July 29, 2026 • 11 mins
Mike "Harball" Hardge and The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry, speak with Tarleton State University President Dr. James Hurley about the upcoming Tarleton Football season. It's all here on The Morning Kickoff!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to our number two of the morning kickoff
right here on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred to Zone
and always free on the iHeartRadio app, and our number
one we talk Texas versus Ohio State. As the Texas
Longhorns are thirty eight days away from kickoff against Texas State.
We also got a chance to finish up the hour
(00:22):
talking about Texas basketball as they are getting ready for
another fun field basketball season. Texas is thirty eight days
away from kickoff, but Charleton State is thirty one days
away from kicking off it's football season and hopeful to
have another successful season with their conference. In here, we
(00:47):
are being joined by the president of Charleton State, doctor
James Hurley, and Doc I wanted to talk to you
about this because, as someone who knows about Tarleton's my
son went to Tarlton State. Very exciting time for Tarleton State.
There's a lot that has transpired in a very short
(01:09):
period of time, and talk about all the changes that
have happened now with Tarleton State.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, good morning, Mike and Mark. We're big fans of
both of you down here in Stephenville. Up here in Stephenville,
I should say, but we're excited about what's going on here.
Record enrollment for the seventh consecutive year, were the fastest
growing public university not only in the state of Texas,
but among the top three fastest growing comprehensive public universities.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
In the nation. So a lot of momentum, a lot
of excitement.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Certainly, the transition to Division one athletics that we spoke
about I think six years ago helped catapult the awareness
and the brand awareness not only across Texas but across
the nation.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
As we continue to look at the growth of all
sports in college athletics, the changes that have happened, there's
a lot of changes that had to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
From going from.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
D two to D one, you had to build a
bigger stadium for football, you had to improve the facilities,
and now you have a brand new basketball arena that
has started to just really gain a lot of traction
of being one of those premier places to play at.
I was part of wisdom, Jym, so I understood about
(02:27):
the aura of Charlton State. But now with all the changes,
the game has been stepped up quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, we're excited about the EECU, and so this Friday
for example, Mike, we will have our summer commencement nearly
ten thousand seats, and it's just really a much different
venue than Wisdom, and Wisdom served its rightful purpose for
fifty plus years, and as we elevated to Division one
(02:55):
and just wanted to play on a bigger stage and
the university has grown so much, we needed a new
arena not just for basketball venue basketball venue, but a
venue that we could host complications and commencements and other
community activities such as concerts and those types of events.
So it's been a real game changer. Our football attendants
(03:16):
were among the top five in the nation among fcs.
Really proud of that. We'll open against Prairieview here and
I think thirty days, twenty nine days, and we'll have
a sellout crowd twenty five thousand fans and it's just
going to be a really neat atmosphere.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
I was just about to touch the fact that openings,
the openings game, y'all are going against the top twenty
five team Prairieview on ESPN. That's on August twenty ninth.
Coach Tremaine Jackson, you know, was one of those guys
that recently was in the media about them not being
(03:57):
you know, highly regarded enough to get invited to the
Texas High School Coaches Association. Y'all are jumping right in
the fire, y'all like we want all the smoke.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Well, let me start by saying, I'm a huge fan
of Tamikia, the president their Prairie View. In fact, she
and I were on the phone this past weekend. They're
bringing their ban up Mark. How fun is that them
and their fans on an experience for our fans and
to get to experience one of the best bands not
only in Texas but in the nation and a highly celebrited,
(04:30):
celebrated HBCU. I personally believe that that's the We have
the best HBCU in the nation right here in Texas
with Prairie View. And I'm a big fan of coach
Sjackson and the program that he's building and the way
they do things.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Their at Prairie Prairie View is first class.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Of course, we're in the same system together here in
the Texas A and M system system, so their sister
school with us, and just a tremendous amount of respect
for their program, for their university.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They their first class and I think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
It's going to be a great game, and it's the
inaugural Chancellor's Cup, and so not that.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
There wasn't enough uh.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Pressure on her football teams and football coaches and and universities,
and the Chancellor brought it to another level when he
has launched the inaugural Chancellor's Cup at this football game.
