Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football
Intercollegiate American football team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Intercollegiate American football team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Texas A&M University–Kingsville located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the Division II and is a member of the Lone Star Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1929. The team plays its home games at the 15,000-seat Javelina Stadium.
| Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1929 |
| Head coach | Mike Salinas 4th season, 19–15 (.559) |
| Stadium | Javelina Stadium (capacity: 15,000) |
| Location | Kingsville, Texas |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | Lone Star Conference |
| Division | South |
| Bowl record | 9–3 (.750) |
| Claimed national titles | NAIA: 7 (1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979) |
| Conference titles | 33 (27 LSC, 4 Alamo, 2 TCAA) |
| Division titles | 7 |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| Website | javelinaathletics.com |
In 1929, the school joined the original Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association. By the time that TIAA folded, the "Fighting Javelinas" had won two football championships. Following this, the school competed independently for several years. They moved from competing with junior colleges and teachers colleges to competing against larger schools throughout the state. One highlight of this period included a football game that pitted the Javelinas against the Aggies of Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station. The Javelinas led the game until the Aggies tied the game at 14 with three minutes left to play. The game ended in a tie. However, the Javelinas demonstrated that they could hold their own with a large football powerhouse. This further substantiated the team's nickname as "the toughest little team in the nation."[2][3]
In 1934, the school participated in the Lone Star Conference on a probationary period. In 1935, the school joined the Alamo Conference. By 1937, the Javelinas captured their first Alamo Conference co-championship (with St. Mary's). The next year, the Javelinas won their first outright Alamo Conference football championship. This led to a string of football championships and the school's recognition as a football powerhouse.[4]
For the 1954 season, A&I was finally inducted into the Lone Star Conference (LSC). By 1959, the Javelinas won the first in a long string of LSC championships. Since then, the school has remained a perennial conference powerhouse, winning 27 championships. During the years that the Lone Star Conference was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Javelinas also picked up seven national championships. During the decade of the 1970s, the Javelinas won five NAIA national championships and went undefeated from the last game of 1973 through third game of 1977.[5][6][7]
After the Lone Star Conference joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II in 1980, the Javelinas continued their conference, regional, and national success. The school changed its name from Texas A&I to Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1993. One year later, the Javelinas played in the 1994 NCAA Division II National Football Championship, only to lose to the University of North Alabama 16–10. The school has been in NCAA Division II since 1980, after being in the NAIA from 1955–1980.[5][6][8][9]
Notable alumni include:
While known as Texas A&I, the Javelinas won seven NAIA national championship titles.
| Year | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Gil Steinke |
| 1969 | Gil Steinke |
| 1970 | Gil Steinke |
| 1974 | Gil Steinke |
| 1975 | Gil Steinke |
| 1976 | Gil Steinke |
| 1979 | Ron Harms |
The Javelinas have won 33 conference titles since 1936. They have also won seven Lone Star South Division titles (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009).
From 1942 to 1945, the Javelina had no team due to World War II. Gil Steinke has the most victories coached as a Javelina. Steinke and Ron Harms are both in the College Football Hall of Fame.
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