FOOTBALL IS FINALLY COMING TO UTRGV And Coach Travis Bush is the one bringing it

In 1927, when the legacy institution Edinburg college was established, football was part of its program. However, after the institution transformed into a four-year university in 1950, the college team was disbanded, and efforts to reestablish it have failed over the past 71 years — the timing was never right.

Until now.

In November 2022, it became officially official. UTRGV was adding football, women’s aquatics, band, and cheer programs to its NCAA Division One offerings.

“The timing is right,” said UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. In 1971 the legacy institution led a student referendum to add a football program. The students voted yes to the program but, at the time, did not want to increase fees, so the initiative failed. Fast forward exactly 50 years to 2021, and the support is there from the students and the community.

Once the stage was set—UTRGV football truly on the horizon— things moved quickly; time to hire the first Vaquero head football coach.

RIGHT TIME. RIGHT, COACH.

There are no coincidences and having Coach Travis Bush on the Vaquero radar was no exception.

Travis Bush's life is synonymous with football. Born into a pigskin family with a father who is legendary high school coach Bruce Bush, a Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Famer and Texas High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Honor inductee. Bruce Bush coached at three Valley high schools including P-SJ-A North, Donna, and P-SJ-A high school. Travis inherited his father's passion for the sport and achieved remarkable success on the field as a wide receiver at Texas State University. However, his love for football extended beyond the field. He made his mark as an accomplished coach in both the NFL and college circuits, earning a reputation as a gifted offensive coordinator and assistant coach at esteemed universities such as TCU, UTSA, Texas State, and the University of Houston, and with the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills.

In the world of college football, 2010 marked the birth of a new NCAA DI program at UT San Antonio, and the first coaching staff to lead the team included a talented coach, Travis Bush. With his impressive track record, Bush was a natural choice to help launch the Roadrunners program, which had been eagerly anticipated for years.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey previously served as the UTSA Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, where he spearheaded the highly anticipated Roadrunner program. Bailey's success in leading this initiative has been replicated at UTRGV, where he continues to drive progress with innovation, football as the latest example.

In 2011, Bush was busy scouting new talent for the Roadrunners. It was during this time that he crossed paths with a promising freshman quarterback from Littlerock, Ark., by the name of Zach Conque, and with his older brother. The younger Conque was among the second batch of recruits for the Roadrunners, and it was Bush who played a key role in bringing him on board.

Interestingly, it wasn't just Bush's coaching skills that impressed the Conque brothers. Zach's older brother, Chasse, now the Vice President and Director of Athletics at UTRGV, was equally impressed by Bush's sincerity and dedication to the student-athletes.

“I actually knew Chasse and Zach’s dad, Clint Conque, from when I coached at Texas State, and he was the head coach for Central Arkansas. We had a lot of good battles against each other,” Bush said. “We tied for Southland Conference champions in 2008. I have a lot of respect for the Conque family and wanted to do the best job I could when I recruited Zach to UTSA.”

Bush left for the University of Houston before Zach arrived on the UTSA campus, but the family and professional connection was strong. Bush and Chasse Conque kept tabs on each other’s careers. “I really respected what Chasse has done at UTRGV,” said Bush. “Growing up down here, I’ve always kept looking down to see what’s going on, especially when the rumblings were coming about football.”

“I was at Seguin High School when I heard Chasse got the job at UTRGV. And then, to hear his voice when he called me about the head coaching job was pretty cool. I was just excited to be in the conversation. There are 1,000 coaches they could hire for this job. It boils down to the right fit,” muses Bush.

“We wanted someone who could check all the boxes, and Coach Bush checked so many boxes that we had to add more," UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey said.

Bush associates hiring a head football coach with hiring a business partner and campaigning for the next three years. “It's like a campaign trail with the President and Vice President. You need to make sure it's a fit. It's a personality fit; it's a fit for the community and a fit for the university.”

Ultimately, there was a natural fit for Bush and UTRGV. Besides having been part of a startup NCAA Division One football program at UTSA, Bush feels strongly connected to the Rio Grande Valley. “It's someplace I've always called home,” he said.

More Than Just Rumblings

“So many people in the Valley have waited so long to have college football,” reflects Bush. “And I’m one of those same people.”

While some have voiced concerns about the long-term cost of a football program, there are many benefits to the university, the student body, and the community.

“Football isn't something that's going to take money from the university. It's going to generate more money for the university. It's going to generate more applications and enrollment,” said Bush. “When we go to a bowl game, we will generate TV money, and as we become a winning team, we will potentially generate millions of dollars for the university.”

And TV time means exposure for UTRGV in general. “More people from across the country will hear about the university. People will talk. Applications will increase,” said Bush.

Bringing football to UTRGV has the potential to unite the community in many ways. First and foremost, the game has long been a unifying force in Texas and throughout the South. By having a football program of its own, UTRGV will be able to tap into this cultural phenomenon and provide a rallying point for the entire Rio Grande Valley community.

