By Jonah Goldberg

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JUNE 25, 2025 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced Wednesday that Chasse Conque has received a contract extension through 2031 and has been promoted to senior vice president and director of Athletics.

“Chasse Conque’s leadership in athletics has been nothing short of transformative,” said UTRGV President Guy Bailey. “His unwavering focus on student-athlete success, both in competition and in the classroom, reflects our university’s core mission. That same commitment has fueled record-setting fundraising and attendance figures, helping position UTRGV Athletics as a unifying force for the Valley. We are proud to continue this journey and excited for what lies ahead.”

During his first six years at UTRGV, Conque, the 2024 Edinburg Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year, has led UTRGV Athletics through a period of exponential growth. Among his accomplishments are increasing attendance across all sports to over 140,000 this year and overall external generated revenue to over $30 million over the last two years. Part of the historic fan support came from baseball, which ranked 34^th in the NCAA in attendance by drawing a program record 82,258 fans.

The remarkable support during Conque’s tenure allowed UTRGV to move forward with starting football and women’s swimming & diving programs and make a move to the Southland Conference as full-time members. The move to the Southland prioritized regionalism and putting the student-athlete experience at the forefront. This past season, the Vaqueros won a team Southland Conference championship in baseball, three individual championships in indoor track & field, and another three in outdoor track & field.

Conque is currently overseeing $180 million in athletics facility enhancements, funded through revenue generated by UTRGV Athletics – including philanthropic support, ticket sales, and sponsorships. These 13 capital projects, spanning from 2022 to 2027, will touch all 18 athletic programs at UTRGV. This includes the 45,000 square foot state of the art Vaqueros Performance Center, which is set to open in late July, and Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium, which is set to host the first UTRGV football game on Aug. 30. 

During his introductory press conference in August 2019, Conque stated his intention to “Rally the Valley” behind UTRGV Athletics. Rally the Valley has become both a rallying cry and a hashtag for not only athletics, but the university, as its meaning has grown to mean both rallying the Valley behind UTRGV and UTRGV rallying in support of the Rio Grande Valley. 

Part of rallying the Valley is making community service a priority, and UTRGV ranked sixth in the nation in community service hours in 2023-24.

Academically, UTRGV student-athletes have thrived, currently sporting a department record 3.35 cumulative grade point average while posting a department record academic progress rate of 993.

Additionally, thanks to Conque’s efforts, the Vaqueros can now be found in stores, banks and restaurants across the Valley through a major increased in licensed apparel, consumables, and more.

“Lisa and I and our three daughters have been blessed to call the Rio Grande Valley home for nearly six-years, and there is no better place to be right now than UTRGV,” Conque said. “I am fortunate to work for a visionary leader in President Bailey, and I am most grateful for his continued guidance and support of what our department has set out to do.

“We have been blessed with continuity on many fronts, and I am grateful for our coaches, student-athletes, and staff that all share a passion and a sincere dedication to the success of UTRGV Athletics. Combine this with unprecedented Valley-wide support, and we have something extremely special brewing. While we have experienced much success together over the past few years, I am confident that the best days are still ahead for the Vaqueros. V’s up!”