Howard Payne University
4-6 2025 finalHoward Payne is the Brownwood, Texas Baptist college competing in Division III, navigating a transition year after coaching change with local pride intact.
Quiet weeks in Yellow Jackets country.
Howard Payne is the Brownwood, Texas Baptist college competing in Division III, navigating a transition year after coaching change with local pride intact.
Howard Payne went 4-6 in 2025 (2-4 ASC) under first-year head coach Coby Gipson. The Yellow Jackets are navigating a coaching transition and rebuilding. The 2025 season was challenging, but the question in Brownwood is whether Gip…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Howard Payne University sits 3rd in the American Southwest Conference and 117th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hardin-Simmons | 5-1 | 9-2 | 65.2 |
| 2 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 5-1 | 7-3 | 61.5 |
| 3 | Howard Payne | 2-4 | 4-6 | 50.7 |
| 4 | East Texas Baptist University | 0-6 | 4-6 | 45.6 |
Win the American Southwest Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 36-18 over East Texas Baptist University; toughest day 9-65 against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Pulse on Howard Payne University
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Howard Payne University
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Howard Payne University · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Home-Field Advantage · Howard Payne University · 2018-present
Strong
52% home win rate vs 35% on the road. margin runs +11.3 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Schedule Strength · Howard Payne University · 2025
Hard
Average opponent win rate 63% across 7 finalized games. Strong conference slate — wins here carry full weight in Super Region selection.
Moment of the Year · Howard Payne University · 2025
Won 36-18 vs East Texas Baptist University
Week 7 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
From the Archive — Howard Payne University
2024: Lost 27-29 at Southwestern Assemblies Of God
In 2024, the program lost 27-29 at Southwestern Assemblies Of God — a close road result, 2 points either way.
Go Yellow Jackets.