Kicking off Texan football with the class of 2030

BY DREW FLEMING 

Executive Producer 

The Tarleton State University freshman class of 2030 celebrated the start of the 2026 football season this past Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. The week 0 game, known as the “Chancellor's Cup,” was a battle between sister schools that are both a part of the A&M system, Tarleton and Prairie View A&M. 

 To celebrate the start of each football season, the incoming class takes part in the “Freshman Run.” This year, the Stephenville campus welcomed over 4,600 new Texans. 

They were all invited to participate in the annual freshman run across the football field to kick off the first game of the season.

The freshman run is a fun and welcoming tradition that excites the incoming class. Every participant gets a purple and white jersey with the class’s graduation year on it, and it’s a wonderful way for new students to begin their first football experience in Memorial Stadium. 

Lexi Gregory, a freshman from Azle, Texas, took part in the freshman run on Saturday.        

“Tarleton has been so welcoming,” Gregory said. "I’ve met so many new people. So, I love the opportunity to do the freshman run with all my new friends I’ve made here. Especially with how big our freshman class is, it’s so fun to see everyone come to the football game and come together to do the run.”

 The Tarleton campus is a tight-knit community that can make anyone feel like family.

 Paige Griffin is also a freshman at Tarleton and already a big fan of Texan football. 

“I love Tarleton for taking the time to do something like this for us freshmen,” Griffin said. “I know my friends and I were all so excited to participate since we first heard about the freshman run at Duck Camp. It was a little scary running on the field with so many people, and with so many people watching, but it ended up being so fun.”

 After the freshman run, the class of 2030 celebrated winning the inaugural Chancellor's Cup and Tarleton’s victory over Prairie View A&M.