KINGSVILLE, Texas –  With the arrival of the new year and college football complete across all divisions, head football coach Daren Wilkinson has released the 2018 football schedule for Texas A&M University-Kingsville Tuesday morning, January 3. 

"We love being part of the best Division 2 conference in America," said coach Wilkinson. "Year in and year out we will have the opportunity to play the very best and 2018 will be no exception." 

For the second consecutive season, the Javelinas will face No. 7 Central Washington in the season opener (Sept. 1), but this time in Ellensburg, Wash. at Tomlinson Stadium. The Blue and Gold will host six games at Javelina Stadium in 2018, beginning with a bout on Hall of Fame and Champions weekend against Texas Wesleyan on September 8. They will then hit the road again to open conference play at Angelo State on September 15.   

Three of the next four games will be at home for the Hogs, starting with Eastern New Mexico on September 22 (Hispanic Heritage Weekend). Following the Greyhounds will be a fight with the reigning Division II National Champions No. 1 A&M-Commerce at Memorial Stadium (Sept. 29) before stepping out of conference on Family Weekend, October 6, to face Western Oregon at home. No. 11 Midwestern State will then head to South Texas on October 13 on Kingsville Community Appreciation Weekend. 

On October 20, the Javelinas will travel to Stephenville, Texas to play Tarleton State and a week later, they will welcome Western New Mexico to the Hog Pen for their 2018 Homecoming game. The final road game of the year will be on November 3 at West Texas A&M and the season finale will be at home on Veterans & Military Appreciation Day November 10 against UT Permian Basin. 

Needless to say, the 2018 schedule for the Hogs shapes up to be one of the toughest in all of DII. "With the number of home games that we have as well as the chance to play two of the top ten programs we are very excited," concluded coach Wilkinson. "Punctuated with playing the defending National Champion, 2018 looks to be a year to remember for Javelina Nation." 

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