Barely 15 years ago, Texas State was playing football in the Southland Conference. Now, the Bobcats have quickly become the belle of the ball in FBS realignment.
Texas State has emerged as the “heavy favorite” to be given a formal invitation to join the Pac-12, according to an ESPN repprt. Texas State is facing a July 1 deadline to notify the Sun Belt if it wishes to leave for the 2026 season or its buyout will double from $5 million to $10 million.
Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State are set to join Oregon State and Washington State as full members. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is also joining as a non-football member. The league needs one more all-sport member to join in time for the 2026-27 school year to be eligible to exist as a full NCAA conference.
Texas State was a power at the Division II level before moving up to I-AA in the 1980s, winning a pair of national titles under legendary coach Jim Wacker. Dennis Franchione helped transition the Bobcats to the FBS level in 2012, and the program landed in a resurgent Sun Belt one year later. Until Kinne arrived in 2023, though, the program posted eight straight losing seasons and zero bowl appearances. In two years, Kinne has notched 16 wins and consecutive First Responder Bowl victories in the past two years.
So why is Texas State such a hot commodity in the realignment world? It has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time.
Everyone wants a footprint in Texas
The college football landscape has shifted dramatically over the past five years, and no state has felt those changes more than Texas. The Longhorns’ departure for the SEC shook the state. If Texas State ultimately leaves the Sun Belt for the Pac-12, it will be the ninth out of 13 FBS teams in the state to change affiliations since 2021. The lower levels have been even more impacted, including Sam Houston’s acention from FCS to the FBS level.
At this time, seven of the nine FBS conferences feature at least one team in the state of Texas. Three of the four Power Four leagues also boast a representative after the ACC added SMU last season. The only exceptions are Midwest-based conferences Big Ten and MAC.
The relationship between Texas and football goes without saying, and makes even the middle and lower class of FBS teams intriguing investments. The AAC was attracted by access to major markets when they added North Texas, Rice and UTSA. Recruiting inroads are also critical, and Texas is the greatest producer of football talent in the world.
But perhaps most important, Texas is one of the greatest growth markets in the country. Texas is adding more population than any state in the union, with much of it settling around Austin. That makes Texas State a major potential upside play as it continues to build its brand on the regional and national level.
Financial incentives
Texas State has been approached in the past by both the Mountain West and Pac-12. However, officials have implied that the university has not gotten guaranteed full share distribution offers from the two leagues. There’s little reason for Texas State to rush, with plenty of good options are on the table.
Under previous administrators, Texas State’s investment fell behind. Former coach Jake Spavital famously said that the players loved it when they got to work out at local San Marcos High School because its weightlifting facilities were better than Texas State’s. Facilities are becoming less important in a revenue-sharing world, but the program knows it has to raise its profile to compete on the national stage.
President Kelly Damphousse and athletic director Don Coryell have been a shot in the arm for the athletic department, and G.J. Kinne has become the face as head football coach. However, Texas State needs resources to continue upgrading, especially if asked to play against Pac-12 competition. A partial share won’t get it done.
Additionally, the Texas State University system is one of the four major groupings in Texas. The other three are the University of Texas system, Texas A&M system and Texas Tech system. Look at how the flagships of those three institutions are investing — Texas State wants to increase its brand through football too.
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