Have you seen anything recent regarding this? UTA has been in contact with the MVC but nothing solid has happened yet. It doesn't help that UTA has been without a President since March of 2020. The University of Tejass system has dragged its feet and now the highly regarded interim president Teik Lim is a finalist for the University of Memphis President's job. This is why I like Texas State being in a non-flagship university system model where all universities are valued by their system rather than being a flagship/stepchild model. We were put in charge of finding our next President.
Realignment Super Thread
- Thread starter TXST04
- Start date
slycat
Active member
Not publicly. Rumors from our good friend Texas Terror that they are presenting or something to MVC this month.
slycat
Active member
If you say so
Its official, UTA is leaving the Sunbelt. This article says they hope to decide their replacement conference within 10 days. The forum on Csnbbs says they are going to the WAC. I was hoping for the MVC but if that doesn't happen I think the WAC might work for them. Thankfully they were finally able to name their finalist for University President last week.
UTA Athletics to leave Sun Belt Conference | Sports | theshorthorn.com
UTA Athletics to leave Sun Belt Conference
UTA and the Sun Belt Conference have mutually agreed to part ways, according to documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
UTA’s athletic teams will continue to play in the Sun Belt Conference for the remainder of the season. The university has until June 30, 2023, to affiliate with a new conference to avoid exit fees, according to the documents.
A conference is a group of schools with similar characteristics, including enrollment numbers, regionally located and similar missions in terms of academic profile, said Jason MacBain, associate athletic communications director.
The Mavericks have been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since the 2013-2014 academic year.
Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill discussed UTA’s future partnership with the conference in a Nov. 10 letter addressed to interim President Teik Lim, according to the documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
“We agreed that a change in conference affiliation would create an opportunity for UTA to be in a conference more focused on its core goals,” Gill said in a September meeting between UTA and Sun Belt officials, according to the documents.
UTA officials said the university’s lack of a football program may have played a role in the Sun Belt’s decision.
The Sun Belt was established in 1976. Moving forward, all of its members will have a football program because the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and UTA are departing.
“With not having football, the Sun Belt is really not probably the place for us to be anymore,” Athletics director Jim Baker said in an interview with The Shorthorn last week.
He said UTA needs a conference that focuses on basketball and other sports.
Low attendance and inadequate funding prompted former President Wendell Nedderman to eliminate the football program in 1985. Those problems persist today, Baker said in a previous Shorthorn article.
The Sun Belt Conference recently added four universities with football programs, including Marshall University, University of Southern Mississippi and Old Dominion University in October then James Madison University in November.
Baker said UTA has been prepared for this for the past year, and they may stay one more year or leave after this year.
UTA has won four conference championships and earned two NCAA tournament appearances since 2018 across all athletics programs while in the Sun Belt.
Baker said the Sun Belt has been a great home for UTA, and they’ve been upfront with the conference on working with them to figure out what is ideal for the university moving forward.
“I just think it kind of comes out at the end of the day, what is the best fit for UTA,” Baker said.
Before the Sun Belt, the Mavericks were a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 2012-2013 academic year and the Southland Conference from 1963-2012.
“Our time in the Sun Belt was great, but things come to an end, and we just need to be ready and move to the next challenge,” he said.
UTA has had conversations with the Southland Conference and the Western Athletic Conference, according to Baker.
UTA officials also met with the Missouri Valley Conference on Dec. 19 in St. Louis, according to documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
Baker said officials hope to decide on which conference to join within the next 10 days. The university would also need approval from the UT System before an announcement is made, he said.
UTA Athletics to leave Sun Belt Conference | Sports | theshorthorn.com
UTA Athletics to leave Sun Belt Conference
UTA and the Sun Belt Conference have mutually agreed to part ways, according to documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
UTA’s athletic teams will continue to play in the Sun Belt Conference for the remainder of the season. The university has until June 30, 2023, to affiliate with a new conference to avoid exit fees, according to the documents.
A conference is a group of schools with similar characteristics, including enrollment numbers, regionally located and similar missions in terms of academic profile, said Jason MacBain, associate athletic communications director.
The Mavericks have been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since the 2013-2014 academic year.
Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill discussed UTA’s future partnership with the conference in a Nov. 10 letter addressed to interim President Teik Lim, according to the documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
“We agreed that a change in conference affiliation would create an opportunity for UTA to be in a conference more focused on its core goals,” Gill said in a September meeting between UTA and Sun Belt officials, according to the documents.
UTA officials said the university’s lack of a football program may have played a role in the Sun Belt’s decision.
The Sun Belt was established in 1976. Moving forward, all of its members will have a football program because the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and UTA are departing.
“With not having football, the Sun Belt is really not probably the place for us to be anymore,” Athletics director Jim Baker said in an interview with The Shorthorn last week.
He said UTA needs a conference that focuses on basketball and other sports.
Low attendance and inadequate funding prompted former President Wendell Nedderman to eliminate the football program in 1985. Those problems persist today, Baker said in a previous Shorthorn article.
The Sun Belt Conference recently added four universities with football programs, including Marshall University, University of Southern Mississippi and Old Dominion University in October then James Madison University in November.
Baker said UTA has been prepared for this for the past year, and they may stay one more year or leave after this year.
UTA has won four conference championships and earned two NCAA tournament appearances since 2018 across all athletics programs while in the Sun Belt.
Baker said the Sun Belt has been a great home for UTA, and they’ve been upfront with the conference on working with them to figure out what is ideal for the university moving forward.
“I just think it kind of comes out at the end of the day, what is the best fit for UTA,” Baker said.
Before the Sun Belt, the Mavericks were a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 2012-2013 academic year and the Southland Conference from 1963-2012.
“Our time in the Sun Belt was great, but things come to an end, and we just need to be ready and move to the next challenge,” he said.
UTA has had conversations with the Southland Conference and the Western Athletic Conference, according to Baker.
UTA officials also met with the Missouri Valley Conference on Dec. 19 in St. Louis, according to documents obtained by The Shorthorn.
Baker said officials hope to decide on which conference to join within the next 10 days. The university would also need approval from the UT System before an announcement is made, he said.
I worked with Amy. Very smart person so if she is saying those things like "blow it up"... be afraid. If not now, this is the beginning of it blowing up.
In the end, we aren't going anywhere close to P5 so get those dreams and shove them deep down like our emotions! Ha! G5 may become the new subgroup.
Heck, I'm fine with P5 going and doing their thing and leave G5 with their own plans. Could actually help G5 in long run. P5 wants more of their money and A&M/UT needs someone play for 2-3 seasons... gonna cost you double for us to play you there 3 straight years. Instead of 750K, now double that per game. Same for basketball too.
In the end, we aren't going anywhere close to P5 so get those dreams and shove them deep down like our emotions! Ha! G5 may become the new subgroup.
Heck, I'm fine with P5 going and doing their thing and leave G5 with their own plans. Could actually help G5 in long run. P5 wants more of their money and A&M/UT needs someone play for 2-3 seasons... gonna cost you double for us to play you there 3 straight years. Instead of 750K, now double that per game. Same for basketball too.
SWTRefugee
M&G Gift Contributor
Yes. Time to end the charade.
I would think the Hanukkah 12 Bowl Games will want to find a way to stay in business. Hell, Jerry has two of them going now in Frisco.
Goldievirtuoso
M&G Gift Contributor
Yeah I kinda figure this is inevitable and it's only a matter of time when the P5 splits away. I have three hopes when this does happen:
1. We beat a P5 team before the split
2. We make a bowl game before we are ineligible to do so.
3. The playoff system for the G5 is similar to the current FCS playoffs.
1. We beat a P5 team before the split
2. We make a bowl game before we are ineligible to do so.
3. The playoff system for the G5 is similar to the current FCS playoffs.
Current FCS playoff is 24 teams
(I prefer 16 as well)
In case you haven't heard UTA is going to the WAC effective 7/1/2022. Most of their fanbase is not thrilled about this move. It's better than going back to the Southland. Only those who want to restart the football program are optimistic about this move. Those are obviously Alumni who are not concerned about paying for a football program. That is unless their kids end up going to UTA.
UTA to join Western Athletic Conference starting in July | Sports | theshorthorn.com
UTA to join Western Athletic Conference starting in July
“We are thrilled to join the Western Athletic Conference and help bolster a league that shares a similar strategic vision, is in the best interest of our student-athletes and enhances the university’s profile,” Athletics director Jim Baker said in the press release.
The Mavericks were a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 2012-2013 academic year before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013-2014. Various factors went into the move, including academics and more investment into basketball and other sports, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
UTA Athletics and Sun Belt mutually agreed to part ways last year, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
UTA will become the 15th member of the Western Athletic Conference.
“UTA brings a stellar academic reputation and commitment to excelling athletically,” said Brian Thornton, Western Athletic Conference commissioner, in the press release. “Our Board of Directors was extremely impressed with UTA’s focus on the total student-athlete experience while preparing them for life beyond their time on campus.”
