Grambling State releases 2018 football schedule

GRAMBLING, La. – The Grambling State University football program, the defending back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions, released its 2018 football schedule on Wednesday.

The Tigers will play seven SWAC games and four non-conference games for the second consecutive season. In addition, Grambling State will not leave the state of Louisiana until the end of September.

Grambling State, which went 11-2 last season and fell just short of an HBCU National Championship with a loss to North Carolina A&T State in the Celebration Bowl, will open the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 when the Tigers visit Louisiana (Lafayette). This will be a historic matchup as it will be the first time these two teams meet.

“We are looking forward to the upcoming season,” Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. “I am excited about the 2018 schedule and the steps that our program will be taking with this challenging slate. We have the opportunity to open the season with a member of the Sun Belt Conference and will host four games at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium in front of an incredible fan base.”

The Tigers continue on the road for the second consecutive week as Grambling State will visit Natchitoches to play Northwestern State. Last season, the Tigers, who lead the all-time series, 3-1, picked up a 23-10 victory over the Demons at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.

The following week, Grambling State will have it’s 2018 home opener on Sept. 15 for Former Athlete Appreciation/Business & Industry/Church and Community Day) against Bacone College. This will be the first meeting between the Tigers and Warriors.

The Tigers continue their home slate on Sept. 21 (High School Day) as Alabama State visits Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium for a non-conference game. Grambling State and Alabama State last met in 2017 when the Tigers came away with a 24-7 victory in Montgomery, Ala. Grambling State, which has won its last three, leads the all-time series with Alabama State, 27-13.

For the first time in 2018, the Tigers will final leave the state as Grambling State opens SWAC play with Prairie View A&M in the annual State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Tigers, who lead the all-time series, 51-17-1, and have won their last four against the Panthers, walked away with a 34-21 victory last season.

Grambling State will begin October with an open week before visiting Houston, Texas to take on Texas Southern on Oct. 13. GSU, which leads the series 44-18-3 and have won four straight, defeated Texas Southern, 50-24, last season.

After the trip to Houston, the Tigers continue their two-game road swing with a rematch of the 2017 SWAC Championship game against Alcorn State. Grambling State took both games last season, defeating the Braves, 41-14, at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium (Oct. 21) and 40-32 in the SWAC title game (Dec. 2). The Tigers lead the overall series, 45-21-3 and have won four straight.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff makes the trip to Grambling on Oct. 27 to conclude the month with Military Appreciation/Breast Cancer Awareness game. The Tigers and Golden Lions met on Nov. 4 in Pine Bluff, Ark., last season with Grambling State narrowly escaping with a 31-26 victory. The Tigers, who have won four consecutive games in the series, leads the all-time matchup, 29-11-2.

A week after High School Day, Grambling State will play host to Mississippi Valley State in its 2018 Homecoming/Senior Day. The Tigers defeated the Delta Devils on the road last season, 38-6. Grambling State has won 18 of its last 19 meetings with Mississippi Valley State and leads the series, 53-5-2.

After a one-year hiatus, Grambling State will take on Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Ala. on Nov. 10. The Tigers, who have won its last two against AAMU and lead the series, 18-6-0, and Bulldogs last met in 2016 with Grambling State picking up a 56-17 victory.

The game with Alabama A&M will be the last in a five-game stretch as Grambling State will have its second open week on Nov. 17, which will allow the Tigers two weeks to prepare for rival Southern.

Grambling State and Southern will meet in the 45th Bayou Classic on Nov. 24 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Tigers are coming off a thrilling 31-20 win last season over the Jaguars as Grambling State has won the last three meetings, but Southern leads the all-time series (36-33-0), which dates back to 1932.

Fans can get their first peek of the team at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 14 when the Tigers host their annual Spring Game.

Courtesy: GSU Athletics