The Sam Houston–Texas State football rivalry is a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

rivalry between the

Sam Houston Bearkats The Sam Houston Bearkats are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Sam Houston State University, located in Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston's colors are orange and white. Sam Houston sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Foot ...

and the Texas State Bobcats. The rivalry dates back to 1915. From 1915 to 2011, the series was played on an annual basis.

Series history

Historically, Texas State and Sam Houston are old rivals, playing every year from 1915 to 2011. The rivalry dates back to 1915. Both were charter members of the Lone Star Conference in 1931 before both moving to the

Gulf Star Conference The Gulf Star Conference was an NCAA Division II conference that existed from 1984–85 to 1986–87, three academic years. All of the schools subsequently joined the Southland Conference. Dave Waples was the only Commissioner, with the ...

(1984–86) and then the Southland Conference (1987–2011). It ended in 2012, when Texas State joined the Western Athletic Conference in the FBS. The rivalry was renewed in 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Both schools are founding members of the Texas State University System and have seen their respective university profiles grow nationally during the 21st century. Both have roots as normal schools and have historically competed for students. The rivalry became notably heated during their time as members of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The game was traditionally the final of the season for each school during their time in the SLC, often holding conference title and playoff implications. The

2011 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team The 2011 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by second year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Bowers Stadiu ...

won the final meeting as conference rivals, beating the Bobcats 36-14 in San Marcos, TX in front of a sold-out crowd, clinching the Southland title in the process. The teams met each again for the first time as

NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

(FBS) teams in 2024, Texas State as a member of the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...

and Sam Houston State in

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

. Sam Houston won the game 40–39 on a game-winning field goal with 6 seconds left after having trailed by 22 points at the end of the first quarter. Texas State holds the all time series lead 50–38–5.

Game results

References

{{Sun Belt Conference football rivalry navbox College football rivalries in the United States Sam Houston Bearkats football Texas State Bobcats football 1915 establishments in Texas Recurring sporting events established in 1915