MONROE, La. – The ULM football team is set to kick off the 2025 season on Thursday night (Aug. 28) versus Saint Francis at 6 p.m. from Malone Stadium.
 
Thursday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Sean Fox (play-by-play) and Desmund Lighten (analyst) on the call. The game will also air on KLIP 105.3 FM with the Voice of the Warhawks, Mike Hammett and analyst Mike McGee. 
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION –
Tickets are available through the ULM Ticket Office, by calling 318-342-HAWK or by clicking here. Fans can refer to the football parking map and information page. 
 
The ticket office will open at 10 a.m. on gameday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and will close at 3:30 p.m. (2.5 hours prior to kickoff). Ticket booths outside Malone Stadium open at 4 p.m. The parking lots open at 10 a.m. and the stadium gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
 
Thursday night's game is a White Out, and the first 500 students can receive a free white-out shirt when they arrive.
 
The Warhawk Walk begins at 3:30 p.m. and fans can join the ULM Sound of Today and spirit groups by welcoming the team to Malone Stadium. 

 
OPENING DRIVE –
• Thursday's game marks the first meeting between the Red Flash and the Warhawks. Along with Saint Francis, ULM will face Northwestern and Old Dominion for the first time ever this season. The last time the Warhawks faced three new opponents in a single season was 2020, facing Army, Liberty and UTEP for the first time.
 
• In its 74-year football history, ULM is 32-40-2 (.432) in season openers, including a 5-5 record (.500) in its last 10 games. When opening the season at home, the Warhawks are 20-7-2 (.690). This marks the second consecutive season the Warhawks have opened the season on a Thursday. The last time the Warhawks opened the season on a Thursday night inside Malone
Stadium was last season, in which ULM bested Jackson State, 30-14.
 
• ULM's 12-game football schedule features five home games, four being conference opponents. According to ESPN, the Warhawks have the second-toughest schedule in the Sun Belt and the eighth toughest in the Group of Five. 
 
• ULM's 2025 opponents went a combined 69-81 (.460) in 2024, with five opponents going over .500. In addition, six foes also participated in postseason bowl games a year ago: Alabama (ReliaQuest Bowl), Coastal Carolina (Myrtle Beach Bowl), South Alabama (IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl), Arkansas State (68 Ventures Bowl), the Ragin' Cajuns (Isleta New Mexico Bowl) and Texas State (Servpro First Responder Bowl).
 
• Offensive lineman Elijah Fisher was recognized on multiple preseason watch lists, including the All State Wuerffel Trophy Watchlist and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Trophy Watchlist. The Wuerffel Trophy recognizes college football players who exemplify community service, academic excellence and athletic achievement. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Trophy recognizes the top offensive player who exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity.
 
• Seven Warhawks were named to the Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt teams. On the Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team were offensive lineman Elijah Fisher, defensive lineman Kevontay Wells, defensive back D'Arco Perkins-McAllister and placekicker Max Larson. On the fourth team were offensive lineman Jay Mickle, linebacker Billy Pullen and linebacker Seidrion Langston.
 
• Kevontay Wells was also named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense, as voted on by the conference's coaches. In his first season with the Warhawks, Wells led the team with 11.0 tackles for loss, which ranked tied for sixth in the Sun Belt. He added 50 total tackles and three sacks in a breakout junior season. Wells is the first Warhawk to be named to a Preseason All-Sun Belt team since 2020, when ULM placed a trio of players (Josh Johnson, Josh Pederson and Corey Straughter) on the preseason first team.
 
• Heading into his second season as ULM head coach, Bryant Vincent looks to build upon the foundation created in his first season at the helm. Coach Vincent established a culture of grit and resilience in 2024 that propelled the Warhawks to one of their most successful starts in nearly four decades. 
 
• Under Vincent's direction, the Warhawks led the SBC in several statistical categories, including passing yards allowed (183.9), blocked kicks (3) and fewest penalty yards per game (43.25). 
 
• ULM added 40 new players to its 2025 roster in the offseason. Head coach Bryant Vincent and his staff signed 13 new Warhawks on the first day of the early signing period in December, featuring eight defensive players and five on offense. In total, ULM signed nine junior college transfers, 23 transfers from four-year colleges and six high school recruits. The Warhawks lost six starters on offense and six on defense from the 2024 squad.
 
