UTSA Roadrunners football UTSA Roadrunners Football is an American football program that represents the University of Texas at San Antonio . The team is coached by former Miami Hurricanes head coach , Larry Coker . UTSA began practicing in August 2010 , and began competing as an NCAA Division I FCS independent on September 3 , 2011 . On November 11 , 2010 , UTSA accepted an invitation for membership within the Western Athletic Conference in the football bowl subdivision . UTSA became an official member of the WAC on July 1 , 2012 , and began their transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) . The team plays its home games at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas , which also serves as home to the Alamo Bowl . In April 2012 , it was announced that UTSA will join Conference USA in 2013 , following its approval from the University of Texas System Board of Regents to allow the school to accept an invitation , negotiate and finalize terms with the league . UTSA is FBS transitional in 2012 and 2013 , and will become a bowl eligible full FBS member in 2014 . History . Start - up and organization ( 2006 – 2011 ) . In February 2006 , the University of Texas at San Antonio approached Carr Sports Associates , Inc . to conduct a feasibility study and make recommendations to the university regarding an expansion of the athletics department . In November of that year , UTSA was given the final results of that study . Following the recommendations of CSA , the university facilitated a student referendum in September 2007 to gauge support for a fee increase . Nearly 66 % of student voters supported the fee increase . In December 2008 , after the approval of the UTSA administration , the university presented the University of Texas System Board of Regents with a long - term plan that followed the feasibility study recommendations to build an $ 84 million athletic complex and the fee increase for their approval . It was approved by the board soon thereafter . In January 2009 , UTSA launched a campaign to raise money for the program dubbed the " Step Up UTSA " initiative . With a goal of $ 15 million USD , the campaign is meant to help fund coaches salaries , player scholarships , and construction of practice fields . On February 4 , 2009 , former Miami Hurricanes head coach Larry Coker announced he had applied for the head coaching job . Later that month it was announced that Coker along with Tulsa ' s co - defensive coordinator Paul Randolph and Mel Tjeerdsma , head coach from Northwest Missouri State were the finalists for the position . On March 5 , 2009 , the " San Antonio Express - News " reported that Larry Coker had earned the position . The next day Coker was officially announced as the Roadrunners ' first head football coach in a press conference . On April 22 , 2009 , Coker announced the addition of Mike Menefee , Eric Roark , and David Ross to the roster as assistant football coaches . On June 4 , 2009 UTSA unveiled the team ' s inaugural helmet design . The design was done by Ohio - based Rickabaugh Graphics , and had final approval by Coker . On January 20 , 2010 , the program announced the hiring of Travis Bush as offensive coordinator . Bush had previously worked in the same capacity for his alma mater , Texas State . Although plans for conference and subdivision affiliation were unclear , Lynn Hickey , UTSA ' s athletic director had strongly hinted at plans for UTSA to join their current conference , the Southland Conference ( a member of the Division I FCS subdivision ) in September 2009 . However in late January 2010 , Hickey stated that the football program would attempt to join the Division I FBS subdivision by 2014 instead , citing an overall disappointment for previous plans . This entailed UTSA joining the subdivision as an independent until finding admission to a conference . On February 3 , 2010 , National Signing Day , UTSA officially announced their inaugural signing class . The twenty - seven students consisted mainly of incoming freshmen , including two transfer students who were currently sophomores at the university . Seven of the student athletes were considered all - state performers from their high school careers . The class was heavily recruited from the Greater San Antonio area , as fourteen players were from such area high schools . Each player for the inaugural class was redshirted during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season . On March 16 , 2010 UTSA announced Neal Neathery as defensive coordinator for the team . Neathery had last served in the same position for Drake . In an effort to move the program to the FBS , UTSA had discussions with the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) about joining that conference after they lost Boise State to the Mountain West Conference during the summer of 2010 . In July 2010 , the Northside Independent School District announced a three - year agreement that allowed UTSA to use Dub Farris Athletic Complex for practice . On September 15 , 2010 , UTSA held its first - ever practice at the stadium . On November 10 , 2010 , it was reported that the WAC had offered UTSA , along with fellow Southland conference member Texas State and Sun Belt Conference member Denver an invitation to join its conference that would take effect in 2012 . Denver would join as a non - football school . Such an invitation was an effort to offset the departures of Boise State , Fresno State , and Nevada to the Mountain West Conference during the 2010 NCAA conference realignment . The following day , UTSA announced it had accepted the invitation . Coker era ( 2011 – present ) . UTSA played its first game against Northeastern State on September 3 , 2011 at the Alamodome . With attendance of 56 , 743 , UTSA set a record for the highest - attended game for an NCAA Division I FCS start - up program . UTSA finished their first season with a record of 4 – 6 , and set a record for the largest average home attendance for a new football program with 35 , 521 . This topped the previous record from South Florida of 33 , 038 in 1997 . UTSA followed up its initial campaign with an 8 – 4 second season as an FBS transitional member , including going 3 – 3 in the WAC . UTSA closed out its season with a 38 – 31 win over rival Texas State before an announced crowd of 39 , 032 at the Alamodome . For the 2012 season , UTSA averaged 29 , 226 in attendance . Due to being a transitional FBS member , UTSA was not eligible for a bowl .