As an old high school football coach, there’s a popular mantra within the coaching ranks that it takes three years to make a real impact on any football program, whether at the high school or collegiate levels. For some programs, success sometimes shows its face in increments, and for others, it shows up in leaps and bounds. The UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros have defied the traditional success model and made headlines in the football world in their first season as a collegiate program. Never mind the usual stepping stones that many football-playing schools have followed in the past from the NAIA level to NCAA Division II and, after a number of years, finally stepping up to Division I football; the UTRGV Vaqueros decided to make that leap during their first year as a recognized NCAA program.
UTRGV currently sits well inside the winning tier of the DI FCS Southland Conference, and with a 5-1 overall record, including 1-1 in conference play, they are already within one victory of at least finishing up at nothing less than .500 in their first year of existence. With a heavy conference schedule waiting ahead, the Vaqueros will no doubt face numerous growing pains and program challenges in the weeks ahead for the remainder of the 2025 season. It should be noted, however, that UTRGV seems poised to face their remaining opponents head-on as their most recent win on October 4th over Houston Christian University (HCU) was a convincing 27-7 victory. UTRGV’s only loss of the season came against Southeastern Louisiana with a 45-31 final score on September 27th, and the Vaqueros remained competitive through the waning minutes of that game as well.
As the Rio Grande Valley embraces the Vaquero program, over three years of preparation for the start of this season have finally come to fruition after the school’s Board of Regents approved the addition of NCAA football back in the fall of 2022, with additional funding coming from student activity fees. In a football-rich environment, the UTRGV football program has already found its niche within south Texas. On August 30th, the Vaqueros opened up their first game as a program at home to a sellout crowd of 12,726 fans at the Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium, with an estimated 20,000 fans outside the stadium tailgating during the game as well. The Vaqueros won the opening game in program history by crushing Sul Ross State 66-0. While many college football teams make the move to Division I slowly and methodically, UTRGV football has made the leap of faith and made a bold statement to the FCS and the Southland Conference in particular.
The UTRGV Vaqueros Have Found a Coaching Diamond in Travis Bush
The coaching ranks in Texas, from the high school level on up, are full of top-tier football knowledge and UTRGV plucked a star in the making with the hiring of Travis Bush as the first head coach in the program’s history. Bush, the son of famous Texas high school coach Bruce Bush, already had a stellar coaching resume before he showed up in Edinburg, Texas, to start the Vaquero football program from the ground up. As a long-time high school and college coach, Bush brings extensive experience and Division I knowledge with him to help guide the Vaqueros through their charter season. With stops at DI programs such as Houston, Texas State, UTSA (one of the inaugural coaches with that program as well), and TCU, Travis Bush knows the landscape of football in Texas, and with many years of high school coaching experience, Bush further knows the recruiting trail in the Lone Star State as well.
The hiring of Travis Bush and building a solid football program in year one have translated to an overall 5-1 record and being in the top half of the Southland Conference as crucial conference play digs its heels in during the latter half of October and into November. The Vaqueros have outscored their opponents 292 points to 86 so far halfway into the 2025 season and with 3,201 total offensive yards to just 1,625 for their opponents, the UTRGV offense under UTSA transfer QB Eddie Lee Marburger has been firing on all cylinders through the first half of the season. Marburger has stepped in to help guide the Vaquero offense with 94 completions to only three interceptions, a 65.73% passing completion rate, and throwing for 1,474 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Marburger has already shown that he can be a potential dual threat by running for an additional 210 net yards and three more TDs on the ground as well.
2025 Season Expectations for UTRGV
While it’s safe to assume that the UTRGV Vaqueros will have a chance to chalk up more victories through the remainder of this inaugural 2025 season before all is said and done, this new program under the capable tutelage of head coach Travis Bush has already made an impact on the Southland Conference, the FCS, and the landscape of football in south Texas. UTRGV football is shaking things up for college football in the great state of Texas, and for good reason, as the Vaqueros are already building a winning tradition in their very first season in the ranks of NCAA football.
Photo Credit to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics
