Sam Houston Bearkats
Conference USAHuntsville, TXElliott T. Bowers Stadium
2026: 1–5 (0–2 Conference USA). Last: lost to Western Kentucky 16–3 at home. Next: New Mexico State, Wednesday, Oct 21, 8 p.m. ET.
- L 21–24at Troy
- L 17–23Tulsa
- W 59–0Nicholls
- L 14–49at No. 11 Texas Tech
- L 3–35at Liberty
- L 3–16Western Kentucky
- Oct 21New Mexico State
- Oct 27at Missouri State
- Nov 7at Jacksonville State
- Nov 14Kennesaw State
- Nov 21Middle Tennessee
- Nov 28at Florida International
- Outfitted by Under Armour
Sam Houston has played football since 1912 and is officially 583–501–34; 309 of its 1,118 games are in our file. They have won seven Southland Conference titles (the last in 2020), plus four Lone Star Conference titles, two Gulf Star Conference titles, one American West Conference title, one Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, counting shared titles. Since 1979, the NFL Draft has taken 12 players from here in its first seven rounds, 0 of them in the first round. K.C. Keeler (2023–2024) won more games here than any other coach: 12. This season, under Phil Longo, they’re 1–5.
Résumé
- All-time record
- 583–501–34 official; 172–137 on file; how we count
- Postseason
- 3–3 bowls, title games, playoff
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 0 ranked
- Elo now
- 1330 132nd of 138 FBS
- Computer rankings
- Massey No. 129 · Composite No. 126 in FBS, Oct 17. From Massey Ratings
- Conference titles
- 15 last in 2021
- Bowl record
- 3–1–1 official, bowls only
- Seasons
- 57 since 1919, 309 games
Identity
- Fight song
- Bearkat Fight Song
- Mascot
- Sammy Bearkat
- Student section
- Bearkat Student Fan Zone
- Apparel
- Under Armour deal through 2027
- Band
- Bearkat Marching Band since 1910, 250 members
2026 season 1–5
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | at Troy | L 21–24 | 25% |
| Sep 12 | vs Tulsa | L 17–23 | 53% |
| Sep 19 | vs Nicholls | W 59–0 | 66% |
| Sep 26 | at 11Texas Tech | L 14–49 | 11% |
| Oct 8 | at Liberty | L 3–35 | 22% |
| Oct 14 | vs Western Kentucky | L 3–16 | 44% |
| Oct 21 | vs New Mexico State | Preview | 53% |
| Oct 27 | at Missouri State | Preview | 33% |
| Nov 7 | at Jacksonville State | Preview | 18% |
| Nov 14 | vs Kennesaw State | Preview | 46% |
| Nov 21 | vs Middle Tennessee | Preview | 52% |
| Nov 28 | at Florida International | Preview | 24% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Future schedule
2027–33- 20273 games: 1 home, 2 away, non-conference only
- 20282 games: 1 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20293 games: 1 home, 2 away, non-conference only
- 20301 game: 1 home, non-conference only
- 20312 games: 1 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20331 game: 1 away, non-conference only
- at UNLV
Sam Houston’s announced games beyond the seasons on our schedule, as its Wikipedia article lists them (announced schedules as of August 4, 2026). Schedules change; a season shows only the games named so far, and many articles list non-conference games only. Future schedules: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
On the 2026 team
- Landyn Locke1,418 passing yards, 11 TD (leads Sam Houston in passing yards)
- Dean Ford38 tackles, 1 sack (leads Sam Houston in tackles)
- Chris Reed17 catches, 289 yards, 3 TD (leads Sam Houston in receiving yards)
- Brody Henderson27 tackles, 2 sacks
- Railyn Adams28 tackles, 1 INT
- Grady O’Neill28 catches, 260 yards, 2 TD
Around the program
- Apparel
- Under Armour · Official source
- Sam Houston Athletics; read 2026-10-10
- Wikipedia; read 2026-10-10
- Mascot
- Sammy Bearkat · Official source
- Sam Houston Athletics; read 2026-10-10
- Student section
- Bearkat Student Fan Zone · Single source
- Stadium Journey; read 2026-10-10
- Athletic director
- Bobby Williams · Official source
- Sam Houston Athletics; read 2026-10-10
- Offensive coordinator
- Zack Patterson · Official source
- Sam Houston Athletics; read 2026-10-10
- Defensive coordinator
- Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay · Official source
- Sam Houston Athletics; read 2026-10-10
Found by several AI researchers searching the web, then kept only where the page loads and says so in words naming the program; every quote is checked again each time the data is rebuilt. Official source: the school’s own page. All of them.
