Cory Hogue

Tyler will enter the 2026 season as the team to beat in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference.

The Apaches finished No. 1 in both preseason polls, but the media vote shows how close the race could become. Tyler edged Trinity Valley by only one point, while Snow, Navarro and Kilgore also received plenty of respect.

A look at what both polls reveal about the upcoming SWJCFC race: https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/tyler-enters-2026-as-the-team-to

Most preseason attention goes to the teams expected to compete for conference championships.

But every season, a few programs arrive ahead of schedule, win games nobody expected, and become some of the best stories in Texas college football.

Here are five Texas Non-FBS teams that could surprise people in 2026: https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/five-texas-non-fbs-teams-that-could

The Brendan Sorsby case exposed the NCAA’s difficult position on sports betting.

Division III is taking a more balanced approach by allowing reduced penalties for some first-time violations when competitive integrity is not involved and the student-athlete seeks treatment or support.

That does not excuse gambling. It recognizes that punishment and recovery can work together.

Read more ➡ https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/ncaa-division-iii-seeks-balance-on

The NAIA Football National Championship Game is staying in Texas.

Crowley ISD Multipurpose Stadium in Fort Worth will host the championship for the second consecutive season on Dec. 19.

Keeping the game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area gives the NAIA an opportunity to build a championship tradition while giving Texas football fans another chance to support the levels of the sport that deserve more attention.

Read more about why the championship’s return matters and the opportunity it creates for NAIA football in Texas.



https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/naia-football-championship-returning

Grambling State Announces 2026 Football Home Game Times and Themes - Grambling State University Athletics GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State Athletics announced its home football game times and themes for the 2026 season on Thursday afternoon.

College baseball could look different in 2027, and some of the proposed changes make plenty of sense.

The SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and ACC can afford the technology. Many Southland, Division II and Division III programs cannot. The NCAA cannot continue adding technology without asking how smaller schools and conferences are supposed to pay for it.

🔗 Read at https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/college-baseballs-new-rules-must

NCAA Baseball
Southland Conference
Lone Star Conference
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
American Southwest Conference

What does it actually cost a university to compete in NCAA Division II?

According to the NCAA’s latest financial report, the median Division II athletics department with football recorded $9.21 million in expenses but generated only $1.19 million on its own. The resulting gap was nearly $7.8 million.

The numbers provide important context for the decisions facing Texas Division II programs. Football adds to the expense, but the report shows the cost of operating a Division II athletics department remains substantial even without it.

Read the full story at https://coryhoguesports.substack.com/p/the-division-ii-price-tag



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