RIVALS ON GRIDIRON

If you ask Texas State fans who the Bobcats biggest rivals are, you could get numerous answers, anything from UTSA, to Sam Houston to even Texas A&M Kingsville.

But no matter what the answer may be, rivalries are an important part of college athletics.

“They are really important,” Texas State Director of Athletics Don Coryell said. “It’s great for the fans and the tradition. It’s great to have a game scheduled on the calendar that everyone is looking forward to. Typically, a great rival comes with a great atmosphere, so it’s a lot of fun for everyone to play in and participate in.”

Currently one of the biggest rivalries for Texas State is the I-35 Rivalry, featuring the Bobcats and the UTSA Roadrunners.

The origins of the I-35 Rivalry start in 1991, when UTSA joined the Southland Conference.

Despite not having a football team at the time, the rivalry was primarily focused on basketball, before expanding into all sports as each school grew.

The rivalry entered a new chapter in 2012, when both schools joined the Western Athletic Conference.

But moving into new conferences wasn’t the only change the I-35 Rivalry saw.

Beginning in 2011, UTSA established their own football program, on their way to joining FBS.

The first ever football game between the Bobcats and the Roadrunners took place on Thanksgiving weekend during the 2012 season.

In front of 39,032 people, the largest attendance at a WAC football game that season, UTSA defeated Texas State, 38-31.

UTSA and Texas State then went their separate ways, following the collapse of the WAC conference as a FBS conference. The Roadrunners joined Conference USA while the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt Conference.

“In my opinion, we had always had a great rivalry with them (UTSA) in the Southland and the one year in the WAC,” Coryell said. “It just made complete sense to continue the game in football. Those games always draw big crowds when we meet. Being in the Sun Belt, where all of our members are not in the state of Texas, it’s important for us during the non-conference scheduling to keep those traditional games alive.”

The two teams would not meet again until 2017, with the first meeting in Bobcat Stadium.

The Roadrunners once more were on top, dominating the Bobcats in a 4414 win.

With the series set to resume for the 2023 season, the I-35 Rivalry has now been extended to the 2031 season.

While the UTSA game remains a fierce rivalry, one of the oldest rivalries for Texas State, is their series with Sam Houston State.

First played in 1915, the series between Texas State and Sam Houston State remains the longest-played series for the Bobcats, with 87 games played between the two teams.

Some of the most memorable moments in Texas State football history came during the contests with the Bearkats, including the Bobcats winning the Southland Conference Championship in overtime in 2005, and in 2008, where Texas State stunned Sam Houston State at home to gain the championship.

“When you get into those rivalries with Sam Houston, you know you are in for a fight,” Coryell said. “It’s not an easy game, so you have to be locked in. From an administrative standpoint, you have to do your best to get everyone in the stands.”

Founding members of the Lone Star Conference, Gulf Star Conference and joining the Southland Conference in 1987, Texas State and Sam Houston State have been conference rivals for 70 years.

However, the rivalry between the Bobcats and the Bearkats came to a stop when Texas State made the jump to the FBS in 2012, ending one of the longest played rivalries not only in the region but in the country.

Though Sam Houston made the jump to FBS in 2023, no one was sure when the rivalry would be renewed, until an opportunity arose during a scheduling conflict with the Liberty Flames for the 2024 season.

“With Liberty moving to Conference USA, they needed to make some changes to their non-conference schedule,” Coryell said. “It just all worked together with us, Liberty and Sam Houston State, to find a solution for that.”

Not only will Texas State and Sam Houston State play for the first time since 2011, but the game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston.

For Coryell, the game was a no brainer.

“For us, we are replacing a game with Liberty for a rivalry game with Sam Houston in Houston,” Coryell said. “Going into Houston where we have so many students from and a strong alumni base, it is a great game for us.”

cmcwilliams@sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc