Texas State Bowl Statement From Dr. Larry Teis, Director of Athletics

Posted By Staff | @CorridorNews | @Corridor_Sports

Dear Bobcat Fans: 

I want to thank all of our Bobcat fans who have been extremely supportive throughout the football season.  I have heard from many of you whose only concern over the past week was how you could help campaign for Texas State to be selected for its first bowl game. 

I want to also thank Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson for all of his assistance in trying to secure an at-large bid for our team.  We were diligent and meticulous in aggressively pursuing all potential bowl options for our team, including a true at-large opening in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth.  In conjunction with the Sun Belt Conference, we strategically presented our program’s story and used every available resource, including sizeable financial resources available from the Sun Belt to make sure the selection committee was aware of our situation and our interest in participating in Fort Worth.  We believe we would have been a more viable candidate to flood the Fort Worth market with fans than an out-of-state University of Pittsburgh team. Unfortunately, even with a resume that warranted a bowl opportunity, we were not selected for a bowl.

To say I am tremendously disappointed for our student-athletes, coaches, and all of our Bobcat fans for not being able to play in our first bowl game is an understatement.  However, I am also tremendously proud of the way our team fought this season.  I am enormously grateful for the support we received throughout the year from our students and fans.  We have several positives to take from this season, including two very important benchmarks for our department – an improved record and increased attendance at Bobcat Stadium.  These are two primary factors that bowl committees consider when making their selections and proof that our program is headed in the right direction. Another factor that bowl committees consider is fan attendance at road games, and we will pursue strategies to encourage greater Bobcat fan attendance at next year’s road games. We will continue to work to improve these areas, fight to increase our bowl chances in the future, and partner with the Sun Belt Conference to identify other ways we can ensure bowl opportunities are not denied to us in the future.

Finally, as I mentioned above, I believe all of our fans should be proud of the way you have represented Texas State during this process.  I cannot begin to tell you how inspiring it is for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to see you rallying behind them during the bowl selection process. Whether it was through social media campaigns, email blitzes, phone calls or just encouraging words, I want to commend our fan base for their solidarity.  Let us not lose sight of the great potential Texas State has and let us look forward to the day when the Bobcats take the field in their first bowl game in program history. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Larry Teis, Director of Athletics

lt10@txstate.edu