UTRGV football debut energizes Valley, fuels estimated $14.5M economic boost

A UTRGV football helmet rests on a sideline bench. Courtesy of | UTRGV | Kristella Cruz

EDINBURG — A cheer went up at a packed University Draft House when the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s first football team scored its first-ever touchdown in its first-ever home game last month.

The cheers kept coming through the first half, growing louder and louder as the crowd at the bar watched the UTRGV Vaqueros play their way towards a resounding victory.

A band started playing at the Draft House, and sometime after halftime, bar patrons started to lose interest in the rout on TV. With UTRGV ahead by about 50 points, someone quietly clicked off the game.

UTRGV’s mascot leads the Vaquero Marching Band and spirit teams in rallying the crowds before kickoff at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. The spirited performance energized fans ahead of the university’s first-ever football game. Courtesy of | UTRGV | David Pike

“Well, I didn’t think they would turn it off,” one customer muttered disappointedly.

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college football impact economic development Edinburg local businesses RGV Sports Rio Grande Valley economy UTRGV UTRGV athletics Valley sports Vaqueros