The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday that the football program will host its first-ever open practice on Monday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at Richard Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

Fan can enter for free by signing up for a practice pass at UTRGVTickets.com. Fans must show their practice pass to gain entry. Fans are required to follow the clear bag policy which can be found at GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag. Gates open at 6 p.m.

Fans in attendance will be treated to performances by spirit groups and have the ability to purchase Vaqueros gear as well.

Although this practice is open to the public, practices at the Vaqueros Performance Center will generally be closed to the public. Tryouts are also closed to the public and may only be attended by participants.

High school coaches can set up visits to practice by reaching out to administrative assistant for football Alexis Garcia at [email protected].

Limited Season Tickets Remain Available

UTRGV will practice throughout this academic year while ramping up for its first season of competition in 2025. Fans can reserve season tickets with a $25 deposit at UTRGVTickets.com. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable and will be applied toward season ticket purchases.

UTRGV Athletics is finalizing details regarding ticket prices and will announce prices in September. The plan is to offer a variety of price points with season tickets as low as $99 to ensure there is something for everyone.

UTRGV is hard at work to ensure the Rio Grande Valley community has the best game day experience possible. As a part of that process, it has been determined that capping season ticket deposits at 6,000 will be necessary to accommodate enough seats for season ticket holders, UTRGV students, the marching band, the player pass list, and the visiting team pass list.

Fans have currently placed more than 4,900 season ticket deposits, meaning less than 1,100 season ticket deposits remain available for fans to guarantee their spot for the inaugural season of UTRGV football in 2025.

Season tickets will include games at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium. UTRGV will host one game at Sams Stadium in Brownsville every year. Season ticket holders will have the option to purchase discounted tickets for the Brownsville game during the select-a-seat process.

Season tickets are required to purchase season parking passes and tailgating spots.

Select-A-Seat/Suite

Fans who have placed their deposit(s) for UTRGV football season tickets will have the opportunity to select their seats at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium in the spring of 2025. The number of seats available to select will be based upon the number of deposits placed (i.e.: four deposits = four seats). Fans will be assigned a date and time to make their selection based on their Vaqueros Loyalty Points rank. The UTRGV ticket office will provide fans with a map of every section detailing available rows and seats ahead of their assigned date and time.

For the inaugural 2025 football season, only points accumulated through January 15 will be considered for the select-a-seat process. Loyalty points accumulated after the January 15 deadline will determine priority for future seat selection, seat upgrades, and additional ticket requests/benefits.

Fans interested in a suite will be assigned an earlier date and time, also based on their Vaqueros Loyalty Point rank. Points accumulated through November 15 will be considered for the select-a-suite process. The select-a-suite process will take place in December. Suites will require a 4-year commitment.

Fans will have the ability to renew or upgrade their tickets every season. It is important to renew season tickets before the renewal deadline to keep the same seats. After the renewal deadline, seats may be released and available for purchase.

In the event there is ticket inventory remaining after the completion of the select-a-seat process, those seats will become available to purchase at a later date. However, neither the possibility of availability nor the potential quantity available is guaranteed.

How Vaqueros Loyalty Points Work

Vaqueros Loyalty Points program will ensure that the seat and suite selection processes are fair, equitable, and transparent.

Additionally, Vaqueros Loyalty Points will determine priority when it comes to allocating seat relocation requests, new or additional season ticket requests, premium seating requests, parking, tailgating, neutral site and postseason ticket requests, and other giving benefits for all sports.

Vaqueros Loyalty Points are earned based on donations to UTRGV Athletics and season ticket purchase history dating back to 2017-18. Each giving category is assigned a specific point value which is added to each member’s point total. Point values from each category will be combined to create point totals that will determine rankings, which will be determined quarterly and provided upon request.

Supporters earn one point for every $100 of lifetime giving to athletics, one point for every $100 of giving to athletics in the current year, one point per year of giving to athletics, five points for season ticket(s) purchased per sport per year, and 100 points per $10,000 pledged as a donation. Additionally, supporters can earn one-time points totaling three for every $1,000 of sponsorship spend dating back to 2017-18, 10 points for being a graduate of UTRGV and its legacy institutions (awarded once, not per degree), 10 points for being a lifetime Varsity Club member, 20 points for being a former student-athlete who graduated from UTRGV or its legacy institutions, and 100 points for Silver Buckle Society members (those who have generously gifted at least $1 million to UTRGV).

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on Vaqueros Loyalty Points, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit GoUTRGV.com/LoyaltyPoints.

Fans with additional questions can contact a member of the UTRGV Athletics staff at (956) 665-4069 or through email at [email protected].

The post UTRGV Football to host first open practice Sept. 9 in Edinburg appeared first on MyRGV.com.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) head football coach Travis Bush announced on Thursday the addition of two graduate student coaches, including Gunnar Henderson, who will work with the offense, and Brandon Palomares, who will work with the defense.

Gunnar Henderson

A graduate of McAllen High School, Henderson comes to UTRGV after playing in the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game with TCU.

