The Roadrunners are no strangers to punching above their weight when it comes to their athletics department. Whether it be facing The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University or Baylor University, the 2024-25 season is shaping up to be yet another chance for the Roadrunners to prove they can compete against ranked programs. With scheduled matchups against major programs at nationally-recognized schools, UTSA is setting itself up for major opportunities on and off the field.
From their start as an NCAA Division I Independent competitor to the American Athletic Conference, over the past 44 years, the school has been on an uphill trajectory academically and athletically.
Facing larger, more established athletic programs is never easy, but it’s exactly what UTSA needs to sustain its meteoric rise. Every time UTSA takes the field against a powerhouse, the program has an opportunity to show recruits, fans and the nation that the ‘Runners aren’t just some small school to schedule for easy wins — they are here, hungry for more.
UTSA has played and will continue to play exciting matchups in the 2024-25 season. The football team will travel to College Station to face A&M for their first game of the season this fall.
The women’s basketball team competed against the Aggies in one of their first non-conference games in the fall, and the men competed against the Big Ten’s University of Southern California. Had they competed in Los Angeles just a year earlier, they would have competed against the likes of Bronny James.
Baseball and softball have non-conference games against big-time programs with both competing against Baylor in the same season, while other sports, like soccer and volleyball, are also stepping up their competition levels. In fact, the Convocation Center hosted the Longhorns in an exhibition game last spring. These games aren’t just about results — they’re about making a statement.
Beyond the immediate impact on the scoreboard, playing high-profile opponents helps UTSA with recruitment. Athletes want to compete at the highest level and seeing UTSA battle top-tier teams shows potential recruits that they do not need to attend a higher ranked university to play like one. Playing schools that compete at higher levels also helps bring in larger crowds, which boosts ticket sales and increases the school’s visibility. The more UTSA is in the conversation, the more it grows as an athletic program.
This strategy isn’t new. Schools like University of Central Florida, University of Cincinnati and University of Houston have built their programs by consistently challenging bigger opponents. Now, all three are in the Big 12.
Win or loss, the Roadrunners have proven they can and will compete with anyone. With another season full of marquee matchups, UTSA has a chance to show the world that it’s not just a rising program — it’s a program that has arrived. The future is bright and every big game is another step toward something even greater.
