Football battles incoming - The Rider Newspaper

UTRGV’s first game slated for Aug. 30

Freshman linebacker Jackson Waid chases after freshman running back Brennan Carroll as he runs with the ball last fall on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus.
PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS — *Freshman linebacker Jackson Waid chases after freshman running back Brennan Carroll as he runs with the ball last fall on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus.*
**PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS**

The Vaquero Football Team continues to prepare for its upcoming season and now knows which teams to prepare for in Fall 2025.

The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics released the football team’s upcoming schedule for Fall 2025 Tuesday.

For the inaugural season, the Vaqueros will play 12 games in total, with seven being home at the UTRGV Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, according to an Athletics news release.

Freshman quarterback Atzel Chavez Jr. prepares to throw the ball last fall semester on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus. THE RIDER FILE PHOTO — *Freshman quarterback Atzel Chavez Jr. prepares to throw the ball last fall semester on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus.*
**THE RIDER FILE PHOTO**

The Vaqueros’ schedule is as follows:

-Aug. 30 against Sul Ross State University at UTRGV

-Sept. 6 against Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas

-Sept. 13 against North American University at UTRGV

-Sept. 20 against Texas Wesleyan University at UTRGV

-Sept. 27 against Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana (first conference game)

-Oct. 4 against Houston Christian University at UTRGV

-Oct. 18 against Lamar University in Beaumont

-Oct. 25 against University of the Incarnate Word at UTRGV

-Nov. 1 against Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas

-Nov. 8 against Nicholls State University at UTRGV

-Nov. 15 against McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana

-Nov. 22 against East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas

UTRGV Football head coach Travis Bush said he is excited to get the schedule out in the open to the public.

“Southland Conference is a tough conference and, looking at the teams we got at home and on the road, we’re going to play the top teams in the conference this year,” Bush said. “And so, we’re excited to get the challenge rolling and get rolling in the spring and see how we’re going to be.”

He said having the first conference game against and at Southeastern is going to show where the team stands overall.

The UTRGV Football Team refines its plays last fall on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus. PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS — *The UTRGV Football Team refines its plays last fall on the practice field at the Vaqueros Performance Center on the Edinburg campus.*
**PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS**

“[Southeastern is] definitely one of the toughest teams in the conference,” Bush said. “They play well at home … so that’s going to be a tough challenge right off the bat.”

The head coach said with the Vaqueros roster still being created, each team will bring their own challenges.

“A lot of teams in the conference are sitting here with an idea of how they’re gonna stack up and how they’re gonna be,” Bush said. “We don’t know that yet. We gotta get through this spring and see what our roster is going to look like.”

He said the first game will be an exciting day for the Rio Grande Valley and the university.

“It’s not just about the game, it’s not the players, it’s not the coaches,” Bush said. “It’s everybody in the stands, everybody in the tailgates, everybody that’s barbecuing out there, everyone watching on livestream, so everybody. It’s going to be a historic day.”