• Returning at the quarterback position this season is redshirt junior Aidan Armenta, who assumed the starting position after week five in the win over James Madison. Senior Hunter Herring also makes the return, appearing in eight games on the offense and on special teams in 2024. Two more quarterbacks join the room, in freshman Bryson Kimbrough and App State transfer Mason McHugh. Landon Graves also makes the return for another season with the Warhawks.
 
• Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Ahmad Hardy entered the transfer portal after a sensational season, but the Warhawks reloaded at the running back position by adding transfers Braylon McReynolds (South Alabama), Zach Palmer Smith(Richmond), Jaydon Wright (Minnesota), Dorian Lewis (New Mexico) and Tyrell Reed Jr. (Arkansas). ULM also signed true freshman tailback D'Shaun Ford, who was ranked the nation's No. 68 prospect at the running back position according to On3 Sports and committed to ULM in the Navy All-American Bowl last January.
 
• Jake Godfrey, who led the Warhawks with 265 receiving yards, is back on the roster and was one of Armenta's top targets last season. Tyler Griffin appeared in all 12 games last season and made at least one reception in seven games, concluding his year with a touchdown versus the Ragin' Cajuns. ULM added New Mexico transfer Nic Trujillo, Ole Miss transfer Brandon Buckhaulter and Jackson State transfer Rico Powers Jr. in the wide receiver room.
 
• The Warhawks return both starting guards from last season. Elijah Fisher is set for his sixth season in Monroe and has earned All-SBC Honorable Mention in back-to-back seasons. Fisher was voted Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Preseason Third Team. Jay Mickle started all 12 games for ULM last season and is back for his final season. The graduate student from Picayune, Miss., was voted Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Fourth Team. Also returning for the Warhawks' offensive line is Que McBroom and Reese Steele, both of whom made starts last season.

• Returning for the defense includes David Godsey Jr., back for his sixth season with the Warhawks after posting 39 tackles, a tackle for loss, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles to receive All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention accolades. Also returning is Carl Fauntroy, who totaled 55 tackles, four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble last season. Defensive back Markeegan Gray remains with ULM for his redshirt senior season after becoming a Burlsworth Trophy nominee in 2024. 
 
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team member Kevontay Wells returns to ULM after a stellar 2024 campaign, tallying 50 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three sacks while earning All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense honors. Dylan Howell returns for his third Warhawk season, after totaling 23 tackles and two quarterback hurries in 2024. Billy Pullenreturns for his second season, named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Fourth Team, after starting in all 12 games and awarded All-Sun Belt Third Team last season. 
 
• Newcomers in the defense include D'Arco Perkins-McAllister, named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team after transferring in from Chattanooga, posting 22 tackles, two tackles for loss and four interceptions last season. Zy Jackson joins the Warhawks after becoming a two-time all-conference defensive back at Copiah-Lincoln CC, totaling 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and 586 return yards in 2024. Defensive back Kamrin Canterbury led West Florida with 49 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss last season before transferring to ULM for the 2025 season. Noah Flemmings adds to the linebacker room after transferring in from Trinity Valley CC, named First Team All-Conference and an NJCAA First Team All-American in 2024.
 
• Special teams players Max Larson, Makenzie Ryan, Andrew Wells and Nolan Wilson are all back on ULM's 2025 roster. Larson went 14-for-17 on field goal attempts and 27-for-28 on PATs in his first season with the Warhawks and was named Phil Steele Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team. Ryan booted 58 punts with an average of 39.2 yards per punt, downing 18 inside the 20-yard line. Wells served as the team's holder and Wilson was the long snapper for all games last season. 
 
• ULM's coaching staff features four new faces in 2025, including running backs coach and run game coordinator Hindley Brigham, wide receivers coach Kishawn McClain, defensive ends coach Jontavius Morris and offensive assistant coach Cody Wells. Brigham arrives after nine seasons at UAB, McClain joins the staff after stops at ETSU and Gardner-Webb and Morris was added after being on staff at Louisville and Purdue. Former ULM quarterback Wells returns to Monroe after a few seasons at Evangel University.