Report: Texas State Gets Offer to Join Mountain West amid Pac-12 Realignment Rumors
Sep 29, 2024
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 28: A general view of a Mountain West Conference logo on the field prior to a game between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the UNLV Rebels on September 28, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Texas State officials have received a "verbal offer" to leave the Sun Belt conference and join the Mountain West, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Thamel noted that the newly-constructed Pac-12 has also expressed interest in adding the school, but the conference's desire to bring in Texas State "has yet to yield an offer."
The Mountain West conference currently has six full-time members and would need to add two more in order to continue meeting conference minimum requirements.
The current schools left in the conference include Air Force, Nevada, San Jose State, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming. Hawai'i is also in the league as a football member.
The Pac-12 has been able to add several members as the conference rebuilds, including former Mountain West programs such as San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and Fresno State. However, the conference still needs at least one more school in order to meet the eight required universities.
Texas State's discussions with the Mountain West "intensified" after UNLV and Air Force chose to remain with the conference, per Thamel. In order to leave the Sun Belt, the Bobcats will be required to pay a $5 million exit fee.
The program is coming off a promising 2023 season, finishing with the school's first winning record since 2014. Texas State earned eight wins and secured its first bowl victory as an FBS member, taking down Rice in the First Responder Bowl.
The Mountain West isn't solely focused on Texas State, as Action Network's Brett McMurphy reported on Thursday that the conference is interested in adding Northern Illinois and Toledo as football-only members in 2026.
Northern Illinois revealed that the school has yet to receive a formal offer from the conference on Friday, though (via ESPN).
If the Pac-12 doesn't submit an offer to Texas State, the Bobcats could become the next Mountain West school after Saturday's verbal offer.
Texas State Band Member Removed From Game After Holding Nevada's Turnover Trident
Sep 24, 2023
SAN MARCOS, TX - SEPTEMBER 24: The Texas State Bobcats band performs before the game with the Houston Cougars at Bobcat Stadium on September 24, 2016 in San Marcos, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
A member of the Texas State band was removed from Saturday's game against Nevada for allegedly holding the Wolf Pack's "Takeaway Trident," according to Colton McWilliams of the San Marcos Daily Record.
The person in question was initially accused of throwing the trident at Nevada players, but McWilliams later confirmed that the band member did not throw it. The trident was laying on the ground and given to the student section, "which obviously caused a bit of a stir," McWilliams wrote.
Video shows the band member being escorted out of Bobcat Stadium by security staff during the first half of Saturday's matchup against the Wolf Pack. Nevada held a 17-0 lead at the time of the alleged incident.
The Wolf Pack entered halftime up 17-0 on the Bobcats before Texas State came roaring back, scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half to take a 35-17 lead at the 4:50 mark of the fourth quarter.
Nevada introduced its "Takeaway Trident," which it uses to celebrate turnovers, during the 2022 season. Battleship Nevada Remembrance Project director John Galloway presented the team with the trident last year to honor the USS Nevada, which was given seven battle stars for its service in World War II.
Galloway also gave the Wolf Pack a "Touchdown Trident" for the 2023 season to honor the submarine SSBN-733 USS Nevada that has been in service since 1986. It is currently stationed in Washington.
The Bobcats went on to win the game 35-24 to improve to 3-1 on the season while the Wolf Pack dropped to 0-4. Texas State now has sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the Sun Belt Conference West.
Baylor Called Out by Fans for Shocking Upset Loss to Texas State in Season Opener
Sep 3, 2023
FILE - Baylor head coach Dave Aranda walks the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., Sept. 18 2021. Baylor opens their season at home against Texas State on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
Don't call it an upset
The Texas State Bobcats came into Waco, Texas to face the Baylor Bears and were not courteous guests, defeating the Power-Five opponent 43-31.
The Bobcats offensive outburst saw quarterback T.J. Finley go 22-30 for 298 yards and three touchdowns and receiver Joey Hobert make six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. One of his catches stood out as an early catch of the year candidate.
