Division I football is coming to the Rio Grande Valley. A borderland region in South Texas with a population nearing 1.5 million, the Rio Grande Valley is one of the largest and most-populated regions of the United States without Division I football.
That will change come 2025 when the UTRGV Vaqueros take the field for the first time in what will be a special moment for the university and its larger community. The university’s students voted to raise their tuition fees by a 60.5 to 39.5 margin to fund the creation of the football program, women’s swimming and diving programs, as well as marching bands (yes plural bands), and spirit squads.