Texas A&M has finalized their 2012 football schedule - their first as a member of the Southeastern Conference - by adding FCS opponent Sam Houston State to its previously open November 17 date.
Sam Houston State is coming off of one of its best seasons in school history, finishing 14-1 and making its first-ever appearance in the FCS NCAA Championship, where they suffered their only loss of the season to North Dakota State. It's unlikely SHS will be able to run through the regular season undefeated in 2012, as they'll also travel to Baylor on September 15.
The addition of Sam Houston State locks in 12 opponents for A&M, with Louisiana Tech, SMU and South Carolina State rounding out the non-conference slate, a SEC Western Division slate of Arkansas (TBD location) Ole Miss (away), LSU (home), Auburn (away), Mississippi State (away) and Alabama (away), as well as games against the SEC's Eastern Division - Florida (home) and Missouri (home).
One detail is yet to be ironed out, however - the location of the game between the Aggies and Arkansas. The two teams had been signed for a decade-long contract to play a non-conference, neutral site game in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Now as division rivals in the SEC, that deal is be re-examined, with locations for 2012 and 2013 in discussions.
The addition of SHS gives A&M five official home games in 2012. With Arkansas still to be determined, the Aggies play five true road games and a "neutral site" opener against Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on August 30.
Here's the updated 2012 A&M football schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (CT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Aug 30 | Louisiana Tech | Shreveport, LA | TBA |
| Sat, Sep 08 | Florida * | College Station | TBA |
| Sat, Sep 15 | SMU | Dallas, TX | TBA |
| Sat, Sep 22 | South Carolina State | College Station | TBA |
| Sat, Sep 29 | Arkansas * | TBA | TBA |
| Sat, Oct 06 | Ole Miss * | Oxford, MS | TBA |
| Sat, Oct 20 | LSU * | College Station | TBA |
| Sat, Oct 27 | Auburn * | Auburn, AL | TBA |
| Sat, Nov 03 | Mississippi State * | Starkville, MS | TBA |
| Sat, Nov 10 | Alabama * | Tuscaloosa, AL | TBA |
| Sat, Nov 17 | Sam Houston State | College Station | TBA |
| Sat, Nov 24 | Missouri * | College Station | TBA |
For more on the Aggies, check out I Am The 12th Man. For college football news from across the country, head over to SB Nation's college football page.