UTRGV Football closes out the season in style

With an announcement made over 4 years ago that a student referendum passed to begin UTRGV Football as an FCS program, nobody knew what the future would hold. Then came all the coaching hires, a conference

change, and several recruiting classes, which led to the first UTRGV Football team in history.

On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the final chapter of the inaugural season closed for the Vaqueros as they defeated East Texas A&M 33-14. Their final record stands at 9-3 overall and in the Southland Conference record of 5-3. The three losses came to teams in the FCS Playoff: Southeastern Louisiana, Lamar, and Stephen F. Austin.

The one that got away and potentially swung the season in the conference aspect was the last-second loss to Lamar on the road. Up late in the game, the Vaqueros held a slender 21-20 advantage until a 57-yard field goal

sealed the fate of what could have been a first-time upset win for an upstart FCS program.

As the Vaqueros begin the off-season, head coach Travis Bush said “It was extremely hard with the work that's gone into place, and just people outside this building don't know what those guys have done over the past year and so, but, you know, again, that standard set, now the hard part is maintaining that standard and keep a recruit to that standard.”

When asked about having his father, Bruce Bush, a legendary coach in the state of Texas and having to rewrite a manual on how to start a new FCS program, Bush added, “The Best place to do it is the Rio Grande Valley. If you're doing it, we said that a long time ago when we first got here but truly was truly special. I mean, it was rewarding, and you know, he thanked me after the game Saturday. You know, it was a big part for him too; it was an exciting and proud moment for him to be a part of all this as well.

His experience, and getting around the team, getting around the coaches, and being able to just help us with guidance is just, its truly special. But to have him alongside, it's ummm, you know, it was just truly special.”

As for the 2026 season, the Vaqueros have already scheduled 10 games. The nine from the Southland Conference, plus one money game versus

UTSA in September. Ideally, I would like to see a game versus an Abilene Christian or some high-end FCS program even if it is a one-off or perhaps a game versus an East Tennessee State (Hello Marky Billson) or Robert

Morris (Hello Chris King) but I digress since will only be a second-year program but if it does aspire to be part of the playoff conversation schedule teams amongst FCS opponents and be a part of that conversation.