New head coach Travis Bush and the UTRGV Football Founders Society celebrate the closing of membership with 34 members pledging $1.75 million to the football program during the Dec. 23 news conference at the H-E-B Park. PHOTOS COURTEST KRISTELLA CRUZ
UTRGV is in the process of starting a new football program. A majority of students voted in favor of increasing the athletics fee in order to support new programs, such as swimming and diving, marching bands, spirit programs and the new football team.
The football program is backed by an allocation of $1 million from the UTRGV Foundation. Alongside that is $1.75 million raised by the Football Founders Society.
The society includes UTRGV President Guy Bailey and his wife Val LaMantia, Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque and other local supporters.
The Football Founders Society is made up of 34 members.
“Those 34 members will live in perpetuity, having generously donated $1.75 million,” said Vince Volpe, UTRGV chief financial officer and deputy director of Athletics.
Asked about the society, Conque replied, “It’s one of those things that, if we don’t believe in what we’re doing ourselves, you know, how can we ask others to join us.”
He said having support from the leadership at UTRGV sends a strong message to the external community.
“It was there to answer the call of our students,” Conque said. “It was there … for the external community to show our students it won’t solely be just our students having to carry this initiative, that the community was going to step up and help as well.”
Asked what amenities the money would be used for, Conque replied, “Every time you start a program from scratch, there’s quite a few one-time expenses, one-time things like facilities, equipment and practice fields.”
He said this is just the beginning, as there are talks with corporate partners and other community resources that are interested in investing in UTRGV’s athletic programs.
Conque said the most exciting part of building the new football program is watching people come together and the sense of community. He said he likes to see the joy from the community in regard to a new program coming to UTRGV.
Volpe said the support for the program shows the Rio Grande Valley is hungry for Division 1 football.
“There’s not many universities or student bodies that can witness the birth of a football program,” Volpe said. “So I’m just so excited for the UTRGV student body and, obviously, the community at large.
“So I’m just so excited that in two and a half years you’ll be able to sit on the stands and cheer on your school, your Division 1 program, on the field.”
He said he is thankful to the UTRGV community and, especially, the student body for making the football program possible.
Asked how he felt about the football program being built, Volpe replied it is the highlight of his career.
“I came down here eight years ago from the University of Connecticut,” he said. “The reason I came down here was to work on this project.”
Volpe said it is a point of pride.
“I’ve been able to see this process start with an idea on a napkin all the way through to the first football coach,” he said. “That’s a pride and joy and part of my career I’ll never forget.”
Volpe said he got to UTRGV in the summer of 2015. He said within a few months, there were talks with Bailey and his cabinet to see if it was the right time for a football program.
“It started in 2016 with conducting a football feasibility study and would it be feasible to do at UTRGV,” Volpe said.
He said, ultimately, it was not the right time then.
“We had just opened the doors to a new medical school that was a critical piece to our campus,” Volpe said.
In November 2021, the student body approved a referendum to increase the athletic fee.
Volpe said that brought the university to officially naming Travis Bush as head coach on Dec. 13. It also led to the creation of an approximate timeline for the football program.
Bush was previously head coach at Seguin High School from 2016 to 2021. He then became head coach at Grand Canyon High School in New Braunfels from 2021 to 2022.
Bush was also the offensive assistant coach for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2015.
The new football program will be operational by Fall 2025.
Bush said more people will be hired this semester. He also said they are sorting out the process to be able to recruit athletes this spring.
“Once we get to this time next year, we’ll have a full staff in place,” Bush said. “We’ll find a class of 2024.”
He said they will sign a class and practice, then sign another class and conduct spring training. After the summer, they will kick off with games in 2025.
Bush said there will be news releases soon with more information on the football program and updates regarding conference games.
