Texas Southern: Dishman Backs QB, Shrugs Off Venue Talk; Dr. Jackson Honored by Dash

HOUSTON -- Cris Dishman spent time this week at Houston Texans training camp. He shined the spotlight on his starting quarterback Cam'Ron McCoy, but refused to make playing this season in multiple host stadiums a storyline or crutch for the Tigers.

Asked about the arrangement, the third-year Tigers coach declined to focus on that premise.

“It doesn't matter where we play,” Dishman said. “It's who we play and how we play.”

Texas Southern opens Aug. 29 against North Carolina Central at W.W. Thorne Stadium, the 10,000-seat Aldine Independent School District facility in north Houston that will host five home games. The Tigers return there Nov. 7 for Alabama State. Homecoming against Southern moves to Reliant Stadium on Oct. 24.

The TSU leadership has framed the multi-venue slate as part of its “Road to 100” campaign ahead of the university's centennial, carrying games into communities across the Houston area.

Texas Southern played home games at Shell Energy Stadium in recent seasons under a 2011 agreement that granted the university priority scheduling and protected classics.

Dishman has kept his focus narrower.

“I'm not gonna get caught up in the stadium. I can't do nothing about it. It's out of my control. My job here is to win games, graduate players and do the best I can to make them good young men, husbands and brothers,” Dishman said at Texans camp, per the Houston Chronicle.

The Oct. 24 date carries weight beyond the venue. It marks Marshall Faulk's first trip to Houston as Southern's head coach, and it comes 10 months after the Pro Football Hall of Famer took over a Jaguars program that finished 2-10 last season. Texas Southern beat Southern 35-30 at A.W. Mumford Stadium in 2025 on its way to a 6-5 finish and a 5-3 SWAC record, the program's first winning season since 2000.

It will also be the first HBCU football game played at the venue under its restored name. NRG Energy announced in April that NRG Stadium and NRG Park would return to Reliant Stadium and Reliant Park in August, following approval from the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation. The change lands alongside the Texans' 25th anniversary season.

ABOUT HIS QUARTERBACK

Texas Southern believes it has found the answer at quarterback following K.J. Cooper's departure from the team. Quarterback Cam'Ron McCoy committed to TSU, providing the leadership the Tigers needed in a signal-caller. He played at Southern before arriving in Houston, and Dishman expects the reunion to register.

“I think our quarterback is very special,” Dishman said to the media, per Terrance Harris of The Defender. “Everybody knows he came from Southern ... I think that's going to be a big game for him playing Southern.”

Texas Southern coach Cris Dishman is out at the Texans camp this morning and he let the media in on perhaps the worst kept secret in the market. That's who his QB1 is going into the season.@defendernetwork @TxsuProud @TigerFans @wadesword @RalphSOFKCOH pic.twitter.com/fd1NWIquFy
— Terrance Harris (@TerranceCFB) August 7, 2026

Dishman was careful not to narrow the season to one player.

“Cam is a very special individual. We have a lot of special guys on our team. Cam's got some weapons he can throw to,” he said.

QB Cam'Ron McCoy at Texas Southern Fall Camp | Credit: Jamail Mathews, Unmatched Sports

The supporting cast drew preseason recognition. Offensive lineman Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Roriyon Richardson and tight end Kordell Rodgers earned spots on the preseason All-SWAC second team. Conference coaches and sports information directors picked Texas Southern fourth in the Western Division, one spot ahead of Southern. HBCU Legends predicts a second-place divisional finish for the Tigers.

Texas Southern has been planning for years to resolve the venue question. Recently, the university announced a $1.7 billion campus plan. A key element is building a new football stadium among the facilities to be renovated and rebuilt across the Third Ward campus.

Until then, the Tigers will take the schedule as it comes, starting on Aug. 29 against North Carolina Central.

TSU interim AD, Dr. Paula Jackson to be honored by the Houston Dash | TSU Athletics

Houston Dash to honor Dr. Jackson

Paula Jackson, Texas Southern's interim athletics director, will be honored during the Houston Dash's annual Black Excellence Night on Saturday, Aug. 8 at Shell Energy Stadium.

A pre-match celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. Jackson and the rest of the honoree class will be recognized during the Dash's 7:45 p.m. NWSL match against the Kansas City Current.

The Dash's Black Excellence Night recognizes leaders who broke barriers and widened access in their fields, pairing the in-stadium program with a celebration of Black history and culture across Houston.

The Texas Southern women's soccer team will attend as special guests of the club.

Tickets remain available through the Dash, and fans can add a Black Excellence Night rally towel at checkout.

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