Pretty spot-on, especially given that Craven is a UTSA homer and typically slights TXST.
Why Texas State became a viable option for the Pac-12
Texas State was always considered a sleeping giant in the G5 ranks inside the Lone Star State. The
university, which is perfectly situated between the growing metropolises of Austin and San
Antonio in San Marcos, arguably the coolest college town in Texas, reported an enrollment of
40,487 in the fall of 2024. That trails only Texas A&M, Texas, Houston, and North Texas.
But the Bobcats always lacked the two things necessary to turn hope into reality in athletics, and
specifically in football: leadership and money. Texas State made a bold move to enter the FBS ranks
ahead of the 2012 season, but the administration at that time lacked the foresight and will power to
push for more. Texas State did enough to move up, but not enough to capitalize on that move. The
result? Twelve seasons of subpar results from 2012-2022, which included only one winning season
and no bowl trips.
When the university was searching for a new president in 2022, it presented prospective hires with
six bullet points. One of those was a thinly veiled cry to fix the football program so that the
university could have a bigger national reach. Texas State eventually hired Dr. Kelly Damphousse, a
Canadian-turned-Texan who understood the value of football for a university after stints at
Oklahoma and Arkansas State.
"The sixth bullet point was phrased as, 'a president who understands the value of athletics,' but I
knew what that translated to," he told Dave Campbell's Texas Football back in 2023. If a rising tide
lifts all boats, football is that tide. When I met the search committee, I said that if we can fix
football, that will take care of a few bullet points, including the one about raising our national
recognition."
Damphousse worked quickly to build the realignment and buy-in behind the scenes that is vital for
athletic success. He made Don Coryell the athletic director and hired G.J. Kinne to be the head
coach of the football program ahead of the 2023 season. The Bobcats have won eight games and
the bowl game in consecutive seasons and enter 2025 as one of the favorites to win the Sun Belt.
With the proper leadership in place, the only thing left standing in the way was finances. Jake
Spavital, who was the football head coach before Kinne, used his own money to buy jugs machines
and practice equipment when he was hired ahead of the 2019 season. Finding money for proper
nutrition was nearly impossible. The only weight room big enough to house the entire Bobcat
football team was at the local high school. So was the only indoor football facility.
Turns out, competent leadership also produces better fundraising. Texas State secured $30-
plus million dollars for renovations of the Weisman Football Performance Center that included the
addition of the William Trevilian IV Weight Room. The on-campus stadium recieved a facelift that
included new field turf and a new name - UFCU Stadium. Those investments made it easier for
Kinne and the Bobcats to attract the talent required to win at a high level.
But as college athletics moved towards a revenue-sharing model that goes into place on July 1, even
more was required. The Sun Belt's media rights deal paid roughly $2 million per school. Rivals like
UTSA received more than double that amount in the AAC. Something needed to be done, and that
meant conference realignment. Texas State turned down an invitation to join the Mountain West
Conference a year ago with the belief that a bigger paycheck would become available. That
occurred when the Pac-12 began searching for an eighth full-time football member.
Texas State received the official invite from the Pac-12 on Thursday and plan to formally accept it
on Monday during a regents meeting. While the final figures of the Pac-12 media rights deal are
not yet public, the Bobcats will see an increase in pay regardless of if they receive a full share right
away. The move should also help with fundraising and season ticket sales as games Oregon State,
Washington State, and Boise State are sure to provide more excitement than Southern Miss and
Louisiana-Monroe.
Texas State's glow up is a perfect illustration of what can be accomplished when ambition meets
alignment. The Bobcats are no longer in the shadows of their peers across the state like UTSA and
North Texas. While the Pac-12 they're joining is not the Pac-12 of old, the AAC that their in-state
rivals occupy is also not the AAC of old. Conference realignment has eroded the depth and quality
of both of those conferences. But that doesn't mean this isn't a historic move for Texas State that
will raise the national brand of the football program, and in turn raise the profile of the entire
university.
Texas State always knew how to win the tailgate. The Bobcats figured out how to win football
games and how to win over their own fanbase. And it resulted in a move to arguablv the best G6
conference in existence. A sleeping giant no more, it'll be fun to see what the Bobcats can do now
that their finances and leadership are clearly improved.