Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Summer Preview Sets the Standard for High School Football Coverage Across the Lone Star State Every Year
Every summer, one of the most anticipated traditions in Texas sports takes place—not on a football field, but on newsstands and in mailboxes across the state. It’s the annual release of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, a magazine that has become as much a part of the Texas high school football experience as two-a-day practices, Friday night lights, and small-town rivalries. The magazine’s summer edition is more than a publication—it’s a cultural event, a rite of passage, and the unofficial kickoff to a new football season across the Lone Star State.
Since its first issue in 1960, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has set the gold standard for statewide football previews. Named after the late Waco sportswriter and football historian Dave Campbell, the magazine combines in-depth analysis, historical perspective, and comprehensive coverage of every facet of Texas football—high school, college, and the pros. But it’s the high school football section that resonates most deeply with Texans, as it captures the stories, players, and communities that make the state’s football scene unlike any other.
Each summer, the editorial team at Dave Campbell’s travels thousands of miles across the state, visiting schools, talking to coaches, and evaluating programs from 6A powerhouses to 1A six-man schools. The result is an issue that previews every single high school football team in Texas—all 1,500+ of them—with capsules, predictions, and insight that few other publications can match in either detail or scope. Whether you’re a fan of Allen, Aledo, Mart, or Marathon, the magazine has something for you.
This effort is more than just statistics and rosters. The staff crafts narratives around emerging stars, coaching legends, and rising programs. The profiles humanize players and highlight the deep community bonds forged through football. A feature on a small-town linebacker balancing ranch work and film study might sit beside a write-up on a five-star quarterback with national offers. For many players, seeing their names in the magazine—whether in a headline or in tiny type under a roster—is a dream realized.
The magazine’s predictive elements also generate massive buzz every year. The release of preseason rankings by classification often sparks heated debates across message boards, locker rooms, and booster clubs. Who’s overrated? Who got snubbed? Which dark horse is ready to shock the state? These discussions ripple across communities all summer and become fuel for motivation heading into the fall.
Equally notable is the magazine’s cover, which each year features a prominent Texas football figure. While college and NFL stars occasionally grace the cover, high school phenoms and legendary coaches are just as likely to appear. The cover reveal is often treated like an announcement of national significance in Texas sports circles, with fans speculating for weeks beforehand. The honor is significant—it signals respect, recognition, and expectation.
The team behind Dave Campbell’s Texas Football takes the task seriously. Managing editor Greg Tepper, who has become one of the state’s most respected football voices, leads a crew of dedicated writers, analysts, and photographers who view their work as a mission. Tepper himself is a staple of Texas football media, hosting radio shows, podcasting, and providing year-round coverage that complements the summer issue.
In many ways, the summer magazine is just the beginning. The publication has grown into a year-round brand, producing weekly in-season content, digital rankings, video coverage, and live game broadcasts. But the print magazine remains the heart of the operation—the sacred text of Texas football fandom.
For coaches, the magazine provides a snapshot of how their program is viewed statewide. While some coaches downplay the rankings, many admit to using them as bulletin board material or motivational tools. For younger players, appearing in the preview issue can validate years of hard work and serve as a launching pad to greater exposure. College recruiters, while relying heavily on film and camp evaluations, also keep an eye on the magazine’s player spotlights and All-Texas teams.
Perhaps most importantly, the magazine fosters a shared identity among Texas high school football fans. In a state that spans nearly 270,000 square miles and includes more than 1,000 school districts, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football binds everyone together with a common language and passion. Whether you live in the Piney Woods of East Texas, the oil fields of West Texas, or the border towns of the Rio Grande Valley, the magazine offers a place for your team, your players, and your pride.
It also preserves history. The archives of Dave Campbell’s are a treasure trove of Texas football lore. Coaches and fans alike comb through old editions to find past rankings, team predictions, and early mentions of now-famous players. Alumni returning home years later often pull out tattered copies of their senior-year issue like cherished trophies. In a digital age, the magazine remains one of the last great print traditions in sports journalism.
The 2025 edition continues the legacy with the same blend of depth and dedication. It highlights powerhouse programs like Duncanville and North Shore while also giving love to under-the-radar contenders in rural pockets of the state. The magazine identifies breakout stars, previews district races, and breaks down the playoff outlook across all classifications. It also includes exclusive interviews with top recruits, features on innovative coaching minds, and stories that explore the soul of the sport in Texas.
Among the highlights this year are profiles of a new generation of quarterbacks lighting up 7-on-7 tournaments, a deep dive into the resurgence of programs in the Texas Panhandle, and a historical feature commemorating 100 years of UIL football championships. The magazine even includes predictions for the expanded state playoff format and analysis on how NIL discussions are beginning to influence even the high school level.
Moreover, the magazine gives space to six-man football, a uniquely Texan version of the sport that thrives in the most remote corners of the state. These games, often played on dusty fields under vast West Texas skies, might not get ESPN coverage, but they are covered in full by Dave Campbell’s, complete with team previews, photos, and playoff projections. This inclusion signals that every team, no matter how small, has a place in the Texas football family.
For young athletes, especially those in less-publicized regions, being featured in the magazine can lead to real opportunities. Scouts and college coaches pay attention. Social media buzz follows. A well-placed photo or quote can go viral within the Texas football community. The magazine’s credibility turns these moments into stepping stones.
But it’s not just players who benefit. Towns rally around their teams, and local businesses often buy bulk copies to hand out or place in their windows. Barbershops, convenience stores, and cafes proudly display the latest edition, dog-eared and well-read by the time the season kicks off. For these communities, the magazine is more than media—it’s identity.
And that’s the true power of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. It doesn’t just preview games. It celebrates tradition, fuels anticipation, and connects generations. Grandfathers who once read the magazine as players now read it with their grandsons. Coaches who once saw their own names in the preview now flip through the pages looking for their players. It’s a cycle of pride and passion, printed every summer and carried into fall under Friday night lights.
As Texas continues to grow, and the landscape of football evolves with new technologies and challenges, one thing remains constant: the state’s love for the game and its reverence for those who tell its stories the right way. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football does just that—year after year, word by word, page by page.
So, when summer rolls around in Texas, and the heat climbs into the triple digits, football fans know it’s almost time. Not for the coin toss or the kickoff—but for that moment when they get their hands on the latest edition of Dave Campbell’s. For many, it’s the best way to begin the season: by reading about what’s to come, remembering what’s been, and dreaming about what could happen under the lights this fall.