In addition, football has the power to bring people together across all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Football games are social events that can draw people from all corners of the region, providing an opportunity for them to come together and celebrate a shared passion.

The UTRGV football program can help promote a sense of pride and identity for the university and the region. By building a successful football program, UTRGV can put itself on the map as a serious player in college sports, and that is tougher to accomplish without football. This can help attract talented students, faculty, and staff to the university and boost the region's reputation as a whole.

Football can also provide economic benefits to the region. Games can draw large crowds of fans, who may then spend money at local businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and shops, boosting the local economy and helping support the growth and development of the region.

Opportunity Knocks

Having a college team in the RGV means kids growing up in the Valley can attend D1 games. “I remember going to Pan Am Bronc baseball games when I was six,” recalls Bush. “For local high school kids to have an opportunity and to possibly use football as that avenue to get to college, that’s our goal—to graduate student-athletes.”

The first class of UTRGV Football will commit on national signing day, February 7, 2024, but recruitment will start in 2023. “We're going to walk across the street and start recruiting,” stated Bush. “There are some goodlooking athletes down here. We're going to try to keep them to ourselves, and we're going to try to keep them at home.”

Along with local recruiting, Bush’s plan is to scour the state of Texas for the best players to join the first team. “By mid-April, we will have this round of coaches hired, and they will hit the road recruiting,” said Bush.

TRAVIS BUSH: COACHING CAREER

2000 San Marcos High School (RB/QB/Special Teams Coordinator)

2001-2003 Texas Christian University (Graduate Assistant/Assistant Offensive Line Coach)

2004-2006 Texas State University (Wide Receivers Coach)

2006-2009 Texas State University (Associate Head Coach)

2010-2011 University of Texas San Antonio (Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach)

2012 University of Houston (Offensive Coordinator/RB/QB Coach)

2013-2014 University of Houston (Assistant Head Coach)

2015 Buffalo Bills (NFL Offensive Assistant Coach)

2016-2020 Seguin High School (Head Coach)

2021-2022 Canyon High School (Head Coach)

FRIDAY NIGHTS ARE FOR OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS. SUNDAYS ARE FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS. BUT, SATURDAYS WILL BE FOR THE VAQUEROS.”

When Opening Day Arrives

Before we know it, the 2025 football season will be here. Coach Bush and AD Conque paint compelling pictures of what that opening weekend will look like.

When he thinks of 2025, Chasse Conque sees the fruits of the dreams of a community being realized.

“When I think about that opening weekend, and I think about the days and weeks leading up to that first game,” visualized Conque, “I think about that buzz the week or two before that first home game, and I suspect we'll be sold out, and I suspect that everybody's going to be trying to get a ticket. I think about our fans that, for the first time, will drive into the gates of H-E-B stadium and see the families tailgating and grilling, our student organizations out there having a great time, and our alums coming together. And then I think about the band marching into the stadium, onto the field for the first time. And I think about when they form that “V” for the very first time in front of our fans and certainly watching our young men and coach Bush and his staff take that field and to be able to look around that stadium and be so happy for so many people that have wanted this for so long and to be able to watch them celebrate, to celebrate with them and to truly just enjoy that moment and thank the people that have invested in this to make that a reality for our region.”

For Coach Bush, the excitement is there, but the pressure is on, too.

“I’ll be thinking; it's finally here,” chuckles Bush. “You can see the excitement now, but when they see football helmets out there practicing, it’s gonna be great. I can envision crossing 281 down Freddy in our bus and the street lined with orange—fans and tailgates and cookers and smoke everywhere and people cheering as the bus drives up. We’re gonna take the field for pregame warm-up, and it's going to be packed. So it'll be a great day. It'll be a great day in the history of the Rio Grande Valley, that's for sure."

EDINBURG IS STAYING ACTIVE!

The Edinburg Fire Department held its annual ‘Fired Up for a Cure 5K Run’ with Chief Shawn Snider at Edinburg Municipal Park on Saturday, January 14. Hundreds participated in the event that raises awareness about cancer. Runners also got to check in and log their points for the “It’s Time Texas Community Challenge.” The free eight-week competition challenges Texans to develop simple healthy habits like eating healthy, exercising, and staying hydrated. Edinburg has held a number of events like the 5k where citizens can log their daily healthy habits.

BUENAS TARDES, MISSION CHAMBER

Photography by: Tiffany Miranda

The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce hosted its signature Buenas Tardes Luncheon, Legislative Update, on January 19th, 2023, at the Mission Event Center. Texas Regional Bank proudly sponsored the luncheon. City leaders and business community members across the Rio Grande Valley were in attendance. The luncheon featured keynote speakers, State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and State Representative Sergio Muñoz Jr.