Central Washington quarterback Quincy Glasper carries the football in a game against No. 11 Midwestern State on Oct. 2, 2021. CWU earned a 30-20 victory. (photo courtesy of Central Washington athletics)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington will travel to face defending Division II National Champions Ferris State for the season opener of their 2022 football schedule, the school announced on Friday.

It will serve as the kickstart to a new era in CWU football as well as they begin play in the Lone Star Conference along with fellow new additions Western Oregon and Simon Fraser (B.C.). The three schools are making the move to join the Texas and New Mexico based conference amidst dwindling numbers of Division II programs on the West Coast that offer football.

The Wildcats posted an 8-3 record in 2021 and made it to the Division II playoffs before losing 50-21 to Northwest Missouri State in the opening round. Ferris State knocked Northwest Missouri State out in the quarterfinals before throttling Valdosta State 58-17 in the national championship game in December.

Ferris State previously came to Ellensburg as part of the home-and-home scheduling series with the Wildcats in 2019, beating Central Washington 62-28.

Central Washington, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser were the three remaining football members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Several former members, including Western Washington, Humboldt State and Azusa Pacific, had disbanded their programs over the last dozen years. Western Washington ended its program in 2009, Humboldt State in 2019 and Azusa Pacific in 2020. Dixie State has since moved up to the Division I level and is a member of the Western Athletic Conference.

In recent seasons, GNAC football members had to play home-and-home series with their fellow conference mates to fill out their schedules. Central Washington and Western Washington had previously joined the now-defunct North Central Conference for two seasons in 2006-07 to play Midwest schools such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota-Mankato and Nebraska-Omaha.

In addition to their home-and-home series in 2021, Central Washington's schedule consisted of many of their new conference mates in the Lone Star Conference. FCS Eastern Washington and Lincoln (Calif.) were the only opponents that aren't members of the LSC in 2022.

The newly completed Lone Star Conference will include Central Washington, Western Oregon, Simon Fraser, Western New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State, West Texas A&M, Angelo State, Midwestern State, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas Permian Basin. Prior member Texas A&M-Commerce, the 2017 Division II national champion, is moving to Division I's Southland Conference in 2022.

2022 Football Schedule:

Thurs. Sept. 1 at Ferris State Big Rapids, Mich. TBA
Sat. Sept. 10 vs. Western New Mexico Ellensburg, Wash. 6:00 P.M.
Sat. Sept. 17 at Simon Fraser Burnaby, B.C. 6:00 P.M.
Sat. Oct. 1 at Eastern New Mexico Portales, N.M. TBA
Sat. Oct. 8 vs. Western Oregon Ellensburg, Wash. 6:00 P.M.
Sat. Oct. 15 vs. Midwestern State Ellensburg, Wash. 6:00 P.M.
Sat. Oct. 22 at West Texas A&M Canyon, Texas TBA
Sat. Oct. 29 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Ellensburg, Wash. 6:00 P.M.
Sat. Nov. 5 at Angelo State San Angelo, Texas TBA
Sat. Nov. 12 vs. Texas Permian Basin Ellensburg, Wash. 1:00 P.M.

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