Bobcat Fans,
 
I don't know about you, but I can feel a whole new energy around San Marcos as of late. In the last week, we've seen our head football coach GJ Kinne looking like a rock star and taking a selfie in front of 7,000 new Texas State students in the middle of campus. We also had more than 3,000 Texas State students get their first introduction to Bobcat Stadium – and a sneak peek at our new LED lights – with Fandemonium and fireworks. We then had nearly 2,000 Texas State faculty and staff enjoy a night at Bobcat Stadium with the LBJ Picnic hosted by our University President Kelly Damphousse and campus staff.
 
Texas State is on track to have its largest freshman class in school history, and the "week before the week" of classes showed the new wave of Bobcats is special. Everywhere you look, this place is rocking.
 
While our fall sports have already gotten underway – nice wins by soccer and volleyball at home last weekend – I want to share some news and information around our upcoming football season and the gameday experience for fans.
 
Construction Update on the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center
First, construction on the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center and the William Trevillion IV Weight Room Complex is scheduled to start on Monday, September 18. This transformational project, supported by many donors who believe in this place, will be a great addition to not only our football program but all of Texas State Athletics. We're excited to finally start building, but this also means our gameday experience will be impacted for the 2023 season.
 
When you show up on Saturday, September 16 for our home football opener against Jackson State, you will see fencing and construction materials behind the south end zone. This is where the William Trevillion IV Weight Room Complex will go, which means we will have to block off the area to ensure safety for our players, coaches, fans, and many more. The area will be protected by a padded fence behind the end zone and our Bobcats will run out of the tunnel near the Paul and Pat Gowens Family Pavilion.
 
We made the tough decision to suspend the Katzengarten and Kids Zone, which are both in this area, for the 2023 season. However, we look forward to bringing it back for the 2024 campaign and creating an even better gameday experience with these premium locations and amenities.
 
Here is a general map of the construction area for the 2023 season to better illustrate its impact.
 
 
Relocation of Tailgate Central
Another impact of the construction will be gameday parking. Back on August 4, we announced the relocation of Tailgate Central to its previous spot in the large lot along Aquarena Springs Drive. This was the location from 2012 to 2019, and while we originally hoped moving Tailgate Central to the east side parking lot of Bobcat Stadium would encourage better student attendance, we found that the size of the lot did not meet the demand nor did it change the behavior of student attendance based on its location. We are also moving Tailgate Central because a significant portion of the east side lot will be the laydown area for construction materials.
 
While change is never easy, we do believe moving Tailgate Central will have a positive impact on the gameday experience. There will be more space for people to enjoy their Saturdays in San Marcos and allow more fans to enjoy a communal experience with a more centrally located spot for all. Tailgate Central spots are on sale starting this Friday, August 25. We expect gamedays to be the place to be this year, and the only way to guarantee your preferred spot and experience is by locking in early. You can call our Ticket Office at 512-245-2272 to reserve your spaces.
 
Concessions
This past year, we went through an RFP process to identify a new contract with our concessions provider at Texas State Athletics events. After a careful review of our options, we elected to renew our contract with Chartwells, which has been a valuable partner to not only us but all of the Texas State University for the past several years.
 
What does this mean for fans on gamedays at Bobcat Stadium? With Chartwells' help, we will be implementing more cashless point-of-sale terminals to continue speeding up the ordering process and get fans back in their seats faster so they don't miss any action (and we expect plenty with Coach Kinne's fast-paced style of offense and defense). These will be installed throughout the stadium, including the Champions Club, so that everyone is impacted in a positive way.
 
We are also working with Chartwells to feature more standout items at concession stands. We've been able to get an early look at some of the items and Walking Tacos, Corny Fries, and a loaded smoked brisket hot dog called The Cowboy. It's important to us that fans get a faster and better experience with our food options in-stadium, and we believe these two things are steps in the right direction.
 
Back the Bobcats Block Party – September 15!
One of the things I'm most excited about going into our first home football game of the GJ Kinne Era, is the Back the Bobcats Block Party on Friday, September 15 on North Street near Zelick's in San Marcos. I would like to thank the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and Texas State University First Lady Beth Damphousse for their vision and tireless support of making this whole thing possible.
 
Friday nights in the fall are special in Texas for many reasons, but with our first game of 2023, we wanted to make the event even bigger by hosting this fan event in the community. We will have a pep rally featuring Coach Kinne, Texas State football players, the Bobcat Marching Band, cheerleaders, Boko and the world-famous Strutters. After that, the party will keep going with live music.
 
San Marcos has been in our corner through it all, and to be able to host Bobcat fans and alumni alongside San Marcos residents in what feels like the most exciting time to be a Bobcat – it was a no-brainer idea. And it's all possible due to our staff working alongside Beth and the Chamber as well as the owners of Zelick's, Seth Katz and Monica Malorgio Katz.
 
The Block Party will start at 6 pm with live music, and we hope to see you all there as we bring in the next chapter of Texas State football and the entire athletics department.
 
Time Change for the Kickoff of the Home Opener
Lastly, if you didn't see our news released earlier today, we have moved the start time for the home opener on September 16 to 7:30 pm. It was originally scheduled for 6 pm, but we believe sliding it back to later in the evening will help offset the hot temperatures we always anticipate this time of year in Texas. We always want to prioritize the safety of the players and fans and this summer has been particularly challenging in Central Texas.
 
I always appreciate your support of our Bobcat student-athletes. Whether it is through season tickets, being a member of the Bobcat Club, watching our games on ESPN+, or wearing your favorite Texas State gear wherever you live, it all impacts the new energy we're feeling in San Marcos. Keep supporting us, and in turn, we hope to reward you with excitement on the field and success in the classroom and in competition. We are able to build our next wave of champions with your never-ending support and it helps us all continue to make every day a great day to be a Bobcat. For that, thank you.
 
Eat 'Em Up!
 




Don Coryell
Texas State Director of Athletics