They call him Joe Dirt because he runs dirty routes - and makes dirty catches
The victory is a reversal of fortune for the Bobcats who have had a rough go of it since joining the FBS in 2012. The team has a 40-92 overall record at the FBS level and are 0-6 all-time against the Bears.
Baylor came into the contest as heavy favorites, with a 97.6 percent win probability. Texas State had been outscored by 44 points in the previous two matchups against the Bears and collect the first win against a Power-Five opponent in program history.
The stunning loss had fans on social media expressing disappointment in Baylor's performance, questioning head coach Dave Aranda's job security and celebrating Texas State for providing a quality upset this early.
No way Baylor is actually going to lose to Texas State right?
Amidst how bad Baylor was today, you have to give the Cats credit. They smacked the Bears in the mouth right away and Baylor had no answer defensively the whole night.
The Bobcats now have their marquee win of the season but now will shift focus towards a strong season in the Sun Belt Conference and trying to qualify for a Bowl Game for the first time in program history.
The Bears, on the other hand, will look to rebound from the upset loss by playing spoilers themselves next week against defending Pac-12 champion Utah.
Texas State Is Exploring the Limits of the Transfer Portal with Zero HS Signings
David Kenyon
Feb 10, 2021
Texas State head coach Jake Spavital walks the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Appalachian State Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Boone, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
The one-sentence recap of Texas State's 2021 recruiting class is jarring. While some time remains in the cycle, the Sun Belt program has signed zero high school players.
Instead, the Bobcats have added 11 transfers.
Nine arrived from other FBS teams, one departed an FCS school and one is a junior college product. Technically, only the JUCO signee—defensive end DeOnte Washington—counts as a prospect. As a result, Jake Spavital's team has the 187th-ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
That begs the obvious follow-up question: Why?
Although context is valuable, every raised eyebrow is reasonable. Adding zero freshmen to a program with a 15-57 record over the last six seasons may seem antithetical to a sound plan—even foolish.
But the logic is fascinating.
In 2020, Texas State's underclassmen-heavy roster included only 13 seniors. And because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA didn't count the 2020 season as a year of eligibility. Although 12 players elected to transfer, everyone else could return in the same classification.
However, the much-needed rule to protect eligibility would actually be an obstacle for Texas State's long-term future.
Spavital and quarterback Brady McBride
After the 2021 season, the limit of 85 scholarships per team may be a hard restriction again. Adjustments are possible, yet uncertain. Had the Bobcats signed 20 high schoolers, they would have risked limiting their options in future years.
Not everyone on the roster has a scholarship, but Texas State could have had 65-75 designated for freshmen and sophomores next season. And without changes to how scholarships are counted post-pandemic, some players could've been invited to "explore other opportunities." While that isn't a new development in college football, it also isn't ideal.
So, the Bobcats turned to a plan B: focus on older talent.
Seven of the 11 additions are listed as "graduate" players, so they aren't long for San Marcos. In theory, that both protects future flexibility and bolsters the roster in 2021.
"You're not gonna get a developmental kid with the transfer portal; you're gonna get a guy that comes in and adds to the size and the depth and should be ready to play immediately," Spavital said in a video released by the school.
Most notably, the Bobcats added offensive lineman Liam Dobson—an FCS All-American at Maine—along with Cal receiver Jeremiah Hawkins and Utah State safety Troy Lefeged Jr. Among the additions, they should be key players for Texas State in 2021.
While waiting to see whether this pays off, it's reasonable to say the strategy is rational and worth a shot.
The pandemic led to many recruiting changes: no official visits, no on-campus contact during unofficial trips, no spring or winter evaluation periods or summer camps. Every program had to react and adjust, yet only Texas State took this route.
Given the uniqueness of an eligibility freeze, to suggest Spavital and Texas State can reshape the perceived value of the transfer portal is a stretch.
On a smaller scale, however, the Bobcats may become an example for Group of Five rosters that need a jolt. Developing an under-recruited prospect into a star is great, but pairing them with experienced transfers could provide a quicker path to competitiveness.
