State.

The game against the Cajuns fits into Schroyer’s attempts to improve the schedules of all McNeese teams, including home games.

The Cowboys are also looking to move up to the FBS level if the opportunity is right, Schroyer said. The game against Rice will be a test as to where they stand against a Conference USA foe.