| Texas State Bobcats football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
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| First season | 1904; 121 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Don Coryell | ||
| Head coach | G. J. Kinne 3rd season, 18–10 (.643) | ||
| Stadium | Bobcat Stadium (capacity: 30,000) | ||
| Location | San Marcos, Texas | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Sun Belt (Pac-12 in 2026) | ||
| Division | West | ||
| All-time record | 543–504–25 (.518) | ||
| Bowl record | 2–0 (1.000) | ||
| Claimed national titles | |||
| Div. II:1981,1982 | |||
| Conference titles | |||
| TIAA:1929 LSC:1948,1954,1955,1963,1971,1980,1981,1982,1983 Southland:2005,2008 | |||
| Rivalries | Sam Houston (rivalry) UTSA (rivalry) Nicholls (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Maroon and gold[1] | ||
| Fight song | Go Bobcats! | ||
| Mascot | Boko the Bobcat | ||
| Marching band | The Pride of the Hill Country | ||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||
| Website | TxStateBobcats.com | ||
TheTexas State Bobcats football programTexas State University incollege football at theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. They play in theSun Belt Conference. The program began in 1904 and has an overall winning record. The program has a total of 14 conference titles, nine of them being outright conference titles. Home games are played atBobcat Stadium inSan Marcos, Texas.[2]
Given that the school has grown to become theseventh-largest university inTexas (2021), and one of the 75 largest universities in the United States, it has now taken its football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA football.
The team became a member of the FBSWestern Athletic Conference in 2012. After only one season in the WAC, Texas State moved to theSun Belt Conference. Texas State joined the league in July 2013 and began conference play for the 2013–14 academic year.
In July 2025 it was announced that the Bobcats would be joining the rebuiltPac-12 Conference in time for the 2026 football season.[3]
Southwest Texas State Normal School[4] first fielded a football team in 1904.[5]Oscar W. Strahan, for whom the current basketball arena is named, was hired as the university's first director of athletics, and served as the team's first head football coach from 1919 to 1934.[6] He compiled an impressive 72–52–10 record and won three championships (1921, 1924, 1929). Strahan led Texas State into the T.I.A.A. in 1922 and then as a founding member of the Lone Star Conference in 1932.Joe Bailey Cheaney served as head football coach at Southwest Texas State from 1935 to 1942. The Bobcats went 23–42–6 during Cheaney's tenure. Cheaney was asked to resign following the 1942 season. The university did not field a football team from 1943 to 1945 due toWorld War II. Head coachesGeorge Vest,Milton Jowers,R. W. Parker, andJack Henry all had tenures as Texas State's head coach. Vest led the team to a conference championship in 1948, while Parker won co-championships in 1954 and 1955. Jowers, for whom Jowers Center (home of the Department of Health and Human Performance) is named, served as head coach twice (1951–1953 and 1961–1964). He compiled a 48–18–2 record, winning over 72% of his games, including a conference championship 10–0 season in 1963.
Bill Miller was promoted from assistant coach to head coach in 1965.[5] During his tenure, the Bobcats compiled a record of 86–51–3.[7] Miller retired in 1978 as the school's winningest head coach in its history and the second longest tenured head coach.[7]
Miller was succeeded byJim Wacker, who led the Bobcats to two consecutive NCAA Division II national championships in his final two seasons (The school had moved to the NCAA a short time earlier).[8] Wacker left Southwest Texas State to accept the position of head coach atTCU after the 1982 season.[8] Wacker left the Bobcats with a 42–8 record, which included a 13–1 mark in 1981 and a 14–0 mark in 1982.
John O'Hara succeeded Wacker, coaching Southwest Texas State for seven seasons.[9] Under O'Hara's leadership, the Bobcats shared the conference title and made the playoffs in 1983, losing in the first round. O'Hara was the driving force behind moving Southwest Texas State out of Division II and into Division I-AA, where the Bobcats faced much tougher competition on the field and on the recruiting trail. After the 1989 season, O'Hara joined the football staff at the University of Iowa, where he remained until his sudden death in 1992 at the age of 48.
