LAFAYETTE — The Ragin’ Cajuns are headed to the nation’s heartland.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette football team was scheduled to play Wyoming in a non-conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Cajun Field. But when the Mountain West Conference opted to join other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences in postponing football in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UL Lafayette was in need of securing an opponent for that date.

The Ragin’ Cajuns found one in the Iowa State Cyclones of the Big 12, with the game scheduled Sept. 12 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The Week 2 showdown will be the first meeting between the two programs and UL Lafayette’s first game against a Big 12 foe since playing Kansas State during the 2013 season.

Kickoff is yet to be determined.

Even with picking up the game against Iowa State, UL still has three slots to fill on its non-conference schedule for 2020.

Those dates are:

Oct. 24 at New Mexico State

The game was scrapped after the school (who plays as an independent) canceled football in the fall.

Nov. 21 at Missouri

This “money game” was canceled after the SEC decided to go a conference-only schedule for 2020.

Sept. 5 against McNeese State

The matchup between old rivals was canceled on Thursday after the Southland Conference, and McNeese, opted to not play in the fall.

The Ragin’ Cajuns do have some options to fill at least the hole of the opening weekend of the 2020 season.

For example, Tulane of the American Athletic Conference was set to open up the season against Southeastern Louisiana of the Southland Conference. UAB of Conference USA was set to play New Mexico State in the opening week as well. Both schools now have open dates in the same week as the Cajuns.

No word if those discussions have begun or if either Tulane or UAB would be interested in playing UL the opening weekend of the season.