Dear Vaqueros Fans,

What we experienced during our 2025-26 season was more than competitive or academic success. It was the emergence of a university and a region on a national stage. UTRGV Athletics delivered the most successful and transformative year in department history with championships won, records broken, and venues filled. The 2025-26 season was without a doubt, the Year of the Vaqueros.

Across our department, the Vaqueros raised the standard for excellence. UTRGV Athletics won four team Southland Conference Championships, achieved near-record levels of academic success, ranked among the top 10 in the country in community service, and welcomed more fans into our venues than ever before.

Our success was felt across nearly every corner of the department. Volleyball, women's indoor track & field, women's golf, and men's golf each brought home Southland Conference Championships. The Vaqueros also claimed the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union. Our women's basketball program won a program-record 21 games and advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Men's basketball added 19 wins, its most since 2018-19, as our basketball teams combined for a department record 40 wins, making it the most successful year of basketball in our programs' history.

Individually, our student-athletes made history on some of the biggest stages in college athletics. Nayla Harris became a finalist in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, earning First Team All-American honors. Jorge Martin Sampedro became UTRGV's first men's golfer to reach the NCAA Division I Championship since 1978. Our outdoor track & field teams also sent a program-record 11 student-athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

What began as a vision years ago became a movement on August 30, 2025 as 12,726 fans packed Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium to welcome the Valley's first Division I college football team. More than a game, it was a defining moment for our university, our athletics department, and our region. The Vaqueros went on to record the winningest season of any inaugural Division I FCS program by finishing 9-3 and narrowly missing the FCS Playoffs.

The response from our community was just as historic. More than 228,000 fans attended UTRGV Athletics events this year, leading the Southland Conference in attendance. Football ranked 11^th nationally in the FCS in overall attendance and 15^th in average while baseball ranked 36^th in the NCAA in overall attendance and 23^rd in average. Across the ticketed sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, and volleyball, UTRGV drew the second-highest total among Division I programs in the UT System. This makes one thing abundantly clear – the Valley shows up.

Our student-athletes continued to lead with purpose beyond competition. They rallied the Valley in a meaningful way by completing 5,385 hours of community service, ranking 10^th nationally among NCAA Division I programs. The Vaqueros also raised their cumulative GPA to 3.37, our department's highest mark since 2020. For the 2025-26 academic year, our student-athletes combined to post a 3.31 GPA.

What we accomplished together in 2025-26 is not the finish line. It is only the beginning, and the best is yet to come. Because of your belief, your passion, and your investment, the Vaqueros are elevating the Rio Grande Valley on a national stage. Thank you for helping us #RallyTheValley!

V's Up!

Chasse S. Conque
Senior Vice President & Director of Athletics