I-35 Rivalry
| Sport | Football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, track and field, softball, golf, baseball |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1991 |
| Trophy | I-35 Series Trophy |
The I-35 Rivalry (officially the I-35 Maroon vs. Orange Rivalry Series) is a college rivalry between the Texas State University Bobcats and the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners. It is named for the Interstate Highway that connects the two universities.
The rivalry dates back to 1991, when the University of Texas at San Antonio joined as a non-football member of the Southland Conference. Southwest Texas State University, which had jumped in the conference only four years prior, is located less than 60 miles from the UTSA main campus. Due to their proximity, conference membership, and status as emerging research universities, the rivalry began to develop. It was fostered by a desire to bring attention to collegiate athletics in Central Texas.
Eventually, a trophy was utilized in the mid-1990s to recognize the winner of the annual men's basketball game between the two universities. In 2007, the competition was expanded to all sports, with the new I-35 Series Trophy being awarded to the winner. Prior to this new moniker and point-based scheme, the rivalry's name was unofficial, with the term "I-35 rivalry" being used by other schools and teams to label their own athletic competitions.
In 2003, "Southwest Texas State University" became "Texas State University—San Marcos", a move designed to help propel the school from a regional institution to a recognized, tier one university, a similar direction that UTSA had envisioned for itself. In 2009, the University of Texas at San Antonio was designated as one of seven emerging tier one universities in the state. Texas State was not far behind its rival, being upgraded to emerging tier one university status in January 2012 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 2013, "Texas State University—San Marcos" was renamed to simply "Texas State University", the school's seventh name in the history of its existence. The university's administration saw the new name both as a clarification and step away from local identity on its journey to tier one status.
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