Dennis Franchione followed O'Hara, and under his tutelage, the Bobcats had a 6–5 record in 1990 and a 7–4 mark in 1991. Franchione left the Bobcats after two seasons to accept the position of head coach atNew Mexico.[10]
To replace Franchione, the Bobcats promotedJim Bob Helduser from an assistant coach to head coach. Under Helduser's leadership, the Bobcats compiled a record of 20–34–1. Helduser was approached by Franchione to join his staff at Texas Christian University as offensive line coach, an offer Helduser accepted.
Minnesota offensive coordinatorBob DeBesse was hired by his alma mater to serve as head coach following Helduser's departure.[11] In 2000, DeBesse's Southwest Texas Bobcats rolled up the school's best record in a decade (7–4) and earned a No. 25 national ranking.[11] However, mediocrity forced DeBesse out after the 2002 season, as the school's administration had grown weary from mediocre recruiting and play.
Manny Matsakis left Texas Tech as the Special Teams Coordinator to become the head coach of the Bobcats in 2003, but he only lasted one season. In his lone season, Texas State compiled a 5–7 record. Matsakis left Texas State after the 2003 season due to management issues associated with the football program and a draft investigation report that found violations of NCAA regulations. Additional athletic department officials were sanctioned.[12]
TCU defensive coordinatorDavid Bailiff was hired as Matsakis' replacement on February 5, 2004.[13] In his first season as the Bobcats' head coach, he guided them to a 5–6 record. In 2005, they finished the regular season 9–2 and wereSouthland Conference Champions. They then won two games in theNCAA Division I-AA playoffs, eventually losing toNorthern Iowa. In 2006, the Bobcats' were again 5–6. Bailiff left Texas State after three seasons to accept the head coaching position atRice.[14]
Brad Wright was promoted from running backs coach to head coach of the Bobcats football program after Bailiff's departure.[15] Under Wright's tutelage, the Bobcats compiled a mediocre 23–23 record. Fan support and administration restlessness led the Wright's firing following a 4–7 campaign in 2010.[16]
Following Brad Wright's dismissal, Texas State University engaged Parker Executive Search to help them find their next head football coach. Finalists included formerColorado head coachDan Hawkins,Oklahoma co-defensive coordinatorBobby Jack Wright, formerMinnesota head coachTim Brewster, and Dennis Franchione.[17]
On January 7, 2011, Franchione was named head coach of Texas State's football program and signed a five-year contract valued at $350,000 per year.[18] This was Franchione'ssecond tenure with Texas State, having previously coached at what was then Southwest Texas State in 1990 and 1991. His second tenure at Texas State was slightly less successful, as he led Texas State intoFootball Bowl Subdivision level football in 2012, joining theWestern Athletic Conference.[19] Texas State then negotiated membership in the more stableSun Belt Conference beginning in 2013,[20] after the WACstopped sponsoring football.[21] Franchione retired from coaching following the 2015 season.[22] His second tenure with the Bobcats produced a 26–34 record.[23]
FormerNorth Carolina head coachEverett Withers was hired as Texas State's head coach on January 6, 2016.[24] Withers, who was serving as head coach atJames Madison in theFCS at the time of his hiring, is the firstAfrican American to hold the position of head football coach at Texas State University.[25] In 2016, Withers' first season, the Bobcats compiled a 2–10 record.[26] The Bobcats broke the all-time attendance record at their home opener on September 24, 2016, with 33,133.[27] In 2017, Withers' second season, the Bobcats again recorded a 2–10 record. Withers entered the 2018 season with an overall record of 4–20. Withers was fired as the head coach for football on November 18, 2018, with a 7–28 record as head coach. Defensive Coordinator Chris Woods became the interim head coach for the season finale.
