Your guide to Vaquero football

What to know ahead of UTRGV’s first kickoff

After years of anticipation, hype, preparation and buildup, it is finally here. The Vaqueros will play a football game on Saturday. Here is everything that you need to know, from the game itself to how fans can enjoy it.

The Vaqueros

Saturday night will be the first time in UTRGV history that the Vaqueros will take the field in a regular season football game, and the first time the team will take the field since the spring game at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

Led by head coach Travis Bush, the Vaqueros will play in the Football Championship Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Southland Conference.

“[We are] just making sure tackling being sound, secure with our fundamentals [and] tackling,” Bush said. “[It’s] making sure we don’t beat ourselves before the snap with foolish penalties or turnovers and things like that.” 

Perhaps what has been the worst kept secret about UTRGV Football is the identity of the starter under center for the Vaqueros. And on Saturday, that will be senior quarterback and Mission-native Eddie Lee Marburger.

Transferring from the University of Texas at San Antonio after his redshirt junior season, he became a household name in the Rio Grande Valley after setting records at Sharyland Pioneer High School. 

Speaking to reporters after practice Tuesday, Marburger said it was “unreal” to think about college football making its way to the Valley, something that seemed so distant when he left for UTSA five years ago.

“There’s so many people here that love football and, to have football come to the Valley, like college football, I mean, it’s going to be such an unbelievable atmosphere,” he said. 

Marburger also said he feels “blessed” to be the starter under center for UTRGV, building a bond with the offense that he has “never really been a part of.”

 “[We’re] just taking it a day at a time,” he said. “We’ve had all fall camp to go with each other, and I think we’re stacking chemistry each and every day, which is really important in the offense.”

The Rider also spoke with defensive back TJ Neal, who said despite the nerves, both him and the team are “ready to put on for the 956” and “overflowing with excitement.”

“[We’re] ready,” Neal said. “All this work that we’ve been putting in to finally play someone different, and we’re all ready.” 

But who will the Vaqueros play? 

The Lobos

The Vaqueros’ first opponent will be the Sul Ross State University Lobos, who play in the Lone Star Conference in NCAA Division II. They are led by first-year head coach Lee Hays.

Bush and Hays worked together while they were both on the University of Houston coaching staff, and they have shared some ideas on scheming and systems in the past, with Bush saying they are “built for anything.”

“Their defense is very multiple,” Bush said. “We’re very multiple offensively. So, going against each other, we’ve really prepared ourselves for really whatever we can see.”

The Lobos and its new staff seek to turn the program around after finishing last season with a 3-8 overall record and 2-7 in conference. 

The Sul Ross Athletics Department declined on Aug. 22 an interview request submitted by The Rider.

Gameday Information

As expected, for the first football game in program history, all official means of getting tickets are sold out, meaning the only way to acquire them at this stage is via the secondhand market.

Student ticket claims ran out on release, and season tickets have been sold out for a while.

All home games this season will be played at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, located at 1616 Raul Longoria Road in Edinburg. The stadium recently underwent over $30 million in renovations.

Speaking exclusively with The Rider, UTRGV Athletics Marketing Director Sara Hernandez said the department has been working diligently and is “excited” to create a good experience.

“I think the entire summer we’ve been getting some work in and getting ready in different ways,” Hernandez said. “Whether it’s getting some digital assets ready, making sure that the stadium is ready, making sure that all the logistics are set in place, and just making sure that everything works properly the day of.”

Those unable to attend will still be able to tailgate on the stadium’s parking lot, which has a dedicated facility for tailgating and an amphitheater to view the game.

“Tailgating starts at 2 p.m.,” Hernandez said. “Students can reserve their spots for the season or for each game. Importantly, people don’t need a ticket to enjoy those festivities. Not for the Vaqueros Walk, not for the pep rally, and not even to watch the game in the amphitheater.”

Transportation to and from both campuses will also be available at no cost to students, from Lot E-16 near the University Recreation Building on the Edinburg campus and from the Casa Bella parking lot on the Brownsville campus.

Shuttles will stop providing services one hour after the end of the game. 

For those unable to make it to the game or tailgate at the stadium, there are still options to track in-game action. All games will be live-streamed on ESPN+. They will also be broadcast on XHRYS 90.1, KGBT 98.5 and KYWW 1530 AM. 

All gameday information, including tailgating, tickets and transportation can be found at rallythevalley.com.

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