Texas State is officially “not your Father’s Bobcats” as they have agreed to join the Pac-12 beginning in 2026. Finally leaving the Sun Belt and growing to a respected conference marks it a monumental move for the university and their athletic programs. The news broke and it set the city of San Marcos on fire. Buckle up Bobcat fans – you’re in for an exciting and new era of Texas State Athletics.
Joining the Sun Belt conference in 2013, the last decade of Texas State sports has seen success few and far between. There’s been a lack of emphasis on the programs for far longer than that, but the Bobcat faithful have stayed strong. Whether it was due to poor presidents, lack of funding/recruiting or game’s so embarrassing you wanted to leave at halftime, it’s been years since Texas State Athletics have made a stamp nationwide. Well, over the course of the past few years, a new school president has changed all of that. The Bobcats are gaining national recognition by the day and the transition to the Pac-12 will simply add to it. Here’s a little hype video to get the blood pumping (our social media team still has some work to do):
Texas State University new president, Dr. Kelly Damphousse, took the reins from Denise Trauth back in 2022. A loyal Canadian that intended to retire into the sunset with his family by his side; until Texas State gave him a call and he fell in love with everything about San Marcos. Damphousse has completely turned the university’s culture around for the better and has done an unbelievable job at growing its reputation to where it should be. He’s brought in massive funding for the Athletic program and most importantly, a sense of community and culture for the fans. Over the last month, Texas State has received 9 billion views across all social media. That’s BILLION. There’s no reason why Texas State should not be a more reputable D1 university. Dr. Kelly Damphousse is making that dream come true.
The Bobcats will join competitive programs like Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and more. You can expect bigger headline games, better time slots and national coverage. Although the College football season and the rest of Texas state sports is still some time away, Bobcat fans can watch a 4-way QB battle unfold in the meantime. Here’s Texas State reporter, Keff Ciardello, on Texas State football’s rise the past few seasons.
I’m not sure who will be getting under center come week 1, but I know I’ll be there to support in my maroon and gold. If you’re not on the Texas State train yet, I would suggest hopping on quickly. The train is departing and it’s on a fast track to success. This is not your Father’s Bobcats.
Comments
3 responses to “Not Your Father’s Bobcats: Texas State Agrees to Join Pac-12”
Great article! Not looking forward to the late night games, but otherwise it’s slam dunk.
Love this!!!!
Couldn’t have said better myself!! Keep up the conti cheddy!! Eat em up