On November 28, 2018,Jake Spavital was hired to replace Withers as Texas State's head coach.[28] Spavital previously served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach atWest Virginia from 2017 to 2018. The Bobcats lost to twelfth-rankedTexas A&M 41–7 in the program's first game under Spavital. Under the direction ofJake Spavital, the Bobcats improved their rushing output by 65 percent, averaging 131.2 yards per game, and averaging 369.7 total yards and 27.7 points per game. These totals were the most yards gained for the Bobcats since 2015 and the most points scored since 2014. The third-youngest head coach in the NCAA Division I FBS in 2021, Spavital took the reins at Texas State on November 30, 2018, after overseeing some of the nation's most prolific offenses. He is Texas State's 20th head coach since the program began. Texas State fired Spavital following the 2022 season. In four years, Spavital's teams went 13–35 overall and did not appear in a bowl game.[29]
On December 1, 2022,G. J. Kinne was hired to replace Spavital as Texas State's head coach.[30] Kinne previously served as head coach of theUniversity of the Incarnate Word, as well as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach forUniversity of Central Florida. In his first season, Kinne led the Bobcats to an 8–5 record and their first bowl game appearance in the program's history. Texas State defeated Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, 45–21, on December 26th, 2023.
In 2005, Texas State split theSouthland Conference title with rivalNicholls State, and advanced to the Division I-AA football playoffs for the first time, losing in the semifinal to eventual national runner-upNorthern Iowa, and finishing with an 11–3 record.
In 2008, Texas State overcame a 21–0 deficit to win the Southland Conference championship with a 48–45 overtime victory againstSam Houston State, its first outright league title since 1982.
Texas State joined theWAC effective July 1, 2012.[42] Then, on July 1, 2013, season, Texas State moved to theSun Belt Conference.[43]
| Year | Coach | Record | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Jim Wacker | 13–1 | NCAA Division II National Champions |
| 1982 | Jim Wacker | 14–0 | NCAA Division II National Champions |
Texas State has won 14 conference titles, with nine outright and five shared.[44]
| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Oscar W. Strahan | Texas Normal championship | 7–0 | 5–0 |
| 1924 | Oscar W. Strahan | Texas Teachers College championship | 5–3 | 5–1 |
| 1929 | Oscar W. Strahan | Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 6–1–2 | 4–0–2 |
| 1948 | George Vest | Lone Star Conference (NAIA) | 8–1 | 4–0 |
| 1954† | R. W. Parker | Lone Star Conference (NAIA) | 6–3–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1955† | R. W. Parker | Lone Star Conference (NAIA) | 6–1–2 | 5–1 |
| 1963 | Milton Jowers | Lone Star Conference (NAIA) | 10–0 | 6–0 |
| 1971† | Bill Miller | Lone Star Conference (NAIA) | 8–1–1 | 7–1–1 |
| 1980 | Jim Wacker | Lone Star Conference (Division II) | 8–3 | 5–1 |
| 1981 | Jim Wacker | Lone Star Conference (Division II) | 13–1 | 6–1 |
| 1982 | Jim Wacker | Lone Star Conference (Division II) | 14–0 | 7–0 |
| 1983† | John O'Hara | Lone Star Conference (Division II) | 9–2 | 6–1 |
| 2005† | David Bailiff | Southland Conference (Division I FCS) | 11–3 | 4–1 |
| 2008 | Brad Wright | Southland Conference (Division I FCS) | 8–5 | 6–2 |
† Co-championship
Texas State has participated in twobowl games, and has a record of 2–0.
Prior to 2023, they were bowl eligible twice since moving up to Division I-FBS. In 2013, Texas State went 6–6 in the first year the Bobcats were eligible to win a conference title or attend a bowl game after their 2-year FCS to FBS transition. In 2014, Texas State finished the season 7–5, 5–3 in Sun Belt play to finish in a three way tie for fourth place. Although eligible, they were not selected to participate in a bowl game; the Bobcats were the only eligible 7–5 FBS team not to receive a bowl bid.
