Howard Payne University · Next-Season Outcome Band2000
Rivalry with McMurry
Historic West Texas rivalry between Howard Payne and McMurry
Howard Payne University4-6Hope-Doping·Offseason
Howard Payne is the Brownwood, Texas Baptist college competing in Division III, navigating a transition year after coaching change with local pride intact.
Title DroughtSince 2020 · 5 yrs
Fans here believe no chip — Howard Payne plays for the institution and the city.
low signal
Quiet weeks in Yellow Jackets country.
Howard Payne University · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 2-10
Base 4-8
Ceiling 7-5
floor2-10Rebuild year. Below .500.
base4-8Mid-table finish.
ceiling7-5Conference title race. Bracket qualifier in range.
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Streak L1Last 5 · 2-3Last 10 · 4-6
The forecast
Opens Sep 5
vs Pacific (OR) · away
Game Week
11 days
until kickoff · at Pacific (OR) · Sat Sep 5 · 02:00 UTC
The experience
Howard Payne is the Brownwood, Texas Baptist college competing in Division III, navigating a transition year after coaching change with local pride intact.
DIVISION III · THE PATH TO THE STAGG BOWL
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.
American Southwest · 2025
| 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 |
50.7 CFB Zeitgeist#117 of 240 D354.5 strength of schedule
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.
Source: CFB Zeitgeist — conference records + NPI-style rating from 2025 games · the field is 40 teams, NPI-selected
THE 2025 SEASON · 4-6
Signature win 36-18 over East Texas Baptist University; toughest day 9-65 against Mary Hardin Baylor.
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Howard Payne University
—
Quiet weeks in Yellow Jackets country.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
"Go Howard Payne"
— Howard Payne University fanbase · recurring line
0 mentions · awaiting signal
Player stats — 2025 season
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
Howard Payne University · 2025 schedule & results4-6Hard slateAverage opponent win rate 63%.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sep 5 | — | — | — | Pacific (OR) | W 21–13 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #502 | #464 | — | @Texas Lutheran | W 28–18 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #498 | — | — | Wayland Baptist | L 18–21 | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #446 | #475 | — | @McMurry | L 24–31 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #457 | #421 | — | @Hardin Simmons | L 14–69 | 2-3 | 0-1 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #476 | #449 | — | East Texas Baptist University | W 36–18 | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #462 | #411 | — | @Mary Hardin Baylor | L 17–41 | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #476 | #294 | — | Hardin Simmons | L 24–54 | 3-5 | 1-3 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #497 | #510 | — | @East Texas Baptist University | W 34–27 | 4-5 | 2-3 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #499 | #360 | — | Mary Hardin Baylor | L 9–65 | 4-6 | 2-4 |
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. Gordon Wood Stadium seats 7,500.
Home10-9Away6-11
Venue texture
83°F average kickoff temp; 0% of games had measurable precipitation; 7 mph average wind.
Based on 5 home games with weather data.
All-Time Record
30-59-1
since 1913 · 36 seasons · .333 win rate
HOME
12-14-1
AWAY
16-44
NEUTRAL
2-1
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
2020s
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
Moment of the Year · Howard Payne University · 2025
Moment of the Year · Howard Payne University · 2025Won 36-18 vs East Texas Baptist University
Week 7 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
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