The apparel deal
Under Armour, June 2020 through 2027. Seven years. A seven-year deal that began June 1, 2020.
- Sam Houston Athletics, Sep 18, 2019: Seven-year apparel deal beginning June 1, 2020
Apparel deals: Field Drip. Terms as the outlets reported them; checked Oct 3, 2026.
Program strength since 1919
Best seasons everMore coverage
- CUSA matchup features New Mexico State playing Sam Houston, winnipegfreepress.com,
- Defensive domination: WKU collects first road win at Sam Houston, 16-3, underdogdynasty.com,
- Campbell hits 3 FGs as Western Kentucky defeats Sam Houston 16-3, ktbb.com,
- Wku Vs Sam Houston: Western Kentucky's running threat meets Sam Houston's unusual home return, el-balad.com,
- Western Kentucky vs. Sam Houston Oct. 14: TV, Stream, iheart.com,
Found through the GDELT Project, which indexes news sites worldwide. Each link opens the story on the outlet’s own site; each picture is that outlet’s own preview of its story, shown from its site and credited to it.
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Longo | 2025–2026 | 3–15 |
| Brad Cornelsen | 2024 | 1–0 |
| K.C. Keeler | 2023–2024 | 12–12 |
| J.W. Jones | 1924–1931 | 0–9 |
Most-played series
All rivalries- Northwestern State
12–5 in 17
- 2011 W 43–17
- 2012 W 52–17
- 2013 W 44–10
- 2014 L 27–31
- 2015 W 59–21
- 2016 W 48–16
- 2017 W 40–36
- 2018 W 42–28
- 2019 L 28–31
- 2020 W 24–16
Won the last one.
- Stephen F. Austin
14–3 in 17
- 2011 W 45–10
- 2012 W 51–43
- 2013 W 56–49
- 2014 W 42–28
- 2016 W 63–28
- 2017 W 27–16
- 2018 W 54–21
- 2019 W 31–20
- 2021 W 21–20
- 2022 W 17–16
Won the last 10.
- Rice
2–15 in 17
- 1929 L 2–7
- 1930 L 12–13
- 1931 L 0–32
- 1936 L 7–34
- 1939 W 9–8
- 1941 L 0–42
- 1948 L 0–46
- 1992 L 14–45
- 1993 L 13–14
- 2024 W 34–14
Won the last one.
| Opponent | Games | SHSU record |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern State | 17 | 12–5 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 17 | 14–3 |
| Rice | 17 | 2–15 |
| McNeese | 16 | 8–8 |
| Nicholls | 16 | 14–2 † |
| Central Arkansas | 14 | 8–6 |
| Lamar | 13 | 9–4 |
| Texas A&M | 13 | 0–13 |
Official records. † Without wins the NCAA vacated. ‡ The rivalry’s own count, where it differs from the games on file. Each series page gives both.
Rivals the program names: Texas State, Stephen F. Austin.
