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The release for the current standings for the annual Bubas Cup was missing a notable member.
Texas State was left out of the ongoing Bubas Cup standings for the 2025-2026 season, which bars the Bobcats from winning their potential third consecutive title and their fourth in the last five years.
“Following our notice of withdrawal from the Sun Belt,” according to an official statement from Texas State, “the university was notified that while it would be eligible for all conference championships during the 2025-26 season, it would not be eligible for participation in the Vic Bubas Cup standings throughout the season or the final award.”
In the last five years, Texas State has established themselves as one of the top athletic programs in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Bobcats have captured 14 conference titles both in the regular season and in the conference tournament across 10 different sports since 2020.
Calculating this year’s standings, Texas State would have been at the very least in the top three of the standings.
While the Bubas Cup may not be the crown jewel of titles in the conference, the Cup still has a significant meaning regardless of what people say, particularly for the folks down in the southwest corner of Layafette, Louisiana.
Created in 1976, the Bubas Cup is awarded to the top athletic department at the end of the sports season. The points are given out based on the final regular season
The Bubas Cup is named after Vic Bubas, the first commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference.
In short, the Bubas Cup rewards athletic programs whose teams win their individual conference titles.
Last year, Texas State won conference titles in volleyball, women’s indoor track, women’s outdoor track, men’s indoor track and softball to earn the maximium points in the Bubas Cup standings, leading to the Bobcats winning the title.
The exclusion of Texas State from this year’s Bubas Cup standings is a telltale sign that the Sun Belt doesn’t want the Bobcats to have a chance at winning the cup once again in their final year of the conference.
While the decision is controversial to say the least, the conference is going with the safe option and saving face by not being embarrassed that the one of the best athletic programs in the conference is leaving for what some might say greener pastures in the Pac-12 with an extra title in tow.
Regardless of the final decision the Sun Belt made, Texas State will continue to compete at a high level in all of the athletic programs in their final year of the conference. This year alone, the Bobcat soccer team won their first conference tournament title since 2011 while volleyball placed third overall in conference. Texas State’s women’s cross country team finished third overall with two runners taking first and second place.
Texas State is the athletic program all Sun Belt members should follow, producing quality athletic programs that are determined to compete at the highest level of the conference.
The Bobcats might not be the official Bubas Cup champs at the end of the 2026 sports season, but Texas State will without a doubt head into the new Pac-12 with a lot of momentum.
