There's no shortage of good competition meeting the Tarleton Texans this week, with both basketball programs beginning their 2021-22 campaigns against ranked NCAA Division I opponents. Also this week, the football and volleyball teams face their last road tests of the year against quality conference foes.
 
The men's basketball team will begin the week at Pac-12 stalwart Stanford on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the women's basketball team will take on No. 19 Arkansas in Fayetteville. On Thursday, Tarleton volleyball heads to UTRGV to avenge their close home loss against the Vaqueros. On Friday, men's basketball will take on one of the most storied programs in college basketball history at Allen Fieldhouse, with a date against No. 3 Kansas. Then on Saturday, all three teams of football, women's basketball and volleyball will be in action. Volleyball concludes their second season at the Division I level at Lamar, Texan football plays at Abilene Christian, and then women's basketball hosts Champion Christian at Wisdom Gym.
 
BILLY GILLISPIE'S SQUAD will be put to the test immediately in Tarleton's second season at the highest level with a Tuesday bout at Stanford and Friday road game at No. 3 Kansas. Tuesday's 9 p.m. CT tip-off at the Cardinal marks the Texans' first meeting opposite a Pac-12 opponent in any sport and the second time its men's basketball program has drawn a Power Five Conference foe in regular season action. It's their season opener following a 73-50 home exhibition win over Central Christian (Kan.). Tuesday's game will air on Pac-12 Bay Area, which can be streamed locally at Pac-12.com/Live. On Friday at 7 p.m. CT, the Texans will match up with the third ranked team in the nation at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence against Kansas. The Jayhawks made it through to the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament after finishing 21-9 overall. Gillispie vs. Bill Self is must-watch TV, with both very familiar with each other having coached together previously at Tulsa and Illinois. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
MISTY WILSON'S EIGHTH SEASON as head coach of Tarleton women's basketball gets underway on Wednesday with a bout against the No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville at Bud Walton Arena at 7 p.m. CT.  The contest marks the first meeting between the two programs and Tarleton's second-ever matchup opposite an SEC foe (Florida on Dec. 14). Arkansas made it to the 2021 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed following a 19-9 overall record. On Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, the Texans begin a three-game homestand against Champion Christian. The Texans defeated Champion Christian 95-27 during the 2020-2021 season in what was a historic performance. Tarleton set a program record for most three-point field goals made in a single game with 16. The 68-point margin of victory was the largest ever in the Wilson era. The team's 32 turnovers forced were also a single-game high by a Wilson-coached team.
 
TARLETON VOLLEYBALL will finish its 2021-22 season this week with road matches at UTRGV on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT and at Lamar on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The Texans will aim to avenge their previous loss against the 15-9 Vaqueros, in which Tarleton dropped that match 3-1 despite a strong showing from the Oklahoma trio – Kayla Brannon had 31 assists, Lauren Kersey and Carmen Kinsey combined for 30 kills. The season comes to an end at 4-20 Lamar, who Tarleton beat 3-1 a month ago. The Texans are 14-13 this year, 5-5 in WAC play. This past week, they split their home matches against Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, both exhilarating five-set affairs. Against the Bearkats on Saturday, the Texans honored eight seniors (Brannon, Natalya Chatham, Amari Franklin, Kersey, Kinsey, Lorin McNeil, Amber Strange and Hali'a Swartman-Hogan) in front of a Wisdom Gym capacity crowd. 
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL will wrap up its road slate at Abilene Christian at Wildcat Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. Tarleton is 5-4 this season coming off a dominating 42-21 win over Lamar at Memorial Stadium, in which five different Texans crossed the goal line. Quarterback Steven Duncan has been playing his best football in the purple and white, compiling 1,167 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception over his past four games. He also has had back-to-back 300+ passing yard games for the first time in his career. The Wildcats are 4-5 this season, having lost two straight and four of their last five. Their last two wins were also against Lamar.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION with links to live stats, live video, and live audio (when available) are available for every specific game on the schedule page at TarletonSports.com and within the match day preview stories each week.
 
THE AIRWAVES of the Tarleton Sports Network will air the Mary Schindler Radio Show on Tuesday and the Todd Whitten Radio Show on Thursday. This is the last Mary Schindler Radio Show this season, set to air live from the lobby of F&M Bank. The Todd Whitten Show will air live from Triple Crown Ford Lincoln – formerly Texstar – at noon and can be heard on demand at TarletonSports.com/ListenLive. Fans are encouraged to safely attend the live airing of each show with free food provided, courtesy of The Pizza Place.
 
TICKETS are available for all the upcoming home events online at TarletonSports.com/tickets. The ticket office is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. Student tickets are available for free to Tarleton students from any campus with a valid university ID number but must be ordered in advance at TarletonSports.com/tickets.
 
ABOUT WEEK AT A GLANCE
'Week at a Glance' presented by Mustang Ranch will be posted on the official home of Tarleton Athletics at TarletonSports.com in addition to its usual location on our social media channels. Each week will provide updates of the upcoming games for the week, as well as promotional information, game changes, ticket information, and anything else Tarleton fans will need to know to prepare for a week of competition.
 
ABOUT MUSTANG RANCH
Mustang Ranch Apartments is proud to be one of the top Luxury Student Housing in Stephenville, conveniently located two miles from campus perfect for your commuter route. Mustang Ranch offers unparalleled quality, amenities for your enjoyment and peace of mind. Mustang Ranch is the ultimate living experience for Tarleton students.