SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Athletics announced its partnership with Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE) to identify a naming rights partner for Bobcat Stadium, home of Texas State football.
 
Texas State will consult with ISE on prospective partners to become the first ever naming rights partner of Bobcat Stadium at one of the state's fastest-growing universities. ISE is a sports marketing agency with a focus on revenue generation for sports and entertainment organizations through premium sales opportunities. ISE is heavily involved in college venue naming rights having successfully run five searches in the past year and a half on university campuses across the country.
 
"We are excited for this partnership and eager to work with ISE on this incredible naming rights opportunity," said Texas State Director of Athletics Don Coryell. "With a highly-visible stadium in one of the most competitive conferences in the country and at a growing university in the best location in the country, we look forward to finding a great partner that is aligned with our vision for Texas State football and our athletic department. The naming rights partnership will help us continue to invest in Texas State student-athletes and support strategic partners who believe in the Bobcats."
 
Texas State features a loyal fanbase and is one of the largest public universities in Texas. The university's student body is quickly rising and, in the fall of 2022, it featured the largest freshman enrollment in school history.
 
"We are thrilled to work with Dr. Damphousse, Don Coryell, Travis Comer, and the Texas State team on this important search," said Head of ISE Properties Owen Shull. "Aligning brands with university naming rights partnerships has tremendous value for both. We see great opportunity at Texas State given the prestige of the university, current leadership, location, football history, university community, and more. We always want to work with great people, and that is certainly the case here.
 
Texas State is a member of the Sun Belt Conference, a 14-school, regionally-based conference across 10 contiguous states. In the College Football Playoff era (since 2014), the Sun Belt paces the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with a .649 bowl winning percentage. The Sun Belt Conference is showcased through a media rights partnership with ESPN that runs through the 2030-31 academic year. All Texas State home games are broadcast on the ESPN family of networks and viewed worldwide.
 
The Bobcats won the Bubas Cup in 2021-22, which is awarded to the Sun Belt Conference's top athletic department. It was the second time in four years the Bobcats won the coveted trophy.
 
The 30,000-seat Bobcat Stadium features 15 luxury suites and a 450-seat club seating area. On the south end, there are two 36-foot by 61-foot videoboards manufactured by Daktronics as well as LED ribbon boards throughout the stadium. The South End Zone Complex, originally built in 2002 and home to the Texas State football program, is set for a major, $37 million dollar renovation that will start in the summer of 2023.
 
The future home schedule for Texas State football also features several marquee opponents, including Arizona State, Army, North Texas, UTEP and UTSA.
 
Bobcat Stadium underwent a major renovation in 2012, increasing its seating capacity by more than 13,000 seats and enclosing the north end of the stadium. In 2009, the Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields West Side Complex opened to fans and includes the luxury suites, club seating, press box and coaching booths.
 
Throughout its history, the stadium has served as the home of the Texas Special Olympics and was the site of scenes from the movie "The Ringer" and the hit NBC TV show "Friday Night Lights."
 
In addition to serving as the home of Texas State football, Bobcat Stadium also houses the Texas State track and field offices and locker rooms as well as the Linda Gregg Fields Strutters Gallery. The Strutters are a world-renowned dance team that boasts more than 3,000 alumnae. The Strutters Gallery honors the tradition of the program and serves as an opportunity for fans to learn more about being the first precision dance team formed at a four-year university and their performances across the world.
 
Texas State University is located in San Marcos in the middle of the Austin-San Antonio Corridor, which is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States and serves the gateway to the famous Texas Hill Country. More than 4.5 million people call the region home and expected growth is to reach 6-7 million by 2030.
 
Texas State has more than 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 228 counties in Texas, 49 states and 88 countries. Around 95 percent of students are from Texas while 43 percent are the first in their families to attend college. It also has nearly 1,400 full-time faculty and more than 2,000 full-time staff.
 
There are more than 221,000 alumni of Texas State University, with 90 percent of them living in Texas and half of them being under the age of 40.
 
Under University President Dr. Kelly Damphousse, Texas State is undertaking the "Run to R1" as it looks to move from a Carnegie classification of R2 to R1 and further its investment in research by becoming an engine of innovation and economic development.
 
Texas State football, under first-year head coach GJ Kinne, opens its season on Sept. 2 at Baylor. Its home opener is set for Sept. 16 against Jackson State.