TXST ATHLETICS
Homecoming week allows Bobcat athletic programs to honor past teams
Homecoming week at Texas State signals the return of Southwest Texas with many of the fall sports teams wearing special throwback uniforms or celebrating the school’s original name.
For this year’s homecoming game against Troy, Head Coach G.J. Kinne and the Bobcats will wear the classic SWT white helmets and throwback uniforms which were a staple of the football program from the 1980s and from the late 1990s to early 2000s.
“It’s really cool anytime you get to honor the former alumni, honor the former football players that came before you.” Kinne said. “I think that’s always special. So to me, that’s what I take more out of it than anything. It’s just you honoring those guys that wore the SWT, went out there, won games and represented the university in the right way. So that’s probably what I take out of it more than anything.”
From 1899 through 2003, despite the many name changes, the consistent thing about the university in San Marcos was the three words Southwest Texas State, which many of its alumni still call the school to this day.
On Sept. 1, 2003, Southwest Texas State formally changed its name to Texas State University to signify the school’s attempt to shed its regional identity.
As the Texas State name brand has had the chance to stand on its own two feet, the past few years have seen many of the Bobcats athletic programs designate weekends to honor the past teams that went by Southwest Texas State.
The tradition of wearing the SWT throwbacks during homecoming dates back to 2018 when Texas State unveiled throwback uniforms honoring the 1981 and 1982 National Championship football teams, with the Bobcats defeating New Mexico State 27-20.
After a three-year hiatus, the tradition was brought back for the 2022 season as the Bobcats wore special throw- back helmets honoring the 1990 and 1991 teams with the unique Bobcat Paw logo.
In 2023, the football program unveiled new throwback uniforms along with the return of the classic SWT helmet which has been exclusively worn for homecoming games since then. The tradition has since spread to both baseball and men’s basketball with both programs unveiling special throwback uniforms honoring the past teams that represented the school as Southwest Texas.
The most recent addition came this week when the Bobcat volleyball program unveiled a new throwback uniform for their two-game series against South Alabama with the classic SWT logo affixed to the front of a white jersey.
For Head Coach Sean Huiet, wearing the SWT throwback jerseys and playing on homecoming is not just about honoring the past but continuing to build up the foundation that was laid before them, especially at a program which has the most NCAA Tournament appearances at Texas State.
“We talked a lot about our culture and where Texas State is. It’s not about us. It’s about the people that came before us,” Huiet said. “Texas State [volleyball] has been really good before I got here. They were good a long time ago.
“We do this and we get everyone’s best because of what was built before us. It’s been not easy, but it makes our job a little bit easier because people know about Texas State volleyball so we just want to keep doing it again.”
Senior outside hitter Bailey Hanner agreed with her coach with her family attending Texas State before the name change.
“A lot of our loyal fans to the volleyball team are the older generations that came when it was Southwest Texas State,” Hanner said. “I know because my mom was one of them. So just being able to do something for them, they get really excited. … It’s really about the people who came before us and the history of the school.
The Bobcat soccer team will be the last fall sports team that will pay homage to the former Southwest Texas teams when Texas State hosts Southern Miss next Sunday.
Despite being the youngest athletic program at Texas State, established in 1999, Head Coach Steve Holeman can still see the pride and spirit of Southwest Texas burning strong.
“There’s so many people when we’re on the recruiting trail we meet a lot of parents that went to Texas State,” Holeman said. “Usually the first words out of their mouth is, ‘When I went to school, it was Southwest Texas’. So, they established a tradition, especially the players and the alums that played for Southwest Texas. We’re the current program, and we play for them. So it’s kind of an honor to get to play in this moment, especially in our last run through the Sun Belt.”
On honoring the past teams, Graduate student Kennley Bradley talked about how the alumni have all helped build the program from the bottom up and allowed the team to be where they are at today.
“It just means dedication and loyalty,” senior Kennley Bradley said. “I look at it as just the people in the past that helped to build this program to what it is today and it allows us to have the opportunity to be the top in the conference. It just shows we’re all hard workers and we’re all dedicated. We all love Texas State and Southwest Texas State.”
Senior midfielder Chloe Jones agreed with her teammate, adding the only way in honoring the past teams is continue to play at a high level. “The best thing we can do to honor them is just give it our all and do the best that we can,” Jones said. “So I think we’re doing a pretty good job.”