So a lot of anxiety around here, and I'm sure
a career of view as well.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Now there's so much building that y'all done, not just
in football but in wrestling and other sports like uh,
the standard of the standard here in Texas. What they
always say, what what is the credo that you run by?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Well, I mean, so our you know, our credo, our
mantra here is it's it's us Texans against everyone else.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
That that's kind of our inner battle cry.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
But Mark, what I what I think you're looking for
is why are we using athletics in the manner that
we are to.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Elevate at the university.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It's because, to answer your question, our faculty, our staff,
and our students have heard me often say that athletics
will never be the most important endeavor we embark upon,
but it is the most visible and both of you
know that you both have seen universities use athletics to
raise the visibility of the profile of the institution, and
(06:23):
what that has led to is record enrollment, record fundraising,
record research, and athletics is a big part of that.
That win over Army last year catapulted us from a
national brand awareness more than anything we could possibly do,
and I've got I'm really blessed to have a great
faculty and staff and alumni that also see the value
(06:46):
of this and we use it as a catapult for
the entire university market.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
I love it. We're talking to doctor James Hurley, president
of Charleton State University. The Tarleton State, Texas will be
opening the football season thirty one days away, taking on
the prayerview and am panthas. I love it. I love
the fact that you guys are getting after it early
in the season. You know, Texas will be playing Texas
(07:14):
State thirty eight days. You guys will actually get the
season started a little bit earlier than everybody else. But
I wanted to ask you this because you're in a
new conference. But you left the WHAC Conference, not really left,
you just rebranded it. But you got on your way
out to the new conference. You now are the WHAC
(07:35):
Commissioners Cup champions. And for somebody that has watched the
growth of Tarleton, I don't think we get excited when
Texas is now the lear Field and the Capitol one
and they're the leader in it. But that is something
that if you've watched the growth of this program, that's
something that you are definitely, definitely in your alumni are
(07:57):
definitely proud of.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
We really are, and you speak of Texas if you
think back six or seven years ago, now we want
We launched what was called the Future Summit when we
were laying out our strategic plan, and one of our
four speakers was none other than Chris del Conti, and
we had him to come to Tarleton State and really
(08:19):
talk about the value of Division one intercollegiate athletics because, remember, Mike,
we were making that transition.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm a huge CDC fan.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
He and I speak, you know, I wouldn't say often,
but once every two or three months I call upon
Chris just to give me some outside counsel and advice
on some things that we're considering doing. And our athletic
director does the same right, and so the blueprint that
Chris helped lay out for this institution is really played
(08:51):
out well.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Now we are the Commissioner's Cup champion.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We won eight conference championships last year and that's a
record for the university. And again it just shows to
Mark's point, all across the board, from baseball, the softball,
to volleyball, to all the other soccer, all the sports,
track and field. We have one of the best track
and field programs in the country, not only in the
(09:15):
conference but in the country. So just really proud of
the championships, but I'm more proud of how our student
athletes are representing us.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Outside of the courts.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And the playing fields, inside the classrooms, the labs, and
the communities we serve.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
We're going to let you go with this. Where do
you see Tarleton State in the next five years? Because
you're always looking forward and you're preparing for the next
thing with nil and everything else that's going on, how
do you see Tarleton continuing to progress as time goes on.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, I think we'll certainly surpass thirty to thirty two
thousand students, will continue to be one of the fastest
growing public universities in the country. Too much infrastructure, our
Texas A and M system and our chancellors because their
continued investments incredible and I think your athletic program is
going to continue to rise, and we're going to continue
(10:10):
to receive a lot of inquiries on where we want
to be next. Do we remain FCS and continue to
win championships or does a conference you know, want to
invite us.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
To move up to the FBS level.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Those are all things we have to wait and see
and and weigh out and what's in the best interest
of the university. But we want to win at the
highest level possible, whatever that level is.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Well as always, you know, you got my support, you
got my family support, and we will be around making
sure that we're helping Tarleton get to that next level
because it is a place that at first I was like,
I don't know about Stephnville, but then fell in love
with it. All the great people that were there, very
supportive of my family, and we continue to support the
(10:55):
university and we want to thank you for taking the
time to come on with us.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I want to thank you and Mark for all that
you do, but more importantly the student athletes that you
highlight each week.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
It means a lot Tall. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
There is doctor James Hurley of Charlton State, the president
of Charlton State. When we come back, we're going to
continue the conversation. The Dallas Cowboys are in camp and
guess what, folks, Yeah, Jerry's talking, but in a good way.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And it's in a good way. Mark, don't get upset.
