Take a breath and a bow because we made it through the college football offseason and there are real games on the schedule starting this weekend. And while most of the FBS programs in the state and in the country don’t kick off until the first weekend of September, the FCS programs and some of the lower-division schools get started a week earlier. 

Week 0 provides a few intriguing clashes between Texas teams with Tarleton State hosting Prairie View A&M and Lamar playing host to Abilene Christian. UTPB starts a new era with a trip to the Valley to face UTRGV. SFA, the defending SLC champs, starts the season with a conference game on the road against McNeese. 

Here are five questions that will determine the narratives surrounding the top teams in the Non-FBS ranks here in Texas. 

Is Tarleton State the best team in the FCS? 

The Texans are the winningest Division I program in the Lone Star State since the start of 2018. They’ve won at least 10 games in four of the last seven seasons, including a 22-6 record since the start of 2024. In short, head coach Todd Whitten leads the most consistent and surest bet in the Non-FBS ranks here in Texas. The FCS preseason poll rightly ranked them higher than any other team in Texas, checking in at No. 5. 

But Tarleton isn’t the only FCS contender in Texas entering 2026. Three other teams – SFA (13), ACU (14), and Lamar (21) – were also ranked in the FCS Preseason Top 25. The Lumberjacks are the defending Southland Conference champs. ACU tied for first place in the United Athletic Conference with Tarleton last season, knocking off the Texans by three points in the regular season. And Lamar is on an upward trajectory under head coach Pete Rossomando. 

The FCS ranks are experiencing a golden age in Texas, just like we are in the FBS. Tarleton’s consistency and coaching chops make the Texans the best bet heading into 2026, but the reality of FCS football is that roster turnover is the norm. There is an abundance of questions for each of the contenders in Texas. 

How does Prairie View stack up? 

Tremaine Jackson made a statement in his first year at Prairie View by winning the SWAC for the first time since 2009 and for only the second time since 1964. They came within two points of claiming the Black National Championship in the Celebration Bowl. But that doesn’t mean the program is without doubters heading into 2026. Sure, they might be one of the favorites to win the SWAC. But does that mean they’re good enough to compete with the cream of the FCS crop? 

The good news is that those narratives will be put to the test early in the season. Prairie View starts the season with a road trip to Tarleton State, which ranked fifth in the FCS Preseason Poll. The Panthers also face SFA in the non-conference schedule. A win over either or both of those programs would send shock waves through the FCS ranks and give Jackson another feather in his cap. 

Can UTRGV capitalize on the momentum? 

The 2025 debut for UTRGV was a dream. The stadium was sold out, the local community was engaged, and the nine wins were the most by a Division I debutant since the divisions split in 1978. The season included wins over UIW, McNeese, and Prairie View A&M. The team's three losses were to Southeastern Louisiana, Lamar, and SFA – teams that combined for a 28-12 record last season. The Vaqueros tied for third in the Southland Conference behind just SELU and SFA. Not bad for Travis Bush & Co. 

But can they keep it up? UTRGV did lose a ton of production on offense, including QB Eddie Lee Marburger and WR Tony Diaz, who is now at Missouri. The good news is that the defense returns nine starters. The stadium was also expanded to host more of the rabid fan base in the Valley. The Sept. 5 trip to UTSA represents the program’s first against an FBS program. 

Tarleton is probably the next team from Texas to climb from the FCS to the FBS ranks, but the buzz and success enjoyed by UTRGV in Year 1 puts the Vaqueros on the fast track to follow suit. UTRGV beat the teams it was supposed to beat last year and fell short against the SLC contenders. They get those teams at home this year and a win or two over the likes of SFA or SELU would erase any doubts that last year was simply beginner’s luck. 

Who is the best Division III team? 

The race for the top spot in the Division III ranks in Texas is seemingly always between Mary Hardin-Baylor, Trinity, and Hardin-Simmons. Last year, it was Trinity after the Tigers knocked off Hardin-Simmons in the first round before falling to conference foe Berry in the NCAA Quarterfinals. UMHB missed the playoffs for the second time in three years after becoming fixtures for nearly two decades under Pete Frendenburg. 

All three hold playoff aspirations heading into 2026. Hardin-Simmons has made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000. Nine of the last 11 playoff losses for the Cowboys were to either UMHB or Trinity. UMHB is favorited in the new-look American Southwest Conference and hopes to regain its footing as the premier DIII program in the state. Trinity feels like a lock to make the playoffs these days and the Tigers’ new challenge is advancing past the second round. 

Can UTPB stay in the Division II mix? 

The Falcons established themselves as a DII program to watch during the Kris McCullough era. He led them to at least 10 wins in two of his three seasons and to the NCAA Division II Quarterfinal in 2025. But McCullough left in the offseason for the Gardner-Webb job, and that leaves some uncertainty at Permian Basin because the program hadn’t posted a winning record in any of the full seasons before his arrival. 

Does that mean the Falcons are set to fall back to earth? Not if Chris Softley, who was most recently in charge of Lubbock Christian High School, has his say. The portal hit the program hard but that’s true for most successful programs in Division II, especially after a coaching change. UTPB was the only DII team in Texas ranked in the preseason poll, checking in at 18th. Angelo State and West Texas A&M received votes.