Aggies adds home-and-home series
New Mexico State has added a home-and-home series with Central Michigan, athletic director Mario Moccia announced on Thursday.
The Aggies go to Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Oct. 12, 2019 to face the Chippewas. NMSU is scheduled to host Central Michigan on Sept. 5, 2026. Next year’s meeting with be the first between the two schools.
“I have a lot of experience playing in the MAC while at Kent State and know that Central Michigan has a tremendous program with great tradition,” said NMSU coach Doug Martin in a statement provided by the school. “They have always been a really good program that will make for a great home-and-home matchup.”
Central Michigan had openings when a previous deal with South Florida came apart.
The contract with Central Michigan gives NMSU, which will operate as a football independent
this season and into the foreseeable future, 11 games set for 2019. There remains no date yet for 2019 with UTEP, whom the Aggies have faced 95 times since beginning the rivalry in 1914. It would be the Aggies’ turn to host.
Central Michigan was 8-5 last year, losing in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 37-14 to Wyoming on Dec. 22.
NMSU begins the 2018 season at home on Aug. 25 against Wyoming. The game will air on ESPN2 with an 8 p.m. kickoff. The Aggies aren’t getting any money for appearing on ESPN2 but say they are happy for the exposure: This is the first time NMSU has played on any ESPN linear network at home since 2009 and the first time on ESPN2 at home since 2007.
AMWAY POLL: Defending national champion Alabama earned 61 first-place votes to take the No. 1 spot in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll released Thursday by USA Today, followed by Clemson (3 first-place votes), Ohio State (1) and Georgia.
Oklahoma, Washington, Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State and Auburn round out the top 10.
The voting panel consists of 65 active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches including Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher with participants chosen randomly from members of the American Football Coaches Association.