Sam Houston Bearkats football
| Sam Houston Bearkats football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1912; 113 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Bobby Williams | ||
| Head coach | Phil Longo 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Bowers Stadium (capacity: 14,000) | ||
| Field surface | Real Grass Pro Artificial Surface | ||
| Location | Huntsville, Texas | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Conference USA | ||
| All-time record | 573–489–36 (.538) | ||
| Bowl record | 3–1–1 (.700) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 2 (NAIA): 1964 (Div. I FCS): 2020 | ||
| Playoff record | 24–12 | ||
| Conference titles | 15 | ||
| Rivalries | Stephen F. Austin (rivalry) Texas State (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Orange and white | ||
| Fight song | Bearkat Fight Song | ||
| Mascot | Sammy Bearkat | ||
| Marching band | Bearkat Marching Band | ||
| Outfitter | Under Armour | ||
| Website | GoBearkats.com | ||
The Sam Houston Bearkats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Sam Houston State University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Sam Houston's first football team was fielded in 1912. The team plays its home games at the 14,000-seat Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. On December 18, 2024, Phil Longo was named the 16th head coach in Sam Houston program history.
In July 2021, the Bearkats left the Southland Conference to join the Western Athletic Conference, which relaunched its football league at the FCS level at that time. Just a few months later, on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level beginning in the 2023–24 season.