Vaqueros set for official debut vs. Sul Ross State

In late 2022, UTRGV hired Travis Bush to become the first head coach of the newly launched UTRGV Football team, which would compete in the FCS Football. Fast forward to 2024, when FBSchedules.com reported that UTRGV Football would be hosting Division II opponent Sul Ross State in Edinburg for its first-ever game.

When asked about the preparation for the inaugural game, Coach Bush said:

“It’s Wednesday, we are going to grind. Big competition, we talk about competition. You saw a lot of good on good again, different segments, one overs, third downs, red zone, and all the big components in a ball game that you need to win the game.”

With time elapsing toward kickoff, Bush added:

“It’s all based on everything we know up to this point, okay, which is a lack of games for us. Still, you look at past games, guys that came from other colleges with the experience they have, what they’ve shown, what they’ve proven here, how they’ve picked up our system, how they fit to our schemes.”

Graduate transfer running back Nathan Denney, who comes to UTRGV after playing for Yale last season, said:

“It’s interesting because Yale was kind of one of the founding football schools, and now I'm coming here to a brand new football school. And that transition has been super interesting, definitely a 180. Being able to come in here and lead the room and join a great senior class in this new program has been, again, as I said, a blessing. And I really take it as an honor that I've been able to step up in that role, and I'm really excited for what we do this Saturday.”

Sixth-year senior Amari Pouncey, who is slated to be part of the defensive line, said about the upcoming game:

“You have guys screaming under the lights before, but how much have you thought about the actual game night, Saturday, 7 p.m., and what that's going to look like? Every hour of the day, I'm inspired to go out there and play with my brothers.”

About Sul Ross State, the first-ever opponent for UTRGV: it recently reclassified to Division II in 2024 after being accepted into the Lone Star Conference. First-year head coach Lee Hays leads the Lobos.