“We’re extremely excited about the addition of Gunnar Henderson to our staff,” Bush said. “Gunnar will be a big-time coach one day and his experiences from McAllen High School all the way to the CFP National Championship game will add great value to our staff.  Gunnar also played wide receiver in our offensive system and will be a great mentor to our young student-athletes.”

In two seasons at TCU, Henderson saw time at wide receiver and on special teams, making 13 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns in 26 games. A two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Henderson averaged a team-best 20.3 yards per completion as a senior before competing in the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 rookie minicamp.

Henderson began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word, helping his team to the 2018 Southland Conference Championship. He was elevated to team captain as a sophomore while earning Academic All-Southland Conference honors.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity Coach Bush and the rest of the staff have given me,” Henderson said. “It is truly a blessing to start my college coaching career in the Valley. I am going to work extremely hard and do my part so the product we put on the field in 2025 is something the Valley is proud of.”

While at McAllen, Henderson was an offensive most valuable player, all-region and all-district wide receiver as a junior and senior. He was also a three-time all-district return specialist and, as a sophomore, an all-district defensive back.

Henderson graduated from TCU in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies.

Brandon Palomares

Palomares played football at Seguin High School from 2014-17, including his final two years for Bush, who was the head coach, and UTRGV Defensive Line Coach Nathan Langford, who was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

“Words can’t describe how proud I am of Brandon and how happy we are to have him on staff,” Bush said. “I sat in his living room on a home visit in Seguin in 2016 when he was a junior in high school, and now I look down the staff room table to see him as a grown man and a coach.  He understands the culture of toughness and competitiveness we will build here and will be a great role model for our young student-athletes.”

As a student-athlete at Seguin, Palomares rushed for 1,573 yards on 231 carries while scoring 15 touchdowns in 29 games across three varsity seasons. He also caught 37 passes for 479 yards over his final two seasons after passing for 331 yards on 38 completions as a sophomore.

Palomares returned to Seguin full-time in 2022-23, coaching three varsity sports, including football, over the last two years.

“I’m incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to attend UTRGV and work under Coach Bush and alongside Coach Langford,” Palomares said. “They have not only served as my coaches but have also been mentors who have poured into me and inspired me to pursue a career in coaching. I look forward to being a part of history and serving the Rio Grande Valley. I’m excited to be a Vaquero. V’s up!”

Palomares graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management.

The post UTRGV Football adds Henderson, Palomares as graduate student coaches appeared first on MyRGV.com.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday that the UTRGV football team will host Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 4, 2027.

“As we build our schedules for the next few years, it was important to us to make sure that in the spirit of camaraderie, we host the closest college football team outside the Rio Grande Valley,” UTRGV vice president and director of athletics Chasse Conque said. “I appreciate athletic director Steve Roach and his willingness to make scheduling this matchup a priority for our fans. We have a great relationship between departments and coaching staffs. [UTRGV head] coach [Travis] Bush and [Texas A&M-Kingsville head] coach [Michael] Salinas are good friends and have already worked together to host multiple camps. This should be a great contest for both our teams, our fans, students, and alumni.”

UTRGV Football currently has four nonconference football games scheduled from 2025-2030 — Sul Ross State on Aug. 30, 2025 at home, Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 4, 2027 at home, Texas State on Sept. 11, 2027 on the road, and Texas State on Sept. 14, 2030 on the road.

$25 for ‘25

Fans can reserve season tickets with a $25 deposit for the inaugural season of UTRGV football in 2025 at GoUTRGV.com/Tickets. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable and will be applied toward season ticket purchases.

UTRGV Athletics is still finalizing details regarding ticket prices and will announce prices in September. The plan is to offer a variety of price points with season tickets as low as $99 to ensure there is something for everyone.

Season tickets will include games at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium. UTRGV will host one game at Sams Stadium in Brownsville every year. Season ticket holders will have the option to purchase tickets for the Brownsville game during the select-a-seat process.

UTRGV Athletics is giving priority for choosing seats to current V Club members, season ticket holders of any sport, and corporate partners as part of the Vaqueros Loyalty Points program. For more information on Vaqueros Loyalty Points, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit GoUTRGV.com/LoyaltyPoints.

Fans with questions can contact the UTRGV Athletics ticketing team of Eddie Galvan (956-665-3415) and Ryela Rodriguez (956-665-3747) over the phone or through email at [email protected].

The post UTRGV Football to play Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2027 appeared first on MyRGV.com.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team announced on Thursday that wide receivers and player development coach Chris Brasfield will work with the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff during training camp from July 20 through Aug. 4 in Eagan, Minn., as part of the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

This is the fourth time Brasfield has been selected for the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coach Fellowship, after previously taking part with the Buffalo Bills in 2012, Tennessee Titans in 2009, and Oakland Raiders in 2000.

“I’m excited to have been selected by the Minnesota Vikings for the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship,” Brasfield said. “The Vikings organization has earned the reputation of operating with high standards and values. From the ownership to the front office, coaches and staff members, there is a winning culture being established. I look forward to being a part of that environment through this internship. I hope to bring back some knowledge that offers some additional tools to the players I’ll be coaching at UTRGV.”

This is the second-straight year in which a UTRGV coach is participating in the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program, as pass game coordinator/safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Adrian McDonald worked with the Atlanta Falcons during training camp last year. Additionally, running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Marco Regalado participated in the program with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year.

