West Texas A&M won’t get much time to ease into the 2026 football season.
The Buffaloes open their 115th season Thursday night against No. 11 Western Colorado, bringing one of Division II’s more consistent postseason programs to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at First United Field in Canyon.
For WT, the matchup provides an immediate test for a team picked to finish third in the Lone Star Conference. Western Colorado enters the season ranked No. 11 in the AFCA Division II preseason poll after going 10-3 last year and reaching the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
The Mountaineers have become a regular fixture in the postseason under longtime head coach Jas Bains. Western Colorado has won at least 10 games in four of the past five seasons, reaching the NCAA playoffs each of those years and compiling a 48-13 record during that stretch.
Last season, Western Colorado knocked off LSC champion Central Washington 27-20 in the opening round of the playoffs before losing 21-15 in overtime to UT Permian Basin.
The Mountaineers will have a different look at quarterback Thursday. Drew Nash, an AP Second Team All-American last season, has moved to the coaching staff to work with the tight ends. Senior Josiah Ray is in line to take over the offense after completing 21 of 31 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown in limited action last season.
Western Colorado still returns plenty of proven talent elsewhere.
Wide receiver Caden Measner earned Second Team All-RMAC honors last season, while defensive end Drew Johnson and inside linebacker Ian Loomis were both first-team all-conference selections.
Loomis recorded 108 tackles and five sacks last season, while Johnson led the RMAC with 6.5 sacks and finished second in the conference with 14.5 tackles for loss. Both were named to the D2Football Elite 100 Watch List entering 2026.
The RMAC coaches picked Western Colorado to finish second in the conference this season.
WT enters Thursday with expectations of its own.
The Buffaloes were picked third in the LSC preseason poll, receiving one first-place vote and 217 points. Defending conference champion Central Washington topped the poll with 276 points and 16 first-place votes, followed by Western Oregon with 247 points.
Head coach Josh Lynn begins his fourth season in Canyon with several new faces on his coaching staff.
Kevin Bleil takes over as offensive coordinator, while Kendrick Marshall will coach the linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator. Vic Wharton III will coach the cornerbacks, Blake Crandall takes over the wide receivers and Ben James joins the offensive line staff. Garrett Meyer has also moved into a full-time role coaching tight ends.
Thursday’s matchup renews a series that has recently swung in Western Colorado’s direction.
WT owns a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1938, and the Buffs are 5-1 against the Mountaineers in Canyon. But Western Colorado has won the past three meetings.
The Mountaineers’ most recent trip to Canyon came Sept. 14, 2024, when they left Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium with a 26-17 victory.
WT will be looking to reverse that trend while continuing another.
Thursday marks the first time since 2022 that the Buffaloes have opened their season at home. WT has won its past four season openers played in Canyon.
The Buffs are 51-63 overall in season-opening games dating to the beginning of the program in 1910.
Thursday’s game is also part of a busy opening week for the Lone Star Conference. Nine of the league’s 10 teams will begin their seasons during Week 0, including three Thursday matchups against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents.
For fans, the home opener will feature “Maroon Madness,” with those attending encouraged to wear maroon. The first 1,000 fans will receive a maroon T-shirt courtesy of Northwest Texas Healthcare System. WT students can attend regular-season home athletic events for free by presenting their Buffalo Gold Card.
WT Athletics has also implemented a clear bag policy for the 2026 season.
After months of offseason preparation, the Buffs won’t have to wait long to find out where they stand. A nationally ranked opponent with four playoff appearances in the past five seasons will be waiting for them on opening night.
