San Marcos — Texas State University’s “Drive” to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) is seemingly in the slow lane when compared to the University of Texas-San Antonio’s quest do the same thing with a program that has yet to play a football game.

Last week, UTSA officials announced a four-game series with Colorado State, making the Rams the sixth FBS team scheduled play the Roadrunners at the Alamodome. Texas State, on the other hand, hasn’t issued statement about any FBS-level teams coming to play in San Marcos at Bobcat Stadium, which has some local sports fans wondering if UTSA is on a faster, and perhaps more promising path, to the FBS level.

Earlier this month, UTSA announced that its team will play a home-and-home series against Houston, and attracted Kansas State to San Antonio with a three-game contract. UTSA has also inked contracts that will bring Arizona, Arizona State and Baylor to San Antonio.

UTSA, which is located 55 miles from San Marcos and competes with Texas State in the Southland Conference in every sport except football and men’s tennis, got the green light for a football program in December of 2008. The school then quickly hired Larry Coker, who won a national championship at the University of Miami, as its first-ever coach.

Since, Texas State faithful have been concerned on how much UTSA’s intentions will affect Texas State’s FBS campaign. San Antonio has been a hot bed for Bobcat football recruits in the past, but now the program must compete with UTSA for area recruits that might otherwise had signed on at Texas State.

And when Texas-San Antonio lured former Texas State offensive coordinator Travis Bush, a former Bobcat player, to its staff weeks after the end of the 2009 season, Bobcat fans became even more concerned.

UTSA has also proved to have easier access to big-time sponsorships, partly because the school, which is comparable to Texas State in enrollment, is located in a large metroploitan area and will be playing its home games at the Alamodome, which can seat up to 70,000 and is already equipped with plenty of luxury box seating.

UTSA will begin play as an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Independent in 2011. The school then will notify the NCAA in June 2012 of its intent to advance to the FBS by 2014. The school hopes to comply with FBS standards during the 2013 season, then will seek full FBS membership and bowl eligibility in 2014.

UTSA’s series against Colorado State will be played in 2015 with the Rams playing at the Alamodome Oct. 23, 2015. The Roadrunners will host Arizona Sept. 5, 2015 and Arizona state on Sept. 17, 2016.

Houston will play at the Alamodome on Sept. 21, 2013, Kansas State will be in San Antonio Sept. 12, 2015 and Baylor will visit UTSA Sept. 8, 2018.

Texas State, on the other hand, has not yet officially released any future schedules, but there has been talk of  road games at Houston and Texas Tech in 2010 and 2011.

The Bobcats made their FBS intentions known in February of 2008 when a student referendum allowed the school to increase its athletic fees. Since, the school has added luxury seating at Bobcat Stadium, a new baseball and softball complex, a new soccer complex and is planning on adding more seating to the North end of Bobcat Stadium. A new track and field complex is also in the works.

Currently, the NCAA is currently in the third of a three-year moratorium it issued at the end of 2007, preventing consideration of any institution attempting to move up to the FBS level.

Texas State Director of Athletics did not return a call from the Daily Record Tuesday.