When small college programs moved their schedules to the spring, it created complications across the board. That said, no Texan program had it more difficult than Tarleton State.

The Texans were already embarking on a difficult transition from Division II to Division I without a football conference to call home when the pandemic hit. However, few programs across the sport have faced the challenge of putting together two full schedules on the fly.

Now for the second time, Tarleton State has put together a balanced eight-game transition schedule for a planned Spring 2021 season. The headlining games come in the first two weeks. 

Former UTSA coach Frank Wilson and McNeese State will travel to Stephenville on Feb. 13 in the first Division I home game in program history. The next week, the Texans will face off against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, the first matchup against an FBS opponent. 

“Our first two opponents will be the best we’ve seen in the history of our program,” Tarleton State coach Todd Whitten said. “We’re going to have to be ready for that. I think it’ll give us a good idea of where we are and what we need to do to transition to Division I.” 

Tarleton State is entering Division I as a member of the non-football WAC. For the foreseeable future, the Texans will be an FCS Independent. Another program following the same path via the WAC is Dixie State; the pair bolstered each other’s schedules by agreeing to a home-and-home in the spring. 

When Tarleton State athletic director Lonn Reisman spoke with TexasFootball.com in August, he noted that the school needed to focus on bringing in home games to recoup revenue. The final schedule boasts six home games, including a matchup with former Lone Star Conference foe Midwestern State, which will serve as Homecoming. 

The schedule can't quite match the six Division I opponents on Tarleton's original schedule – including powerhouses Sam Houston State and Kennesaw State. However, for a schedule scraped together on the fly, it'll be a good challenge. 

The Texans have been back on campus preparing for the season since July. The Texans went through the NCAA-allowed 15 practices and a handful of scrimmages. The calendar simply shifted, and will flip again when the Texans are back in January. 

Most of college football’s small college programs opted to move their schedules to the spring, but some also decided to not play during the 2020-21 academic year. Texas A&M-Commerce, for example, decided to narrow their focus to trying to win a national championship in Fall 2021. 

However, that never became a consideration for the Texans. Tarleton State is not eligible for the postseason for four years due to NCAA rules. Instead, the focus is more akin to what Stephen F. Austin did in the fall: Focus on development and bringing fans back into the mix. 

“I think it’s going to be a great learning experience,” Whitten said. “We want to get our fanbase back out. We’ve got a beautiful new stadium, we’ve got a beautiful new fieldhouse. We’ve got a lot of really cool stuff at Tarleton – we just need to get out and play some football.” 

Tarleton State’s schedule will be jam-packed between February and April with eight games in just 54 days. Ending on April 1 also gives the Texans just four months off before returning to the gridiron for fall practice in August. 

“Obviously, it’s not perfect,” Whitten said. “We would rather have a little more time between seasons, but it’s what we have. Like I tell our team, we’re going to wake up every day and get after it and take what’s in front of us and make the best of it. 

“We’re going to be really excited to get out there in the springtime, I can assure you of that.” 

Tarleton State’s 2021 Spring Schedule: 

• Feb. 13: vs. McNeese State

• Feb. 20: at New Mexico State

• Feb. 27: vs. Dixie State

• March 6: vs. Mississippi College

• March 13: at Dixie State

• March 20: vs. Midwestern State

• March 27: vs. Northeastern State

• April 1: vs. East Central