Every opponent (86)
Every program Sam Houston has played, A to Z, with Sam Houston’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Abilene Christian 6–2
- Air Force 0–1
- Alabama State 1–0
- Angelo State 1–0
- Arkansas Monticello 2–0
- Arkansas State 0–1
- Bacone College 1–0
- Baylor 0–4
- BYU 0–1
- Cal Poly 1–0
- Central Arkansas 8–6
- Central Michigan 0–1
- Chattanooga 1–0
- Colgate 1–0
- Delaware 1–0
- East Central 1–0
- East Texas A&M 2–0
- Eastern Kentucky 2–0
- Eastern Washington 1–1
- Florida International 1–2
- Gardner-Webb 2–0
- Georgia Southern 1–0
- Hawai’i 1–1
- Houston 0–4
- Houston Christian 7–0
- Incarnate Word 9–1
- Jacksonville State 2–4
- James Madison 1–1
- Kansas 0–1
- Kennesaw State 3–0
- Lamar 9–4
- Liberty 1–2
- Louisiana 1–1
- Louisiana Tech 2–2
- LSU 0–0 †
- McNeese 8–8
- Middle Tennessee 1–1
- Midwestern State 1–0
- Missouri State 1–1
- Monmouth 1–0
- Montana 1–1
- Montana State 0–1
- New Mexico 1–1
- New Mexico State 1–2
- Nicholls 14–2 †
- North Dakota 0–2
- North Dakota State 2–3
- Northern Arizona 1–2
- Northern Colorado 1–1
- Northern Illinois 0–1
- Northwestern State 12–5
- Oklahoma Panhandle 2–0
- Oklahoma State 0–1
- Oregon State 1–0
- Ouachita Baptist 1–0
- Prairie View A&M 2–0
- Rice 2–15
- Richmond 1–0
- SE Louisiana 10–2
- SMU 0–1
- South Dakota 1–0
- South Dakota State 1–0
- Southeast Missouri State 1–0
- Southern Utah 2–1
- St. Joseph’s (IN) 1–0
- Stephen F. Austin 14–3
- Stony Brook 1–0
- Tarleton State 3–1
- Texas 0–2
- Texas A&M 0–13
- Texas Southern 3–0
- Texas State 5–4
- Texas Tech 0–3
- Troy 0–1
- Tulsa 0–2
- UCF 0–1
- UL Monroe 1–1
- UNLV 0–1
- Utah State 0–1
- Utah Tech 2–0
- UTEP 1–4
- UTSA 1–0
- Villanova 1–0
- West Texas 0–1
- Western Illinois 1–2
- Western Kentucky 1–4
Official records. † Without wins the NCAA vacated, or with forfeits counted. ‡ The rivalry’s own count, where it differs from the games on file.
Conference titles
15, counting shared titles- American West Conference 1
- 2021
- Gulf Star Conference 2
- 1985 (shared), 1986
- Lone Star Conference 4
- 1955 (shared), 1956, 1961, 1964
- Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1
- 1930
As the program counts them in its Wikipedia article, shared titles included, and listed under each conference’s current name (a Western Conference title of the 1900s counts as a Big Ten title); season pages use the name the conference had that year. A title the article files under a conference the team wasn’t in that season is listed under the one it was. Division titles include years the team tied for its division.
Conferences
- Independent 1912–1917 and 1919–1923
- Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1924–1931
- Lone Star Conference 1982–1983
- Gulf Star Conference 1986
- Southland Conference 1987–2020
- AWC 2021
- Western Athletic Conference 2022
- Conference USA since 2023
- 1987Joined the Southland Conference from the Gulf Star Conference. Source
- 2021Joined the Western Athletic Conference from the Southland Conference, announced January 14, 2021. Source
- 2023Joined Conference USA from the Western Athletic Conference, announced November 5, 2021. Source
Sam Houston’s football conferences by season, from CollegeFootballData.com’s memberships (renamed conferences keep the name of the time). The moves and their announcement dates from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the year is the first season in the new conference. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the NFL Draft
By college- Drafted, rounds 1–7
- 12 since 1979
- First-round picks
- 0
Who came and went in the 2026 transfer portal, and every portal year.
The school
Sam Houston State University- Enrollment
- 21,039 17,787 undergraduates, fall 2024
- Where
- Huntsville, Texas
- Public or private
- Public Research 2
- Founded
- 1879
- Graduates’ median earnings
- $54,211 10 years after starting
Enrollment, place and Carnegie research tier from the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS, public domain). Earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard (CC BY 4.0): the median for students who received federal aid and were working, not in school. Founding year from Wikidata. Every school’s in the data.