“I’m excited for Coach Brasfield to get this opportunity and glad the calendars aligned,” UTRGV head coach Travis Bush said. “This internship will benefit our program the same as last year when Coaches Regalado and McDonald had the opportunity. To be around and work at the highest level of training, and to be able to bring ideas and techniques back that will help our young men is invaluable.”

For more than 30 years, the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship has helped outstanding coaches gain exposure to NFL training camps and offseason workout programs.

The program’s objective is to use NFL clubs’ training camps, offseason workout programs and minicamps to give talented coaches opportunities to observe, participate, and gain experience.

Brasfield has nearly 20 years of coaching experience and additional high level recruiting experience.

 Brasfield previously served in roles including running backs coach, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, and senior analyst and special assistant to the head coach at SMU (2018-20), associate athletics director of student-athlete recruitment & experience (2015-17) and director of high school relations for football (2014) at Nebraska, running backs coach at Oregon State (2011-13), defensive graduate assistant at Oregon (2010), running backs coach at Samford (2007-09), Chicago Hope Academy head coach (2005-06), Fort Worth County Day School head coach (2002-04), offensive graduate assistant at TCU (spring 2001), assistant coach at All Saints Episcopal School (2000), assistant wide receivers coach at Texas State (1999), and wide receivers coach at Midwestern State (1996).

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The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley football team will host walk-on tryouts for full-time UTRGV students on Monday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. on the UTRGV football practice fields currently being constructed north of UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.

Those who are interested in trying out for the UTRGV football team must meet the following requirements:

>> Full-time UTRGV student enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours for the fall semester.

>> NCAA ID number from the NCAA eligibility center.

>> Must have played high school football within the last two years.

>> Completed and submitted physical form.

>> Completed and submitted tryout form.

>> Completed and submitted participation waiver form.

>> Completed and submitted tryout questionnaire.

>> Submit proof of insurance by sending pictures of front and back of insurance card.

All necessary forms and proof of insurance are due to UTRGV director of football operations & administration John Simmons via email at [email protected] before 5 p.m. on Aug. 21. If any of the necessary information is not received by the deadline, interested participants will not be able to tryout. Those sending forms and above information are asked to put “Walk-On Tryout” in the subject line.

Participants will receive confirmation of clearance to participate from Simmons prior to the tryout. Participants will have to wear their own workout gear and cleats.

Prospective participants with questions regarding the tryout are asked to reach out to Simmons at [email protected].

The post UTRGV football to host walk-on tryouts in August  appeared first on MyRGV.com.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday that the UTRGV football team will visit Texas State on Sept. 11, 2027, and Sept. 14, 2030.

This marks the first announcement of games in program history, as the football team is set to play its first-ever game on Aug. 30, 2025.

“This is another milestone moment for our program, department, university and community as we take the next step toward starting a Division I football program and begin building our future schedules,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “This is the first of what will be many announcements as we get closer to kickoff, providing our fans exciting updates about future opponents for both home and away competitions. Playing games on the road against an NCAA Division I FBS Sun Belt Conference opponent like Texas State gives us an opportunity to gain exposure for UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley while engaging our central Texas alumni.”

Texas State Ties

UTRGV head coach Travis Bush coached at Texas State from 2004-09. He was the wide receivers coach for his first three seasons, helping the Bobcats to the NCAA Division I FCS Semifinals in 2005 after winning the Southland Conference Championship with an 11-3 record.

Bush was promoted to associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the 2007-09 seasons, leading the team to the No. 25 ranking in the nation in 2009. Bush implemented a multiple spread offense, and the 2009 team ranked eighth in the nation in pass offense and 12^th in total offense while quarterback Bradley George earned Southland Conference Player of the Year honors. The 2008 team won the Southland Conference Championship en route to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs while ranking fourth in the nation in scoring offense and fifth in total offense. George was sixth in the nation in pass efficiency. The 2007 team ranked 19^th in the nation in total offense.

Bush also played at Texas State as a wide receiver from 1995-99, serving as the special teams captain in 1999.

$25 for ’25

Fans can reserve season tickets with a $25 deposit for the inaugural season of UTRGV football in 2025 at GoUTRGV.com/Tickets. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable and will be applied toward season ticket purchases.

UTRGV Athletics is still finalizing details regarding ticket prices, but the plan is to offer a variety of price points with season tickets as low as $99 to ensure there is something for everyone. Seat locations will be determined closer to the start of the inaugural season.

UTRGV Athletics is giving priority for choosing seats to current V Club members, season ticket holders of any sport, and corporate partners. More information on this system will be available in the coming months.

Fans with question can contact the UTRGV Athletics Ticket Office team of Eddie Galvan (956-665-3415) and Ryela Rodriguez (956-665-3747) over the phone or through email at [email protected].

UTRGV is committed to playing games in both the upper and lower Valley as in addition to UTRGV Stadium, the Vaqueros also will play a home game each season in Brownsville at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The post UTRGV Football announces matchups vs. Texas State in 2027 and 2030 appeared first on MyRGV.com.