Folks, I did my best. From relentlessly referring to Texas State as “the boobcats” to passively-aggressively chastising the program for an FCS mentality, I pulled out all the stops to making the Bobcats the chief rival for Arkansas State. It seemed like an easy chore. Neither Texas State nor Arkansas State has an in-state, conference rival. Furthermore, the state of Arkansas and the state of Texas have had a built-in college sports feud for decades. Texas State’s mascot is a cat; Arkansas State’s mascot is a dog. Don’t you see it?

It never really got fire – though given time, it probably would have. For several seasons the Bobcats was the last football game played before Arkansas State accepted a Sun Belt trophy. Texas State was an easy victory, churning out eight consecutive losing seasons before seeming to right the ship with young head coach GJ Kinne, who has put up back-to-back 8 wins seasons.

Texas State basketball and baseball have seen more success, with the men’s basketball team delivering a runners up season in 2017, and the baseball program earning a conference championship in 2019. The university has put up good-to-great softball, volleyball and track programs, as well. It would seem that the culture dish was primed for rivalry.

And why not? Arkansas State chancellor Kelly Damphousse left A-State to accept a similar position at Texas State a few years ago. The Bobcats have also managed to swipe a few gridiron Red Wolves, such as quarterback Layne Hatcher and running back Lincoln Pare. For revenge, the Red Wolves crushed the Bobcats 77-31. The next season, the Bobcats returned the favor, manhandling Arkansas State 41-9. Isn’t this how rivalry works – two teams with some regional commonalities exchanging haymakers? It could have been epic!

Neither the Bobcats nor the Red Wolves opted to view it this way. Texas State seemed to reserve most of their hatred for UTSA. Arkansas State preferred to stick with their old nemesis in Troy and Lafayette. It didn’t help that Bobcats fans aren’t exactly a obnoxiously prideful lot. They’re relentlessly easygoing, like a slow inner tube ride down a lazy river. If you call them “The Boobcats” they just shrug – or worse, agree. If you offer some trash talk, they’ll offer you a can of cold beer. It’s annoying. Meanwhile, Red Wolves fans are more focused on busting on Memphis or recalling some Lousianna Tech slight from the early 1980s. The bitterness could not find purchase.

And now, the rivalry that could have been is likely the rivalry that never will be. Texas State is accepting an invitation to the Pretend PAC12, a move I’ve questioned but who am I to judge? The Bobcats are geographical misfits in the Sun Belt, and they will be geographical misfits in their new conference of backstabbers and malcontents. Perhaps the immediate payout is better, but the Sun Belt is clearly the better overall football and baseball conference. But as Cat Stevens once said, “Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there /But just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware.”

We never really had our rivalry, Bobcats, even if all the poisons and potions were thoughtfully laid out for us on the counter. Perhaps we simply knew this day was coming, and we didn’t want to risk investing the feels. It’s okay. When Louisiana Tech joins the Sun Belt in a few weeks, we can ask the Boobdogs to be our rivals.

Image, an AI Monstrosity