Official accounts
- Football
- X @BearkatsFBInstagram @bearkatsfbFacebook SHSU-Football-111343535599885
Official accounts: the schools’ athletics websites: the ones gobearkats.com lists for its football program, as of Oct 12, 2026.
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1–5 | 0–2 | Phil Longo | 1330 | -16.5 | ||
| 2025 | 2–10 | 1–7 | Phil Longo | 1311 | -27.8 | ||
| 2024 | 10–3 | 6–2 | K.C. Keeler, Brad Cornelsen | 1514 | -6.9 | ||
| 2023 | 3–9 | 2–6 | K.C. Keeler | 1323 | -13.8 | ||
| 2022 | 5–4 | 3–2 | 1381 | ||||
| 2021 | 11–1 | 3–0 | 1540 | ||||
| 2020 | 10–0 | 1543 | |||||
| 2019 | 7–5 | 6–3 | 1398 | ||||
| 2018 | 6–5 | 5–4 | 1360 | ||||
| 2017 | 12–2 | 8–1 | 1547 | ||||
| 2016 | 12–1 | 9–0 | 1545 | ||||
| 2015 | 10–4 | 6–2 | 1515 | ||||
| 2014 | 11–4 | 7–1 | 1539 | ||||
| 2013 | 9–4 | 4–3 | 1465 | ||||
| 2012 | 9–3 | 6–1 | 1535 | ||||
| 2011 | 12–0 | 7–0 | 1538 | ||||
| 2010 | 5–5 | 3–3 | 1327 | ||||
| 2009 | 5–6 | 3–4 | 1290 | ||||
| 2008 | 2–1 | 1361 | |||||
| 2007 | 6–4 | 4–2 | 1329 | ||||
| 2006 | 6–5 | 4–2 | 1299 | ||||
| 2005 | 3–7 | 2–4 | 1295 | ||||
| 2004 | 10–2 | 4–1 | 1416 | ||||
| 2003 | 2–9 | 1–4 | 1140 | ||||
| 2002 | 0–1 | 1285 |
Every season back to 1919 (32 more)
| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1–1 | 1307 | |||||
| 2000 | 1–0 | 1287 | |||||
| 1999 | 0–2 | 1235 | |||||
| 1998 | 0–1 | 1257 | |||||
| 1997 | 0–1 | 1255 | |||||
| 1996 | 0–2 | 1245 | |||||
| 1993 | 0–1 | 1257 | |||||
| 1992 | 0–1 | 1238 | |||||
| 1990 | 0–2 | 1228 | |||||
| 1988 | 0–1 | 1213 | |||||
| 1987 | 0–1 | 1180 | |||||
| 1981 | 0–1 | 1179 | |||||
| 1950 | 0–1 | 1194 | |||||
| 1948 | 0–1 | 1198 | |||||
| 1941 | 0–2 | 1204 | |||||
| 1939 | 1–0 | 1221 | |||||
| 1936 | 0–2 | 1209 | |||||
| 1935 | 0–1 | 1237 | |||||
| 1934 | 0–1 | 1284 | |||||
| 1933 | 0–1 | 1341 | |||||
| 1932 | 0–1 | 1428 | |||||
| 1931 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1420 | ||||
| 1930 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1420 | ||||
| 1929 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1392 | ||||
| 1928 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1371 | ||||
| 1927 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1346 | ||||
| 1926 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1292 | ||||
| 1925 | 0–2 | J.W. Jones | 1212 | ||||
| 1924 | 0–1 | J.W. Jones | 1087 | ||||
| 1923 | 0–2 | 1090 | |||||
| 1922 | 0–1 | 1094 | |||||
| 1919few games on file | 0–1 | 1097 |
Officially 583–501–34 since 1912 (per Wikipedia, rechecked weekly); game by game here, 172–137 (309 of its 1,118 games are on file). Our file starts in 1919; the program began in 1912. Some games are missing from our source.
No season on file for 1920–21, 1937–38, 1940, 1942–47, 1949, 1951–80, 1982–86, 1989, 1991, 1994–95: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.