In November 2023, the Bobcats became bowl eligible after winning 45–24 against Georgia Southern.[45] In December, it was announced that the team would play its first-ever bowl game against theRice University Owls atGerald J. Ford Stadium on December 26.[46]
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | G. J. Kinne | First Responder Bowl | Rice | W 45–21 |
| 2024 | G. J. Kinne | First Responder Bowl | North Texas | W 30–28 |
The Bobcats have appeared in theNCAA Division I Football Championship playoff two times with an overall record of 2–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Georgia Southern Cal Poly Northern Iowa | W 50–35 W 14–7 L 37–40 |
| 2008 | First Round | Montana | L 13–31 |
The Bobcats have appeared in theNCAA Division II football championship playoffs three times with an overall record of 6–1. They are were national champions in 1981 and 1982.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Jacksonville State Northern Michigan North Dakota State | W 38–22 W 62–0 W 42–13 |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Fort Valley State Jacksonville State UC Davis | W 27–6 W 19–14 W 34–9 |
| 1983 | Quarterfinals | Central State | L 16–24 |
Official record (including anyNCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current Sun Belt opponents:
| Opponent | Won | Lost | Percentage | Streak | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | 1 | 6 | .143 | Won 1 | 2004 | 2022 |
| Arkansas State | 5 | 7 | .417 | Won 1 | 2013 | 2024 |
| Coastal Carolina | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost 4 | 2017 | 2023 |
| Georgia Southern | 2 | 5 | .286 | Won 1 | 2005 | 2023 |
| Georgia State | 4 | 5 | .444 | Lost 2 | 2013 | 2024 |
| James Madison | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost 2 | 2022 | 2025 |
| Louisiana | 0 | 13 | .000 | Lost 13 | 2013 | 2025 |
| Louisiana–Monroe | 8 | 13 | .381 | Won 2 | 1986 | 2024 |
| Marshall | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Old Dominion | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1 | 2024 | 2024 |
| South Alabama | 6 | 4 | .600 | Won 2 | 2013 | 2024 |
| Southern Miss | 3 | 3 | .500 | Lost 1 | 2013 | 2025 |
| Troy | 2 | 14 | .125 | Lost 1 | 1996 | 2025 |
| Totals | 32 | 73 | .305 |
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Texas State football maintains two rivalries with theUTSA Roadrunners and theSam Houston State University Bearkats. They also have a number of defunct rivalries caused by conference realignment.
Beginning in 1915, Texas State andSam Houston Bearkats football played annually until a major conference realignment caused the rivalry to go defunct in 2011. However, due to another major conference realignment, the rivalry has since been renewed for the 2024 season atNRG Stadium where the Bearkats won 40-39 in front of a crowd of 27,225. The Bobcats lead the series 50-38-5, but the Bearkats hold a lead in the series since both teams moved to division I in 1986 at 17-9-1. As of September 2024, there is no future game scheduled in this rivalry series through at least 2031.
Texas State andUTSA faced off for the first time in the football continuation of the I-35 Maroon/Orange Rivalry between the two schools in theAlamodome on November 24, 2012. The Bobcats lost the game to the UTSA Roadrunners by a score of 38–31. UTSA leads the series 5–2.[47]
The first ever meeting between Texas State andNorth Texas took place during the 1915 season with the Mean Green winning 14-0. The Bobcats and the Mean Green have played 40 times against each other, making it the second most played series between theGroup of Five Texas schools behind the Sam Houston-Texas State series. When Texas State defeated North Texas in the2025 First Responder Bowl, it was the first time the teams have met since the 1994 season. North Texas leads the overall series 29-8-2.[48]
Texas State will face North Texas in the 2026 and 2030 football seasons.[49]
As of the end of the2021 FBS season,Nicholls leads the series 16–15.
Announced schedules as of February 15, 2025[50]
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vsEastern Michigan | atTexas | atTexas A&M | atKansas State | vsLamar | atNorth Texas | atUTSA |
| atUTSA | vsUTSA | vsUTRGV | vsUTSA | atUTSA | vsUTSA | vsUTEP |
| atArizona State | vsNorth Texas | atUTSA | atUTEP | atTCU | vsUTRGV | |
| vsNicholls | vsUIW | vsOhio | vsTexas Southern | vsArmy | atArmy |
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