Don't get up there yet.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, we'll continue that in more right here on the
morning kick off on Sports Radio and thirteen hundred The
Zone and always free on the iHeartRadio app.
Welcome back to our number two of the morning kickoff
right here on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred to Zone
and always free on the iHeartRadio app, and our number
one we talk Texas versus Ohio State. As the Texas
Longhorns are thirty eight days away from kickoff against Texas State.
We also got a chance to finish up the hour
(00:22):
talking about Texas basketball as they are getting ready for
another fun field basketball season. Texas is thirty eight days
away from kickoff, but Charleton State is thirty one days
away from kicking off it's football season and hopeful to
have another successful season with their conference. In here, we
(00:47):
are being joined by the president of Charleton State, doctor
James Hurley, and Doc I wanted to talk to you
about this because, as someone who knows about Tarleton's my
son went to Tarlton State. Very exciting time for Tarleton State.
There's a lot that has transpired in a very short
(01:09):
period of time, and talk about all the changes that
have happened now with Tarleton State.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, good morning, Mike and Mark. We're big fans of
both of you down here in Stephenville. Up here in Stephenville,
I should say, but we're excited about what's going on here.
Record enrollment for the seventh consecutive year, were the fastest
growing public university not only in the state of Texas,
but among the top three fastest growing comprehensive public universities.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
In the nation. So a lot of momentum, a lot
of excitement.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Certainly, the transition to Division one athletics that we spoke
about I think six years ago helped catapult the awareness
and the brand awareness not only across Texas but across
the nation.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
As we continue to look at the growth of all
sports in college athletics, the changes that have happened, there's
a lot of changes that had to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
From going from.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
D two to D one, you had to build a
bigger stadium for football, you had to improve the facilities,
and now you have a brand new basketball arena that
has started to just really gain a lot of traction
of being one of those premier places to play at.
I was part of wisdom, Jym, so I understood about
(02:27):
the aura of Charlton State. But now with all the changes,
the game has been stepped up quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, we're excited about the EECU, and so this Friday
for example, Mike, we will have our summer commencement nearly
ten thousand seats, and it's just really a much different
venue than Wisdom, and Wisdom served its rightful purpose for
fifty plus years, and as we elevated to Division one
(02:55):
and just wanted to play on a bigger stage and
the university has grown so much, we needed a new
arena not just for basketball venue basketball venue, but a
venue that we could host complications and commencements and other
community activities such as concerts and those types of events.
So it's been a real game changer. Our football attendants
(03:16):
were among the top five in the nation among fcs.
Really proud of that. We'll open against Prairieview here and
I think thirty days, twenty nine days, and we'll have
a sellout crowd twenty five thousand fans and it's just
going to be a really neat atmosphere.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
I was just about to touch the fact that openings,
the openings game, y'all are going against the top twenty
five team Prairieview on ESPN. That's on August twenty ninth.
Coach Tremaine Jackson, you know, was one of those guys
that recently was in the media about them not being
(03:57):
you know, highly regarded enough to get invited to the
Texas High School Coaches Association. Y'all are jumping right in
the fire, y'all like we want all the smoke.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Well, let me start by saying, I'm a huge fan
of Tamikia, the president their Prairie View. In fact, she
and I were on the phone this past weekend. They're
bringing their ban up Mark. How fun is that them
and their fans on an experience for our fans and
to get to experience one of the best bands not
only in Texas but in the nation and a highly celebrited,
(04:30):
celebrated HBCU. I personally believe that that's the We have
the best HBCU in the nation right here in Texas
with Prairie View. And I'm a big fan of coach
Sjackson and the program that he's building and the way
they do things.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Their at Prairie Prairie View is first class.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Of course, we're in the same system together here in
the Texas A and M system system, so their sister
school with us, and just a tremendous amount of respect
for their program, for their university.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They their first class and I think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
It's going to be a great game, and it's the
inaugural Chancellor's Cup, and so not that.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
There wasn't enough uh.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Pressure on her football teams and football coaches and and universities,
and the Chancellor brought it to another level when he
has launched the inaugural Chancellor's Cup at this football game.
