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Philanthropist frees up tickets for Saturday's game between UTSA and Texas State

SAN ANTONIO, TX - SEPTEMBER 24, 2022: The Texas Southern University Tigers fall to the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners 52-24 at the Alamodome (Photo by Jeff Huehn).
Jeff Huehn
/
USA Athletics
The Texas Southern University Tigers fell to the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners 52-24 at the Alamodome in 2022.

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Ticket sales are brisk for Saturday's game between UTSA and Texas State at the Alamodome, greatly bolstered by a local philanthropist. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

Harvey Najim, who has committed $2 million to Roadrunners Football, has purchased more than 7,100 tickets for more than 60 organizations in the area to enjoy UTSA's season home opener at the dome.

"There's a lot of momentum for UTSA right now, but it will really take all of us to get this program to the level where we want it to be," said Jeff Traylor, head football coach. "I am deeply grateful to Harvey and all of our UTSA Athletics supporters for making commitments to ensure that our program remains competitive."

Under Traylor, UTSA won back-to-back Conference USA Championships.

Saturday's game is UTSA's first as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The switch to the new conference is expected to bring greater national exposure to the university's football program, more games versus Texas rivals, and increased recruiting opportunities.

"I hope that as more communities experience the thrill of Roadrunners Football first-hand, other donors, fans, and businesses will be inspired to make investments that ensure the spirit of our UTSA Athletics program resonates across the nation," Najim said.

He encouraged other major donors to take advantage of the Roadrunner Rally Ticket Program like he did for this game.

Ticket sales appear to make it likely the UTSA-Texas State game could go down as one of the most attended in the university's history. Texas State's close proximity in San Marcos is expected to boost a strong showing by Bobcat fans.

According to game notes released by UTSA, Traylor coached Texas State head coach G.J. Kinne during his senior year at Gilmer High School.

The Roadrunners lead the all-time series between the two universities 4-0, including 2-0 at home. Traylor beat the Bobcats in his debut as head coach of the Roadrunners in San Marcos on Sept. 12, 2020, in San Marcos.

UTSA is 32-20 overall under Traylor and 12-4 under him versus Texas teams.

UTSA's 2022 Conference USA Championship banner will be unveiled in the dome during a pregame ceremony.

VIA Metropolitan Transit will serve the 2023 Roadrunner Football home games all season.

Service to the UTSA home games is available at the Crossroads Park & Ride near I-10 and Loop 410 on the Northwest Side.

Buses start running three hours before the game and continue until one hour after the game.

Cash and credit cards are accepted to jump on board. VIA passes, including the VIA U-Pass, are also accepted for event service. Pre-purchase fares in advance with VIA’s free goMobile+ app or within the Uber app too.

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