Following the first practice in program history on Sept. 9, the UTRGV Football Team has continued its work to prepare for its inaugural season in Fall 2025.
The Vaqueros are in the midst of a practice season, developing players, getting them used to a full workload and forming a depth chart for the upcoming season.
UTRGV will play its first official NCAA Division I football game on Aug. 30, 2025, at home against the Sul Ross State University Lobos, according to Jonah Goldberg, senior associate athletic director for Communications and Championships.
Vaqueros head coach Travis Bush told The Rider the practices have “flown by” and the team has made a lot of progress in that span.
“This entire fall, from the moment these guys set foot [at UTRGV], we told them it’s gonna fly by and it has,” Bush said. “But a lot of progress [has been made]. That’s where we are.”
He said a big emphasis in this practice window was creating team culture, academic success and developing players on a roster consisting of 90% true freshmen.
“Doing a good job in the classroom was a big point, [as well as] building the foundation and the culture and, then, developing them out here on the field,” Bush said. “… We’ve been pleased with all the progress so far.”
He said this has been a “competitive fall” for UTRGV, with players rising and falling in the team’s depth chart. There are two remaining live scrimmages for the fall.
One of the players climbing the depth chart is wide receiver Xayvion Noland. A redshirt freshman, Noland transferred from Texas State University and brings with him a year of Division I football experience.
Bush said players with previous experience, such as Noland, are standing out because they know the routine and bring a veteran presence both on the field and in the classroom. He called Noland one of the standout players in the Vaqueros offense.
“He knows the offensive system, so [Noland has] done a phenomenal job,” Bush said. “[He’s] one of our leaders on offense and has had a really good fall so far.”
In an interview with The Rider, Noland said although most of the team is new to college football, they’re “progressing” as a unit and the team is “locked in and focused.”
“Everybody’s kinda new to this, but we’re all coming together as a team,” he said. “We’re bonding off the field and on the field.”
Something that has stood out to coach Bush through this process was seeing relationships forming among players and the coaching staff.
“The chemistry, the bonds you see between [the players], the friendships that have formed,” Bush said. “And the same thing with the coaching staff. So through this time, that’s been the biggest piece.”
Finally, what Bush wants the team to do was to “grow up,” saying that maturity and growth are important.
“We’ve got a lot of good, young guys,” he said. “But you look at the college level, and this game is played by men. We need men. We need some of these guys to grow into men quickly and, then, we need to, probably, need to add some men, some older guys to our roster here going into next fall.”
The Vaqueros will continue to run practices until the end of the semester. Afterward, they will enter a normal spring workload ahead of the inaugural kickoff against Sul Ross.
