The 2024 season was all about conference realignment. However, even then, the new Pac-12 was running short of one football-playing member to tick off the eight schools’ criteria as laid out by the FBS conference. But last month in June, they filled the gap by adding Sun Belt school, G.J.Kinne’s Texas State Bobcats. 

The timing was incredibly important, as the buyout was set to double to $10 million for the Bobcats to leave in time for the 2026 season on Tuesday, July 1. And Kinne’s program is already catching all the hype. The program, which began play in 1904 but only elevated to college football’s top division in 2012, has posted back-to-back 8–5 seasons and bowl wins under him. Moving into the 2025 season, Kinne has something bigger planned. 

The head football coach at Texas State has received a seven-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid coach in the Sun Belt Conference. Kinne is set to make an average of $2 million per year, per sources. And looks like Texas State’s $14 million gamble is about to pay off. On the July 4th episode of the Locked on Kansas State podcast, analyst Cody Stovall shared, “The new Power Five is back in Big 12 country because Texas State is right in the middle of everybody. Not to mention, they have the most, I think, the hottest young coach in all of college football. I was amazed that Texas State was able to pay him enough to keep him.”

He continued, “And now that they have him and they get this escalation event, I think this is going to be problematic for the Oklahoma States and the Texas and the Baylors and the TCUs of the world.” So, why does Kinne and co. comes off as a threat? Their new recruiting pitch might leave recruits falling weak on their knees. We have already seen that in SMU’s case, as they are making an aggressive push for top-tier talent and forcing traditional powers to rethink their strategy. Kinne might walk on the same path. 

As Stovall shared, “When it comes to another heavy hitter in your backyard that can steal some of your recruits just like SMU is doing right now from a transport portal perspective, they’re going to be able to come in now and say, ‘Hey, you can get out of the Big 12. You’ll have an easier shot at winning a conference championship. And you might have the availability to get back into the CFP conversation with the Pac 12.’ Certainly, I think it’s going to be an issue.” Other than this, Kinne’s squad will be blessed with another big advantage. 

Bobcats athletic director Don Coryell said that they are starting with a budget of $55 million. And the shift to Pac 12 can spark new revenue streams, leading to increases in ticket sales, donations, and contributions toward capital projects. As per the reports, the Pac-12’s new media deal is to pay at least $8 million annually per school. On this note, Stovall shared, “Maybe there was an anticipatory move that we’re going to pay you x amount of dollars for the hopes that we one day get into the Pac 12. And if so, then great. They hedged their bet wonderfully. But regardless, they seemingly have more money than we give them credit for, and this is going to even validate that even more.” Now, where does Kinne’s squad stand?

The G.J.Kinne effect in Texas State

The Bobcats brought in three transfer quarterbacks in the winter transfer portal after Jordan McCloud, an All-Sun Belt Third Team quarterback in 2024, ran out of eligibility. The ones who will be running Kinne’s quarterback room are redshirt senior Gevani McCoy from Oregon State, redshirt junior Holden Geriner from Auburn, and redshirt senior Nate Yarnell from Pittsburgh. And the room has already taken the head coach into confidence. 

“What I like about those guys is they have already bonded, they’ve created a friendship in that room, which is good, but they’re still competing,” said Kinne. Plus, Texas State is moving into the 2025 season with a new offensive coordinator, Landon Keopple, after they had to pull the brakes on their former coach, Mack Leftwich. Now, before they make the big jump to Pac-12, will Kinne’s squad be able to keep their head above the water, joining current Pac-12 members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, among others?

The Bobcats captured a pair of Division II national titles in 1981-82 before making the jump to FCS in 1987 and FBS in 2012. However, they largely faltered at the FBS level until the arrival of current head coach G.J. Kinne in 2022. The 36-year-old head coach has led Texas to back-to-back eight-win seasons. And what’s his mood for the 2025 season? About 5% of the Bobcats’ offense is undergoing changes. On the other hand, the defense, almost entirely new, is still figuring itself out and trying to learn the basics of the scheme. Fall 2025 will reveal if Kinne’s squad is truly Pac-12 ready or just hype in the making.