Texas State AD Don Coryell: We're going for a spot in the College Football Playoff

For the first time in program history, Texas State is in a bowl game. Traveling up I-35 to Dallas for the First Responder Bowl against Rice, the Bobcats finished with a 7-5 record under first-year head coach GJ Kinne. Fans are really enjoying the moment but athletic director Don Coryell is hoping the improvements continue — and in a big way.

When speaking at an alumni tailgate before Tuesday’s kickoff, Coryell said Texas State is gunning for a spot in the College Football Playoff next season. Their only likely path would be through winning the Sun Belt, a conference they went 4-4 in this past season. Lofty expectations for sure but nothing you cannot say when speaking to alumni.

“Our goal next year isn’t just to keep up the momentum,” Coryell said via Reddit CFB on X. “We’re going for a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs!”

If the CFP was staying at four teams, Texas State would need a small miracle to be included. But with the system changing and including 12 teams with automatic qualifiers, there is certainly a chance Coryell’s comments become a reality.

The expectation is that five auto bids will be handed out on an annual basis to the five best conference champions. With the Pac-12 being dissolved, this likely lets the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC take up four out of five, with a Group of Five conference taking the final spot.

Using this past season as an example, Liberty would have been in the playoff due to being 13-0 and winning Conference USA. SMU (who is now off to the ACC) was the only other Group of Five representative in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Texas State raising expectations under GJ Kinne

Texas State is still a relatively new FBS program, with its first season occurring in 2012. Prior to this year, four wins was the most the Bobcats were able to gain. However, whenever Kinne was hired, expectations were changed and the results instantly came.

Kinne is only 35 years old, making him one of the youngest head coaches in the FBS. The school’s motto has been ‘Take Back Texas’ while placing a huge emphasis on recruiting the state. Not just from a high school ranks but also getting kids to return to the Lone Star State out of the NCAA transfer portal.

Last season alone, Texas State took 16 transfers originally from the state of Texas. Seven of those were playing at Power Five programs during the 2022 season. The movement is paying off in a big way after just one offseason.

Arizona State is the lone P5 game on the 2024 schedule, potentially being Texas State’s only opportunity to make a splash at the national level. But Coryell’s plan is likely a more long-term one, wanting Kinne to build up the program and eventually find a way to be one of the five best conference champions.