RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department on Intercollegiate Athletics was recognized as a finalist for the Ticket Team of the Year award by the National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales and Operations (NAATSO) Monday at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) annual convention at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
 
UTRGV was one of seven institutions to be recognized including the winner Arizona State and other finalists Army, Auburn, George Mason, University of Texas San Antonio, and Washington.
 
UTRGV Athletics is coming off a banner year which drew 228,069 fans during the 2025-26 athletic year, besting the previous high by more than 75,000 fans. Through a multi-year and multi-phase process, UTRGV Athletics successfully sold out all home games for its inaugural football season, reaching an overall attendance of 87,774 fans across seven home games. The nation felt UTRGV's presence as it debuted at 11^th in overall attendance among all FCS programs.
 
"This recognition stands as a testament to the incredible passion and dedication of the Rio Grande Valley," Senior Vice President/Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "From selling out our inaugural football season to setting attendance records crowds across multiple sports, the spirit of the Vaqueros is stronger than ever. This recognition also reflects the tireless and dedicated work of our staff and the unwavering support of our fans, whose belief in our mission to #RallyTheValley continues to drive us forward."
 
Volleyball also cracked the top 100 in overall attendance, placing 74^th after drawing 13,391 fans to their 10 games this season. The average attendance of 1,339 set a program-record. Volleyball had two games draw over 2,000 fans, which includes the 2,535 against Lamar and 2,014 against Texas State, good for third and sixth respectively, in program history.
 
The department followed with a successful basketball season that saw a 12% increase in season ticket holders and program records fall for revenue generated, group tickets, and mini plans and single game tickets sold. This includes women's basketball's home game against Texas which drew over 6,000 fans to Bert Ogden Arena for the marquee matchup. This was good for the second-highest attended game in program history.
 
Baseball continued its meteoric rise in attendance and fan engagement. After winning the Southland Conference Championship in 2025, UTRGV Athletics increased season ticket sales by 70%. This year, UTRGV set a program record in average attendance with 3,763, which ranked 23^rd across all of NCAA DI. The Vaqueros had four games enter the top 10 for single-game attendance which included the program-record 6,588 fans that entered the gates to watch UTRGV take on Texas Tech, this game also marked the end of UTRGV's inaugural #RallyTheValley Week.
 
"We are in the people business. Every aspect of what we do revolves around people," Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Office Derek Schramm said. "This recognition is a testament to the people of the Rio Grande Valley that have stepped up to show a tremendous level of support of the Vaqueros. It also highlights the people we have in our organization; it starts with leadership and vision at the very top and trickles down to everyone rowing in the same direction towards a common goal. It's an honor for us to serve this community and this institution, and we look forward to achieving many more accomplishments together in the future."
 
The inaugural #RallyTheValley Week featured eight home games in six days, Feb. 12–17, uniting Vaqueros across four basketball and four baseball games in a celebration of school pride, competition, and community. The initiative, topped with exclusive rewards for attending at least five games, was a success as 25,195 fans visited the UTRGV Fieldhouse and UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Click here to learn more about the overall success of #RallyTheValley Week.
 
UTRGV was also empowered to host the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Swimming & Diving Championships in February. In the program's first year in the conference and first year competing in a hosted conference championship, the Vaqueros competed in front of 5,635 fans for the four-day event. This marked an average of over 1,400 fans per day at the City of Pharr-PSJA Natatorium.
 
"This recognition reflects the incredible dedication of our supporters across the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas," Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Sales and Operations Nicholas Swanson said. "Our goal is to always deliver an exceptional fan experience, knowing that the energy and support our fans bring to every game directly impact the experience of our student-athletes and coaches. This honor belongs to our fans as much as it does to our team here."
 
UTRGV has also become familiar with the words sold out at nine home games across football and basketball. In addition, UTRGV Athletics also sold all of its premium seating offerings for the 2025-26 athletic year, totaling up to 1,656 seats across baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, and volleyball games.
 
Throughout the athletic year, UTRGV focused on community initiatives with local and national partners. UTRGV continued their beloved school days which brought over 4,000 kids to campus during the volleyball and women's basketball campaigns.
 
In addition, UTRGV partnered with local campuses, Morris Middle School and South Middle School, to provide a unique night catered to the campuses. UTRGV integrates the campus' athletic teams, band, and spirit programs into the traditional UTRGV game day experience.
 
UTRGV also partnered with Vet Tix and 1^st Tix which allowed season ticket holders to donate their tickets to former or active military members or currently serving and retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and 911 Dispatchers.

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