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The Abilene Christian Wildcats have added the Lamar Cardinals and Mercer Bears to their 2026 football schedule, the school announced Friday.
The Wildcats will open the 2026 campaign on the road at Lamar on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. The matchup marks the 25th all‑time meeting between the programs.
The 2026 contest also kicks off a four‑game home‑and‑home series between ACU and Lamar. The Wildcats will return to Beaumont in 2028, while hosting the Cardinals at Wildcat Stadium during the 2027 and 2029 seasons.
ACU has also scheduled a single home game against Mercer, with the contest set for Saturday, Sept. 26 in Abilene. The Wildcats won the only previous meeting between the schools, a 20-17 road victory in Macon, Ga.
The additions round out Abilene Christian’s 2026 non‑conference slate, which also includes a trip to Texas Tech on Sept. 5, a home date with Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 12, and a road game at Idaho on Sept. 19.
The Wildcats’ United Athletic Conference (UAC) schedule was previously released. ACU will host Central Arkansas (Oct. 10), West Georgia (Oct. 31), and Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 21), and will travel to North Alabama (Oct. 17), Tarleton State (Nov. 7), and Austin Peay (Nov. 14).
Football Schedules
