Aarykah Navarro/THE RIDER
UTRGV Athletics announced in a Feb. 3 news release an upcoming home baseball game will be televised across the nation, with access to roughly 36 million households.
ESPNU, the brand’s cable channel dedicated to college athletics, will air the Vaqueros’ match against Southeastern Louisiana University on April 17, marking the first time a UTRGV home game in any sport will be aired on a national-linear platform.
According to Jonah Goldberg, senior associate athletic director for Communications & Championships, the opportunity came as a result of a push from the Southland Conference.
“A lot of this gets carried on at the conference level,” Goldberg said. “We’re greatly appreciative of Chris Grant, the commissioner of the Southland Conference, and his staff for really pushing for this.”
He added the team’s success and fan support played a crucial role in game selection for ESPNU.
“When ESPN is choosing its linear games, they’re going to pick competitive programs and programs with big fan bases,” Goldberg said. “No TV network wants to show a game with empty stands. If your own fan base doesn’t care, how can ESPN expect the viewers to care?”
Last season, UTRGV shattered attendance records, with roughly 80,000 fans across 26 home games. The university also ranked among the top 30 in the NCAA, according to the news release.
“It’s more than just the number of people, though,” Goldberg said. “It’s the atmosphere. Our fans are passionate and really into it.”
Harrison Thayer, a sophomore pitcher, said the atmosphere created by the crowd also uplifts the team.
“We have the best fans in the country,” Thayer said. “It helps us out. When there’s 6 or 7,000 people behind us, it just makes the game that much easier.”
The matchup against Southeastern is also motivation for the team as the Lions were co-champions with UTRGV for the Southland Conference in 2025, according to Thayer.
He added he hopes the team can use the national stage to prove “how good” they are and what they are capable of doing.
Head coach Derek Matlock said the national spotlight is “unbelievable,” giving credit to both the SLC and UTRGV for making it happen.
“It’s related to the conference giving us that opportunity,” Matlock said. “… Our administration is doing such a great job at putting a great fan base in our stadium … and making it seem like a Power 5 with attendance.”
He added he feels honored about the opportunity and is fired up to show the nation what the team does and how the Rio Grande Valley community supports UTRGV.
Thayer said the opportunity is “exciting.”
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “We don’t get these opportunities a lot, so the fact that we get a big game on national television … is great.”
According to the pitcher, the big game is going to be “fun” for audiences and encourages fans to come as “it’ll be an experience they will never forget.”
Although the Vaqueros’ game will be broadcast on a wider scale, Matlock said the team will both prepare and perform the same as always.
“We play every game on our schedule the exact same,” he said. “TV, crowds and where we play doesn’t … change anything. We just do what we do.”
Goldberg said the ESPNU broadcast is a chance to introduce both UTRGV and the Valley to national audiences.
“We effectively get three hours to show off the Valley,” he said. “I think, beyond baseball, there are a lot of people who are going to learn about UTRGV for the first time.”
Goldberg said he also hopes the national audience can see what makes the region special.
“The palm trees are nice, but what the Valley is about is the familia,” he said. “We’re all family and, when they see everybody together in the stands and the way that they’re supporting our team, I think they’ll realize the Valley is a special place.”