So a lot of anxiety around here, and I'm sure
a career of view as well.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Now there's so much building that y'all done, not just
in football but in wrestling and other sports like uh,
the standard of the standard here in Texas. What they
always say, what what is the credo that you run by?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Well, I mean, so our you know, our credo, our
mantra here is it's it's us Texans against everyone else.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
That that's kind of our inner battle cry.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
But Mark, what I what I think you're looking for
is why are we using athletics in the manner that
we are to.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Elevate at the university.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It's because, to answer your question, our faculty, our staff,
and our students have heard me often say that athletics
will never be the most important endeavor we embark upon,
but it is the most visible and both of you
know that you both have seen universities use athletics to
raise the visibility of the profile of the institution, and
(06:23):
what that has led to is record enrollment, record fundraising,
record research, and athletics is a big part of that.
That win over Army last year catapulted us from a
national brand awareness more than anything we could possibly do,
and I've got I'm really blessed to have a great
faculty and staff and alumni that also see the value
(06:46):
of this and we use it as a catapult for
the entire university market.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
I love it. We're talking to doctor James Hurley, president
of Charleton State University. The Tarleton State, Texas will be
opening the football season thirty one days away, taking on
the prayerview and am panthas. I love it. I love
the fact that you guys are getting after it early
in the season. You know, Texas will be playing Texas
(07:14):
State thirty eight days. You guys will actually get the
season started a little bit earlier than everybody else. But
I wanted to ask you this because you're in a
new conference. But you left the WHAC Conference, not really left,
you just rebranded it. But you got on your way
out to the new conference. You now are the WHAC
(07:35):
Commissioners Cup champions. And for somebody that has watched the
growth of Tarleton, I don't think we get excited when
Texas is now the lear Field and the Capitol one
and they're the leader in it. But that is something
that if you've watched the growth of this program, that's
something that you are definitely, definitely in your alumni are
(07:57):
definitely proud of.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
We really are, and you speak of Texas if you
think back six or seven years ago, now we want
We launched what was called the Future Summit when we
were laying out our strategic plan, and one of our
four speakers was none other than Chris del Conti, and
we had him to come to Tarleton State and really
(08:19):
talk about the value of Division one intercollegiate athletics because, remember, Mike,
we were making that transition.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm a huge CDC fan.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
He and I speak, you know, I wouldn't say often,
but once every two or three months I call upon
Chris just to give me some outside counsel and advice
on some things that we're considering doing. And our athletic
director does the same right, and so the blueprint that
Chris helped lay out for this institution is really played
(08:51):
out well.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Now we are the Commissioner's Cup champion.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We won eight conference championships last year and that's a
record for the university. And again it just shows to
Mark's point, all across the board, from baseball, the softball,
to volleyball, to all the other soccer, all the sports,
track and field. We have one of the best track
and field programs in the country, not only in the
(09:15):
conference but in the country. So just really proud of
the championships, but I'm more proud of how our student
athletes are representing us.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Outside of the courts.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And the playing fields, inside the classrooms, the labs, and
the communities we serve.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
We're going to let you go with this. Where do
you see Tarleton State in the next five years? Because
you're always looking forward and you're preparing for the next
thing with nil and everything else that's going on, how
do you see Tarleton continuing to progress as time goes on.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, I think we'll certainly surpass thirty to thirty two
thousand students, will continue to be one of the fastest
growing public universities in the country. Too much infrastructure, our
Texas A and M system and our chancellors because their
continued investments incredible and I think your athletic program is
going to continue to rise, and we're going to continue
(10:10):
to receive a lot of inquiries on where we want
to be next. Do we remain FCS and continue to
win championships or does a conference you know, want to
invite us.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
To move up to the FBS level.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Those are all things we have to wait and see
and and weigh out and what's in the best interest
of the university. But we want to win at the
highest level possible, whatever that level is.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Well as always, you know, you got my support, you
got my family support, and we will be around making
sure that we're helping Tarleton get to that next level
because it is a place that at first I was like,
I don't know about Stephnville, but then fell in love
with it. All the great people that were there, very
supportive of my family, and we continue to support the
(10:55):
university and we want to thank you for taking the
time to come on with us.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I want to thank you and Mark for all that
you do, but more importantly the student athletes that you
highlight each week.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
It means a lot Tall. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
There is doctor James Hurley of Charlton State, the president
of Charlton State. When we come back, we're going to
continue the conversation. The Dallas Cowboys are in camp and
guess what, folks, Yeah, Jerry's talking, but in a good way.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And it's in a good way. Mark, don't get upset.
Don't get up there yet.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, we'll continue that in more right here on the
morning kick off on Sports Radio and thirteen hundred The
Zone and always free on the iHeartRadio app.
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