The Western Athletic Conference was formed in 1962 and currently has 13 member institutions. University of the Incarnate Word and Southern Utah will join the conference with UTA, while Chicago State will exit in June.
UTA will be the eighth Texas school in the Western Athletic Conference for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Thornton said UTA’s location in the Metroplex allows the conference to rebuild rivalries between universities and create new ones.
“UTA’s location in the heart of DFW makes it a magnet for talented students-athletes and staff,” Thornton said.
The Western Athletic Conference has 20 different athletic sports, and UTA will compete in 15 of them, excluding men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s soccer and football.
In UTA’s lone year as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, UTA won the men’s cross country championship and shared a regular-season baseball title.
During UTA Athletics’ nine years as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, they earned 15 conference championships and made six NCAA tournament team appearances.
“The strength of UTA’s academic, research and athletic portfolios will bring excellent value to the Western Athletic Conference,” interim President Teik Lim said. “As a Tier One institution, UTA is poised to enhance the league’s overall profile, and we’re looking forward to helping the WAC expand its footprint into one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.”
@D_Tineo4 @Angie_Perez99
sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
UTA to join Western Athletic Conference starting in July | Sports | theshorthorn.com
UTA to join Western Athletic Conference starting in July
- By Angelica Perez and Andrew Tineo, The Shorthorn editor in chief and sports editor
- Jan 21, 2022
“We are thrilled to join the Western Athletic Conference and help bolster a league that shares a similar strategic vision, is in the best interest of our student-athletes and enhances the university’s profile,” Athletics director Jim Baker said in the press release.
The Mavericks were a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 2012-2013 academic year before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013-2014. Various factors went into the move, including academics and more investment into basketball and other sports, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
UTA Athletics and Sun Belt mutually agreed to part ways last year, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
UTA will become the 15th member of the Western Athletic Conference.
“UTA brings a stellar academic reputation and commitment to excelling athletically,” said Brian Thornton, Western Athletic Conference commissioner, in the press release. “Our Board of Directors was extremely impressed with UTA’s focus on the total student-athlete experience while preparing them for life beyond their time on campus.”
The Western Athletic Conference was formed in 1962 and currently has 13 member institutions. University of the Incarnate Word and Southern Utah will join the conference with UTA, while Chicago State will exit in June.
UTA will be the eighth Texas school in the Western Athletic Conference for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Thornton said UTA’s location in the Metroplex allows the conference to rebuild rivalries between universities and create new ones.
“UTA’s location in the heart of DFW makes it a magnet for talented students-athletes and staff,” Thornton said.
The Western Athletic Conference has 20 different athletic sports, and UTA will compete in 15 of them, excluding men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s soccer and football.
In UTA’s lone year as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, UTA won the men’s cross country championship and shared a regular-season baseball title.
During UTA Athletics’ nine years as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, they earned 15 conference championships and made six NCAA tournament team appearances.
“The strength of UTA’s academic, research and athletic portfolios will bring excellent value to the Western Athletic Conference,” interim President Teik Lim said. “As a Tier One institution, UTA is poised to enhance the league’s overall profile, and we’re looking forward to helping the WAC expand its footprint into one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.”
@D_Tineo4 @Angie_Perez99
sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
I've heard that Tarleton is gonna announce a move, most likely to CUSA, in the next 2 or 3 months. FBS is already watered down as can be and I realize that we have contributed to that but the thought of an FBS Tarleton makes me cringe.
Goldievirtuoso
M&G Gift Contributor
As a recent Tarleton graduate: this makes me cringe as well.
Our commencement ceremony was on the football field at Tarleton and while it has some nice recent renovations, it is NOWHERE NEAR FBS standards. I’ve stated in other threads that their other facilities are also lacking for an FBS conference. If they’re seriously looking at moving up, I think they’re making a mistake. If TXST wasn’t ready for the move from FCS to FBS, then Tarleton is even further behind.
Our commencement ceremony was on the football field at Tarleton and while it has some nice recent renovations, it is NOWHERE NEAR FBS standards. I’ve stated in other threads that their other facilities are also lacking for an FBS conference. If they’re seriously looking at moving up, I think they’re making a mistake. If TXST wasn’t ready for the move from FCS to FBS, then Tarleton is even further behind.
Further behind is an understatement.
We actually did okay at first but then the wheels fell off after Fran left.
franslasttwinkie
Active member
It shall be interesting to see who will first play in a bowl game.....SFA, UIW, ACU, Tarleton, Jax St or TXST. Let the arms race begin! Who ever would have thought a decade after departing the Southland we would still be compared to FCS peers