Former NFL stars on the prison team are: Earl Campbell, Jim Kelly, Jerry Rice, Dick Butkus, Tony Dorsett, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, Roger Craig, Hershel Walker and Ben Davidson.
The predicament of the fictional Texas State football team is based on the scandal surrounding another Texas college, Southern Methodist University. SMU had been placed on probation three times in the 1980s for repeated recruitment violations, such as giving monetary enticements to players and their families. In 1987, SMU was punished under the Repeat Violator Rule, better known as the "death penalty". All football was cancelled, and scholarships were revoked for 1987, and only away games were allowed in 1988, although the school cancelled the 1988 season anyway. The team was refielded in 1989, with an all-tryout squad. The Mustangs did not have a winning season until 2009.
The poster for this film was modeled after Paramount's previously successful sports comedy Major League (1989).
Texas State's school colors of green and white are the same as those of the University of North Texas, which was the main shooting location for this film.
When Paul Blake (Scott Bakula) gets off the elevator to go to his dorm room for the first time, you can see the elevators have been labeled. The one he gets off says "Sooner or Vator". The other says "Agri- Vator".