If you missed it the UTA Student Body voted by a 2-1 margin to compel the University to Bring back Football and keep the Title 9 balance.

Full article here: https://www.theshorthorn.com/news/students-alumni-react-as-football-referendum-passes-in-student-government-election/article_1a300f78-d361-11ed-bee5-d3b0c3a1d668.html

Background 

In 1985, back when the school was half the size it is today and had next to no campus living, UTA leadership gave up on the school's rich football history due to attendance and cost.  They may not have realized the long-term campus impact and instead adopted a short-term view of the financial prospects almost vilifying the program and killing it with its new stadium only 5 years old.  Though well intended to focus on academics and other sports like basketball and baseball, UTA underestimated the loss of financial support, alumni connectivity, or draw of top academic and athletic talent. The school has never recovered and remains labeled a "commuter" school and a students "second choice".  We are better than that. #MAVUP

Title 9 means Football can't return without balance.  Women's sports are thriving at campuses all over Texas, most notably with soccer and lacrosse. In North Texas, women's soccer produces some of the nation's strongest academic athletes. Women's Collegiate Wresting is also on the rise.  According to the NWCA and others, Women’s wrestling has become one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S yet only 38 colleges in 12 states offer a program.  UTA could be a top program in a few short years.  And neither of these programs are costly to stand up!

Now having built Clay Gould stadium and the College Park Center, as well as achieving Texas "Tier One" designation and classification by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research-1: Doctoral University, UTA finds itself "No. 1" in a less than proud category: the largest university in the nation without a football program. It's time to bring it back!

Over 15 years ago the students by a 2-1 margin asked to expand sports at UTA  INCLUDING FOOTBALL and today, surveys on campus suggest a vote would be far more in favor!

What's different now than in past initiatives or when it was canceled in the first place.  In a word EVERYTHING: 1) School size has doubled, 2) Transfer Portal to build competitiveness, 3) NCAA NIL rules lets students earn while attending, 4) a new conference that fits our re-entry and 5) a new school president who has been quoted “having athletics programs match the quality of our academic programs elevates the university as a whole” during her recent interview.  

If you agree that it is time for UTA to revive its Football program and add more women's sports to secure equal opportunities for the vast area female talent pool, please sign our petition and get ready for the return of BIG BLUE! 

If you have any interest in attending the UTA Athletics Hall of Honor induction ceremony including the 1981 SLC Football Champions along with other worthy alumni please click here!