The University of Texas at San Antonio is planning to host the Lone Star State’s newest Division I football program to kick off its 2026 season.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) football program is receiving votes in the week 4 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, marking the program’s first-ever appearance in a national poll.

America's newest NCAA Division I football team calls South Texas home. What kind of impact will it have on San Antonio's two NCAA Division I football programs?

The Rio Grande Valley, a sprawling four-county region along the U.S.-Mexico border best known for citrus production, is just like any other in Texas. The residents are crazy about their football.

Sir’Jabari Rice scored 19 points, Marcus Carr had 18 and Tyrese Hunter 17 to lead No. 4 Texas to a 91-54 win over Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday.

(Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)EDINBURG, Texas – Texas Rio Grande Valley coach Lew Hill died Sunday, a day after coaching what was his final game, the university said. Hill took over at Rio Grande Valley in 2016-17, right after going to the NCAA Final Four as an assistant coach on Lon Kruger’s staff at Oklahoma. Everyone in our department is devastated by this news,” Rio Grande Valley athletic director Chasse Conque said. “This is a tragic loss, not only for the UTRGV community but for the entire Rio Grande Valley community,” school president Guy Bailey said. “Coach Hill was very involved in the community and always had a knack for making everyone he met feel special.