Sustaining success via the portal would be challenging. For a program that hasn't topped three wins in six seasons, though, a little bit of creativity might be the spark Texas State needs.
Sure, your glass might be half-empty on this effort. But even if it fails and Spavital is gone within a few years, at least he won't leave the Bobcats in a scholarship mess as well.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
Texas State DB Khambrail Winters Dies at Age 20 After Shooting
Nov 25, 2020
ADVANCE FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 AND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken Aug. 23, 2012, seat backs with the school's Bobcat mascot are seen at Texas State's Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. Five programs — Georgia State, Texas-San Antonio, South Alabama, Massachusetts and Texas State — are at various stages in the two-year transition process to the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision this season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Two people were charged in connection to the killing of Texas State University defensive back Khambrail Winters, police said Wednesday.
The San Marcos Police Department announced (via KXAN's Billy Gates) Enalisa Briana Blackman, 20, and Michael Tyreek Ifeanacho, 20, were arrested and charged with capital murder in the case.
Winters was shot and killed Tuesday night in what police said was a drug deal gone wrong. Ifeanacho and Winters allegedly met with Blackman at an apartment complex to buy marijuana, and Winters was shot in the chest during the alleged deal.
Winters was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 20.
"Our Texas State University football team is deeply saddened by the death of our team member, and friend, Khambrail Winters," Texas State coach Jake Spavital said in a statement Wednesday (via Gates). "I met with the players this morning to share the news. We will stand together as a team and support one another during this difficult time. Our thoughts and condolences are with Khambrail’s family and loved ones."
Spavital added Texas State will meet with players to determine how to handle the rest of the week. The Bobcats are currently slated to host Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
The investigation is ongoing and police are still seeking more information regarding the case. Per the Associated Press, police are seeking to identify two other people possibly involved in the shooting, along with other witnesses.
West Virginia OC Jake Spavital Reportedly Named Texas State Head Coach
Nov 28, 2018
MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 06: Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital of the West Virginia Mountaineers looks on during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Mountaineer Field on October 6, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers won 38-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Texas State has reportedly found its next head coach in West Virginia offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.
On Wednesday, Keff Ciardello of the Austin Statesman reported Spavital has signed a deal to take over the Bobcats football team.
Spavital has served as an offensive coordinator at three different schools for the past six seasons. The 33-year-old worked with Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M in 2013. Manziel threw for more yards (4,114) and touchdowns (37) with Spavital than during his Heisman Trophy season the previous year.
After parting ways with Texas A&M, Spavital spent 2016 with California before going to West Virginia. The Mountaineers rank ninth among FBS teams with 42.3 points per game this season.
Texas State is still establishing itself as an FBS program after making the move up from FCS in 2012. The Bobcatsfiredhead coach Everett Withers on Nov. 18 following a 7-28 record in his three years with the school.
Will Trevillion, Texas State DT, Dies at Age 20
Jan 6, 2016
ADVANCE FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 AND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken Aug. 23, 2012, an entrance to Texas State's Bobcat Stadium is seen on the campus of Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. Five programs — Georgia State, Texas-San Antonio, South Alabama, Massachusetts and Texas State — are at various stages in the two-year transition process to the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision this season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Texas State defensive tackle Will Trevillion died at the age of 20 on Wednesday.
The football program tweeted, “Our thoughts and prayers are with friends and family of Will Trevillion. The world lost an amazing young man today.”
Mike Perchick of KVUE in Austin, Texas, noted that Justice of the Peace Beth Smith said Trevillion died at 1:43 p.m. and the cause was unknown. There is an autopsy scheduled for Thursday.
Former Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione, who retired last month, tweeted his support and thoughts:
Our prayers go out to Will T. Family great parents with a special son who will be missed by many! His attitude/smile will be missed!RIP
Trevillion tallied three tackles in four contests during the 2015 campaign for the 3-9 Bobcats as a redshirt sophomore. He also posted nine tackles in 2014.
