In the state of Texas, there’s no shortage of big-time FBS college football programs. Tarleton State wants to be next.
The Texas A&M university system school in Stephenville, Texas, about an hour away from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, made the jump from Division II to Division I just six years ago in 2020. But after spending tens of millions of dollars on facilities, drastically increasing their athletics budget, and participating in revenue-sharing, it’s looking to make another leap from the FCS to the FBS level.
“From the very first day I interviewed here, and even during the process, [Tarleton State President] Dr. Hurley, the institution as a whole said our ultimate goal is to be FBS,” athletic director Steve Uryasz told Front Office Sports. “And we’re trying to put ourselves in a position to be there.”
To make the leap, the school would need an invitation from an FBS league and approval from the NCAA. Uryasz said he had conversations with multiple FBS league officials about what those conferences will be looking for when considering adding more members. While the school doesn’t have a definitive timeline, Uryasz said it “would be great” if the transition could be made within the next five years.
