The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA.

On December 18, 2024, Phil Longo was named the 16th head coach in Sam Houston program history.

[3] Just a few months later, on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level beginning in the 2023–24 season.

[4] Sam Houston has fielded a football team since 1912 and have played continuously since 1946 following World War II.

The Bearkats competed independently from 1912 through 1923, in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) from 1924 to 1931, in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1932 to 1981, in NCAA Division II from 1982 to 1985 and in the Southland Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS from 1986 to 2021.

[3] Just a few months later, on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join FBS Conference USA beginning in the 2023–24 season.

[4] The Bearkats won their first FCS National Championship in the 2020–21 college football season, beating South Dakota State 23–21.

[6] Sam Houston State also has 3 bowl victories in four games, and one claimed National Championship from NAIA in the 1964 season.

[7] Ron Randleman is Sam Houston's and the Southland Conference's all-time winningest coach with 131 wins over a span of 23 years.

The final football game played on Pritchett Field was a victory for the Bearkats with a score of 51–7, defeating Washburn University.

[18] On April 18, 2013,[19] football was played on Pritchett Field for the first time since 1985 for the annual Orange-White spring game.

However, 16,148 fans packed Bowers Stadium in 1994 to watch Alcorn State led by NFL bound quarterback Steve McNair in a 48–23 SAM HOUSTON victory on regional ABC-TV.

Sam Houston has had 30 alumni play in the National Football League, with 21 players selected in the Draft.