Texas State President adds to Pac-12 speculation with social media repost

Damphousse was back at it on Tuesday, retweeting a photo of two beavers swimming in the San Marcos River near Texas State’s campus. The San Marcos River watershed is home to many beavers, the state animal of Oregon and the mascot of Pac-12 founding member Oregon State. 

Cougar sightings are less common in San Marcos, but not unheard of. In April, a cougar was spotted on a suburban hiking trail near town. 

The Washington State Cougars are the other Pac-12 holdover. 

Following last week’s approval of the House settlement, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the Pac-12 is close to announcing a media deal and will begin extending formal invitations to expansion targets. According to multiple reports, Texas State is among a small group of finalists to receive a Pac-12 invitation. 

The Pac-12 has eight members signed up for the 2026-27 school year: current members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West and Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference. Dellenger reported that all eight members have signed their grant of rights and membership agreements. 

Texas State is a growing university in San Marcos, Texas, sitting midway between Austin and San Antonio. Texas State’s total enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year was 40,678, surpassing the previous record of 38,849 set in 2016.

Notable Texas State alumni include 36th President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson and country music star George Strait. 

A relative newcomer to high-level athletics, Texas State moved up to FBS in 2012 and experienced minimal success until head coach G.J. Kinne’s arrival. The 36-year-old Kinne has guided Texas State to consecutive eight-win seasons in the Sun Belt Conference and agreed to a new seven-year contract worth $2 million annually — one of the richest deals in the Group of 5 — in November. 

Texas State hasn’t qualified for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 1997. The Bobcats finished 16-16 overall last season with a 9-9 record in Sun Belt play. 

Texas State has strong facilities with UFCU Stadium (28,000 capacity) and Strahan Arena (10,411 capacity). UFCU Stadium received a facelift in 2012 while Strahan Arena was scheduled to host a 2024 presidential debate that was canceled.