JONESBORO, Ark. (6/9/15) – The Arkansas State football team has added a home-and-home series with American Athletic Conference member SMU to its future football schedules, and is set to face the Mustangs in Dallas in 2017 before hosting them at Centennial Bank Stadium in the 2019 season opener.

The Red Wolves and Mustangs will meet at Ford Stadium on Sept. 23, 2017, while the return game will occur Aug. 31, 2019, in Jonesboro. A-State and SMU have played twice before, splitting the two contests. The Red Wolves claimed a 45-28 home win in 2007, one season after falling 55-9 at SMU.

With the addition of SMU, Arkansas State now has three announced non-conference games for the 2017 campaign. The Red Wolves will also play at Nebraska on Sept. 2, and will catch Miami in their home opener a week later on Sept. 9. The Mustangs join UNLV as announced opponents on A-State's 2019 schedule.

A-State's 2019 game against SMU gives the Red Wolves back-to-back season openers set to be played in Jonesboro as they will also open the 2018 campaign at home against UNLV. Arkansas State has won its last 10 home openers at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to 2005 and is 30-11 all-time in such games.

The Red Wolves played consecutive season openers in Jonesboro in 2013 and 2014 for the first time since 1997 and 1998. Dating back to 2013, A-State will now play five of its seven season openers through 2019 at Centennial Bank Stadium. In addition to starting the 2018 and 2019 campaigns at home against UNLV and SMU, respectively, the Red Wolves will also host Toledo in their 2016 season opener.

Since moving to FBS status in 1992, Arkansas State played just three season openers at home through 2012.

A-State has played six current members of the American Athletic Conference all-time, holding a 27-36-5 record against those teams. In addition to SMU, the Red Wolves have also played current AAC members Central Florida (0-1), Cincinnati (1-1), East Carolina (0-2), Memphis (23-29-5) and Tulsa (2-2).

SMU posted a 1-11 overall record and 1-7 American Athletic Conference record last season. Chad Morris was named the head football coach at SMU on Dec. 1, 2014, after spending the previous five seasons as an offensive coordinator on the collegiate level and 16 seasons as a Texas high school coach. The last four seasons saw Morris act as the offensive coordinator at Clemson, helping the Tigers to a 41-11 record and to two BCS Orange Bowl appearances.