New Mexico State releases 2023 football schedule
LAS CRUCES - After five years of playing as an independent football program, New Mexico State will enter Conference USA for the 2023 season.
C-USA released its football schedule on Tuesday and N.M. State released its complete schedule, which features 13 games - six home games, eight league games and four midweek games in October as part of C-USA's multimedia rights deal.
New Mexico State joins C-USA next year along with Liberty, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State. Kennesaw State joins in 2024 to combine with C-USA holdovers Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky and UTEP to form the 10-team league in 2024.
Since the Aggies play at Hawaii this season (Sept. 23), the school had the option to play 13 games, but in order for Jerry Kill's team to reach bowl games in back-to-back seasons, the Aggies will need to finish the season 7-6 or better.
"I'm really excited about next year," New Mexico State Athletics Director Mario Moccia said. "I think you can count the number of times we have won seven games on one hand. I certainly think it's possible, but we have to stay healthy. We start with two home games and with the excitement of how we finished, we have a chance to start out of the game strong. I'm interested to see how the campus and Las Cruces reacts to the midweek games. They will be televised, but I hope for great crowds."
Fortunately for N.M. State, they beat three of their 2023 non-conference opponents during a 6-6 regular season last year but they lost to C-USA teams UTEP and Florida International.
Unfortunately for Aggies fans, both rivalry games against New Mexico and UTEP will be played on the road this season as the Aggies beat the Lobos at home last year and the Aggies conference schedule, of which UTEP is now a conference opponent, is determined by the league.
"That was one of a few things that we asked Conference USA if it could be accommodated, but obviously it didn't go our way," Moccia said. "One of the reason we wanted that is it guarantees one rivalry game at home from a budgetary standpoint. We are ecstatic to be in Conference USA. We knew these things could occur, but I would remind people that when Kennesaw State comes in the league next year, these things could get shuffled around again."
N.M. State travels to UNM on Sept. 16 and play at UTEP on Wednesday, October 18 in a midweek contest.
After a Week Zero home game against Massachusetts on August 26, and FCS team Western Illinois on Sept. 2, the Aggies open C-USA play on Sept. 9 at Liberty, where the Aggies beat an eight-win Liberty team 49-14 last season when both schools were independents.
FIU travels to NMSU on Thursday, Oct. 5, new league member Sam Houston State travels to N>M. State on Wednesday, Oct. 11, the Aggies play at UTEP on Oct. 13, travel to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday, Oct. 24 to complete the midweek portion of the schedule.
The Aggies host Middle Tennessee on Nov. 4 and travel to Western Kentucky on Nov. 11 and close C-USA play at home on Nov. 25 against Jacksonville State.
The Aggies played three guarantee games last season, but their lone money game in 2023 is Nov. 18 at Auburn for a $1.85 million guarantee.
"That is a big evolution in our scheduling is that we will now be playing more people like us in the Group of 5," Moccia said.
Schedules games against Northwestern, Louisiana and San Diego State were not part of the Aggies non-conference schedule as the school needed to make room for an eight-game C-USA schedule.
Moccia said it's still unclear when or if games those games, or others in the future will be played in another year or cancelled.
"We are working with those schools on what the future looks like," Moccia said.
New Mexico State's 2023 football schedule
Aug. 26 UMass at NMSU
Sept. 2 Western Illinois at NMSU
Sept. 9 NMSU at Liberty *
Sept. 16 NMSU at New Mexico
Sept. 23 NMSU at Hawaii
Oct. 5 Florida International at NMSU *
Oct. 11 Sam Houston State at NMSU *
Oct. 18 NMSU at UTEP *
Oct. 24 NMSU at Louisiana Tech *
Nov. 4 Middle Tennessee at NMSU *
Nov. 11 NMSU at Western Kentucky *
Nov. 18 NMSU at Auburn ($1.85 million)
Nov. 25 Jacksonville State at NMSU *
Dec. 1 or Dec. 2 Conference USA Championship
*Conference USA
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Conference USA releases 2023 football schedule
