PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico football program recently announced the completion of the 2020 and 2021 non-conference schedules.

The Greyhounds will square off with a new batch of non-conference foes from the Great Northwestern Athletic Conference (GNAC) and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) over the course of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Both conferences are members of the NCAA Division II Super Region 4 alongside the Lone Star Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and will give the Greyhounds six in-region non-conference games throughout that timespan.

Eastern New Mexico will open up the 2020 season with back-to-back games against RMAC foes New Mexico Highlands and Adams State before welcoming the GNAC's Azusa Pacific in the second-to-last week of the regular season. The Hounds will open the 2020 season inside Greyhound Stadium against New Mexico Highlands for the 46^th game in the two school's history before traveling to Alamosa, Colo. for a meeting with Adams State the following week in what will serve as the 31^st game in the series between Eastern New Mexico and Adams State.

"I'm thrilled that we have solidified 11 in-region NCAA Division II football games for 2020 & 2021," head football coach Kelley Lee said, "Over the next three years we are able to play non-conference games against teams from New Mexico, Colorado, California, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington.  We are very excited to renew our in-state rivalry with New Mexico Highlands University.  It makes sense that two in-state schools in the same division and so close in proximity continue to make this rivalry game a scheduling priority moving forward."

The game against Azusa Pacific later that season will be the first game for the Greyhounds as part of the LSC and GNAC scheduling alliance, which will consist of 26 games between the two conferences over the course of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 
The Greyhounds will then kick off the 2021 season with their second game of the agreement, playing host to Central Washington for the first game of the 2021 slate. The Hounds will then take on Adams State for round number two of the home-and-home series, also scheduled inside Greyhound Stadium.

"It's fantastic that the young men in our program, students and our community can look forward to six home games in both 2020 & 2021," coach Lee said.

Eastern will then travel to Azusa, Calif. in the final meeting of the GNAC-LSC agreement for the Greyhounds on the second to last week of the season.

Central Washington and Azusa Pacific both finished the regular season last year with a record of 8-3 and a record of 7-1 in GNAC play. Azusa Pacific received a selection into the NCAA Division II playoffs, losing to Tarleton State by a final score of 58-0.

"We are excited about the 2020 and 2021 football schedules," Eastern New Mexico Athletic Director Dr. Greg Waggoner said, "First, it is rare that football schedules are solidified three years out.  Second, it is very rare for us to have two seasons in a row with six home games.  Third, in 2021 we start the season with three home games.  When this is combined with the full slate of D-II in-region games and renewing the rivalry with New Mexico Highlands, it makes for a lot to be excited about in the next three years for the players, coaches and all of Greyhound Nation."

Adams State and New Mexico Highlands each finished the 2018 regular season with overall records of 4-7 and conference records of 4-6. Both teams competed against a Lone Star Conference team with their one available non-conference game for the season, with Adams State falling to Angelo State by a 59-20 final and New Mexico Highlands suffering the same losing result to Texas A&M-Kingsville, 33-30.

The Greyhounds hold advantages in the all-time series against both Adams State and New Mexico Highlands, but will face Azusa Pacific and Central Washington for the first time in program history. The Hounds are 18-11-1 all-time against the Grizzlies and 32-13 all-time against in-state rival New Mexico Highlands.

Eastern New Mexico will maintain the same 11 opponents in 2019 as the 2018 schedule presented, with the full schedule now available online at goeasternathletics.com.