What school was necessary roughness filmed at?

Remember Necessary Roughness? That College Was Real (Sort Of)!

Necessary Roughness – who doesn’t love that classic flick about the underdog football team at Texas State? It’s a feel-good movie, plain and simple. But here’s a fun fact: while Texas State University wasn’t actually a real place back when the movie was made, the filmmakers did use a real college campus to bring the Armadillos to life: the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas.

Yep, UNT played the role of Texas State, and if you’re familiar with the campus, you’ll probably recognize a few spots.

UNT’s Starring Role

So, where exactly did they film? Well, Fouts Field, UNT’s old football stadium, got a serious workout. All those epic game scenes? That was Fouts Field in its glory days. I can almost hear the roar of the crowd!

But it wasn’t just the stadium. Remember the dorm rooms where Paul and Manu hung out? That was Kerr Hall. And Dr. Suzanne Carter’s office? That was in the Old Biology Building. Even the Hurley Administration Building got a cameo – you can spot it through the window in one of the hospital scenes. There’s even a photo floating around of someone strolling through Library Mall during filming, surrounded by extras. Talk about a blast from the past!

Word on the street is UNT pocketed a cool $65,000 for lending out its campus. Not a bad deal, right? Plus, it gave students and staff a chance to get in on the action as assistants, interns, and even extras. Pretty cool experience, if you ask me.

Texas-Sized Filming Locations

Okay, UNT was the star of the show, but the Necessary Roughness crew didn’t stick to just one location. They also filmed in a few other Texas towns, like Azle, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Gotta love that Texas scenery!

The “Texas State” Connection – It Gets Weirder

The whole movie revolves around Texas State University, this fictional school trying to rebuild its football program after a major scandal. Here’s where it gets interesting: a few years after the movie came out, Southwest Texas State University decided to change its name to… you guessed it… Texas State University! Talk about life imitating art, huh?

And get this: in the movie, the Armadillos’ first opponent of the season is none other than the Bobcats – which just so happens to be the mascot of the real Texas State University. Coincidence? I think not!

One more fun tidbit: the fictional Texas State’s uniforms were green and white, the same colors as UNT. And the helmet logo? A little nod to Texas Southern University. The details are pretty neat if you look closely.

AUNT: Always UNT

Necessary Roughness is still a fan favorite, and its connection to UNT is something the university is proud of. It gave the whole community a chance to be part of something special, and it immortalized the campus on film. So, next time you watch Necessary Roughness, keep an eye out for those UNT landmarks. You might just feel a little bit of Mean Green pride!