Texas Wesleyan football eyes second SAC championship, new stadium in 2023 season

In 2016, Joe Prud’homme was given the task of rebuilding Texas Wesleyan University football program. Six years later, the Rams will defend the Sooner Athletic Conference championship.

Texas Wesleyan hadn’t fielded a team since 1941 when Purd’homme. was tabbed the head coach.

The program heads into the 2023 season with higher expectations and new facilities on the horizon — Karen Cramer Stadium,

a $16.5 million project that has withstood minor setbacks.

Ricky Dotson, the athletic director at Texas Wesleyan, said they’ve just been “typical building issues.”

The team has played its home games at Fort Worth’s historic Farrington Fieldwhile waiting on the new stadium, which had been talked about since 2017.

Dotson said the long wait is attributed to COVID-19 and trying to find adequate funding.

“It was a matter of getting our ducks in a row,” said Dotson. “There’s no question it’s going to be a game changer for us.”

Part of the funding came from the namesake of the project, Karen Cramer, who pledged to donate $5 million in 2021 to support the construction of the stadium.

“We’re just trying to move forward as best as we can,” said Dotson. “But it’ll be worth whatever we’re going through in order to have this place on campus.”

For Prud’homme, he and his team are just working on what they can control.

“We’re just focused on practicing,” said Prud’homme. “It’s hard for me to tell the guys we’re going to move in at this time and then there’s a delay.”

The school had plans in place to build the stadium when Prud’homme was hired.

Dotson and Prud’homme are both hopeful the team will start using the field this fall. Thus, the Rams must practice off campus.

“The facilities crew is working hard and we’re excited to use it when we can,” said Prud’homme. “And it’ll make a big difference because it’s tough to drive everywhere for practices.”

Karen Cramer Stadium was planned in three phases. The first is a practice field and an NCAA-certified track with lights. Phase two is a field house.

Phase three is the building of bleachers, concessions and a press box. This last phase recognizes the enhanced fan and media attraction.

“We want to be able to have that experience on our campus and get people to our campus to see it,” said Dotson. “It will be a really big opportunity to showcase our university.”

Other than wins by forfeit, the Rams were winless in their first season. The Rams earned their first on-field win since the program ended in 1941 with a 36-7 win over Texas College in 2018.

Ever since, the team has steadily improved.

The Rams ended 2018 with two wins and three in 2019. COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 season, but in the two games they did play, they had a 1-1 record. In 2021, they won seven games before finishing the 2022 season 9-2, which ended with a co-conference championship.

Prud’homme said the team has exceeded expectations, but its hopeful the Rams “take it up another notch” this season.

“Our expectation is to grow from last year, build on the things we didn’t do well, win a conference championship and make a run in the playoffs,” he said.

Dotson said he knew the team would reach the top of the conference, but it was a surprise that it happened so soon, especially because the team was started from scratch.

“It’s a difficult thing to go into a conference with established schools,” said Dotson. “I believe the consistency will be there moving forward.”

One of the most important parts of the program’s consistency is the buy-in Prud’homme has from his athletes. He credited the quick success to the players and the coaching staffing, who he said all had to overcome the obstacles that came with a lack of facilities.

The toughest part of starting a new NAIA program for Prud’homme was seeing the rough first seasons. It felt like the program was close to so good, but fell short. It might have had something to do with the lack of facilities, but there was also a lack of experience within the players.

Prud’homme chose to focus his recruiting on high schoolers, which helped him realize he just needed some patience. That patience paid off.

“If they come through the system, they’re part of the growing process,” he said. “They’re a part of the evolution of what we’re doing.”

Dotson commended Prud’homme’s coaching job and what he has done with the young program.

“We’ve settled into a program now that we’ve been around for 5-6 years,” he said. “Our expectations are pretty high.”

It troubles Prud’homme telling his players they’ll have to wait a little bit longer for their new facility, but he knows it’s important to focus on perfecting their craft right now because that’s what will be important come fall.

“They’re excited to get their own place,” said Prud’homme. “But it’s not where we play, it’s how we play.”

The Rams averaged 45 points per game last season while only allowing their opponents an average of 15 points per game. They will open up their 2023 MAIA campaign against John Melvin University on Aug. 26 at Farrington Field.

Dotson said the university will be open to any opportunities that will help bring more exposure to the university.

“We’re never going to just shut it down and be good with where we are,” said Dotson. “We’re going to continue to move forward. We want to win a national championship.”