SAN MARCOS, Texas — Kelly Damphousse arrived just before three o’clock on Thursday and grabbed a table near the rail of the second-floor open-air balcony at Ivar’s River Pub. It’s his favorite dining spot on the San Marcos River.
It was 88 degrees. People cooling themselves in the water below wore swim trunks and bikinis. Texas State University’s president sported a pair of slacks and a white button-up shirt under a maroon jacket. There was a small Bobcat pin affixed to his left lapel. His hair was combed neat and damp with perspiration.
Damphousse ordered a cup of black coffee and chased it with a tall glass of ice water. It was his second lunch meeting of the day. He’d previously dined with Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould, who was in town. Now, he picked at a plate of fries and settled in for a talk with me.
This is Part 5 of an ongoing series on the new-world Pac-12 Conference schools. When I launched this independent endeavor, I vowed to give you source, in-depth reporting and commentary you couldn’t get anywhere else. I also vowed to go where the best stories are, surprise you, and take you places you’ve never been.
I tweeted on Thursday that I was in San Marcos to watch Texas State play Colorado State. When my pal Petros Papadakis, the Fox football broadcast analyst, saw my post, he fired back with a single word.
“Why?”