About Texan Football
Tarleton Football has a rich tradition of success at every level of competition. Dating back to the early 1900s, Tarleton dominated the Junior College circuit through the 1960 season before becoming a four-year institution in 1961. Tarleton competed in the TIAA Conference at the NAIA level until 1994 when the university joined NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. In 2020, Tarleton made its biggest jump ever by making the move to NCAA Division I at the FCS level. They spent their first season as an FCS Independent program before being a part of the revival of Western Athletic Conference (WAC) football in 2021.
Tarleton saved its best two seasons for the last in Division II as the Texans completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and conference championships in 2018-19. In each of those seasons, Tarleton reached the NCAA playoffs including a trip to the Super Region IV Finals in 2018.
In its first two seasons as a Division I program, Tarleton has battled through adversity and persevered to back-to-back winning seasons all inside the 2021 calendar year. The Texans won five games in the COVID-19 spring campaign, which included its first win over an FBS program, and then turned around a 6-win campaign in the fall of 2021.
Our Head Coach
There’s no better man to guide the Texans into NCAA Division I than its all-time wins leader, Todd Whitten. Following his second straight undefeated regular season and LSC Championship, Whitten was tabbed to see the Texans through its transition to NCAA Division I with a new six-year contract.
“Coach Whitten has been an instrumental part of my life since I arrived at Tarleton and I have no doubt he will continue to be a part of my life forever. He gave me an opportunity to play football again when I thought my career was over. He will go down as one of the greatest coaches in Tarleton State University history and I’m honored to have been a part of what he’s built in Stephenville.
“The way he dissects, and studies game film then translates it is second to none. He helped me understand the game in a way where everything slows down for me. He made me into the quarterback I am today and without him, I’m not sure I would be getting the opportunity to play at the next level. Under Coach Whitten’s leadership, I expect the same kind of success at the next level. He will have the Texans ready to compete no matter who is on the schedule. Coach Whitten knows how to win – period.”
- Ben Holmes Former Tarleton Quarterback (2018-19)
The HOME OF TEXAN FOOTBALL
For more than six decades the fortunes of the Tarleton Texans have played out on the gridiron at Memorial Stadium.
Guided by the likes of former coaches W. J. Wisdom, Earl Rudder, Buddy Fornes and current head coach Todd Whitten, the Texans built a legacy of excellence, much in the confines of their home arena. Playing host to opponents from the Pioneer Conference, the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Lone Star Conference and now NCAA Division I FCS, the venerable facility has witnessed championship seasons, postseason bowl invitations, and players who have excelled and advanced into the professional ranks.
The stadium owes its very existence, as well as upgrades and additions over its 65-year life, to the generosity of local supporters of Tarleton’s athletic programs.
In the late 1940s, during the administration of President E.J. Howell, local leaders and influential alumni forged a committee to collect the $100,000 necessary to build the stadium. While early efforts proved fruitful, gathering $55,000 within the first year, the drive stalled before being brought back to life by Mary Hope Westbrook, head of the English Department. Westbrook assumed leadership of the group, which then met its funding goal. By October 1948, crews began construction, bulldozing eight acres to make way for the stadium. The initial structure, made of reinforced concrete, seated 6,000 fans in 32 rows of steel bleachers. In 1950, a regulation cinder track was installed around the football field and, in 1951, the building opened.
Several rounds of upgrades, most funded by university benefactors, have occurred over time. A major renovations in 1977, financed by a then-ambitious $475,000 local fund-raising drive, added the now-iconic berm on the east side, replaced the old steel seats, extended the bleachers on the west side and built the press box. A $2 million project, which began in 1988, expanded seating to 7,600, added concession areas and built the current field house. In addition, track and field facilities were renovated and named for legendary track coach Oscar Frazier. In 2019, a brand-new grandstand was built on the west side of Memorial Stadium to increase the seating to nearly 17,000 and provide a first-class experience for the Texan faithful. A new state-of-the-art video board was added on the south side of the stadium as a part of the renovation. The complete project was a $26 million renovation.
