UTA starting football up again (Petition)

[meangreenfaninno]

Just came across this link to a petition for UTA to bring back football.  I guess since UTSA did now they are wanting to as well.  I wish them well.

 

Link:

https://www.change.org/p/bring-back-uta-football-add-women-s-sports?redirect=false

Edited January 14, 2022 by BillySee58

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

1 hour ago, meangreenfaninno said:

Just came across this link to a petition for UTA to bring back football.  I guess since UTSA did now they are wanting to as well.  I wish them well.

 

Link:

https://www.change.org/p/bring-back-uta-football-add-women-s-sports?redirect=false

 

Good for them. They have a massive student body that I'm sure would support them. Having lived a couple of minutes from UTA for a few years, I always wondered what they used the football stadium for without a team. 

[VideoEagle]

A change.org petition isn't the same thing as a school planning to restart football. When someone from their administration says they are going to investigate restarting then I'll believe they are actually interested. The last I saw in any news article, UTA administrators were says they were NOT even looking into football, although that was pre-pandemic. 

 

[MeanGreen4Life1998]

They’ve been trying to do that for like 30 years now. The students who care, which isn’t many, want it badly but the overwhelming majority and the school don’t care. I went there for a semester and that was definitely the vibe i got

[Rudy]

3 hours ago, UNT Texas Hooligan said:

 

Good for them. They have a massive student body that I'm sure would support them. Having lived a couple of minutes from UTA for a few years, I always wondered what they used the football stadium for without a team. 

The stadium used to get used for high school games.  I'm not sure if it still does though.

[GrandGreen]

The last thing that this area needs is more college football teams. 

 

[Salsa_Verde]

I think they’re more concerned about fixing their shady nursing school standards and admissions process. 
 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2020/03/24/why-the-resignation-of-this-particular-college-president-matters/

“That, among other things, is what leaders at UT-Arlington have been accused of – working with a for-profit company to weaken admissions standards for online programs, goosing up their enrollments and corporate profits.”

 

[greenjoe]

If I recall correctly, North Texas and UTA played in the first game at the old Texas Stadium.  This was where I got my first look at the apple green Mean Green uniforms. 
 

I was at the first game played at Maverick Stadium.  A Corkey Nelson coached Mean Green team won.  
 

I was also at Fouts Field to see the last game played by UTA coached by Chuck Curtis.  NT wins.  
 

I don’t think UTA has a core of students that care enough to start a football program.

 

We are fortunate.

Edited January 17, 2022 by greenjoe

[NT80]

UTA has never had the student or alumni culture to support football, or athletics in general.  It is still basically a giant community college.  Students were told disbanding football would give more resources to making basketball and baseball elite National programs.  Lol.

[UNT 90 Grad]

It would be nice for the UTA marching band to be able to play for their own football team. 

 

[wardly]

15 hours ago, NT80 said:

UTA has never had the student or alumni culture to support football, or athletics in general.  It is still basically a giant community college.  Students were told disbanding football would give more resources to making basketball and baseball elite National programs.  Lol.

They invested millions in a state of the art basketball venue that I would love to have at North Texas. The Sun Belt told them and UALR to fine\d new homes. The Trojans are moving the the Ohio Valley Conference, while the Mavs have applied to the Missouri Valley. If they are accepted I would think the move up in competition would warrant more interest and fan support. The administration just needs to step up to the plate and spend money on the right coach.There is no reason that they should not have a basketball program that is tops in the Metroplex.

[rcade]

22 hours ago, NT80 said:

UTA has never had the student or alumni culture to support football, or athletics in general.  It is still basically a giant community college.

UTA is the fifth largest university in Texas and is 8,000 students bigger than UTSA. It could support football and students have tried for years to revive the program. They just can't catch a break with the school president and other leaders, who toy with the idea and never get it done.

I attended UTA right after football died and reported for The Shorthorn. A lot of people were fighting mad about that decision back then and probably still are today.

When I transferred to UNT in 1988, one of the things I was happiest about was coming to a school with football.

[Tom McKrackin]

1 hour ago, rcade said:

UTA is the fifth largest university in Texas and is 8,000 students bigger than UTSA. It could support football and students have tried for years to revive the program. They just can't catch a break with the school president and other leaders, who toy with the idea and never get it done.

I attended UTA right after football died and reported for The Shorthorn. A lot of people were fighting mad about that decision back then and probably still are today.

When I transferred to UNT in 1988, one of the things I was happiest about was coming to a school with football.

Yes.  If many of these programs are able to do what UTSA did I can certainly see UTA want their piece of the pie.

[MeanGreenDan]

When I went there for a few years,  2004-2005, they had a student body vote to approve a tuition increase to add an athletics fee. All the marketing around it was to pass the fee to bring back football. 

The fee passed, everyone celebrated, and then administration turned around and said nevermind to football, and built the new basketball arena instead. 

Brutal bait and switch. 

[GrandGreen]

UTA shut down their football program, just before the NCAA did.  I believe they were on the cusp of enacting a long line of penalties on the Chuck Curtis led program. 

They ending up spending a fortune on their basketball arena that thus far has failed to generate any great interest in their program.  

I don't like their arena, but some at NT seem more than ready to duplicate.  6000 seat venue seemingly inspired by McDonalds. 

[wardly]

11 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

UTA shut down their football program, just before the NCAA did.  I believe they were on the cusp of enacting a long line of penalties on the Chuck Curtis led program. 

They ending up spending a fortune on their basketball arena that thus far has failed to generate any great interest in their program.  

I don't like their arena, but some at NT seem more than ready to duplicate.  6000 seat venue seemingly inspired by McDonalds. 

They need a new conference and new coach for their basketball program. Regarding lack of interest by their fan's, those of us who live in glass houses shouldn't throw basketballs. With an average attendance hovering at less that 3,000 its hard for UNT to justify anything venue larger than 6,000. With a guestimated cost of around  $100 million I wouldn't hold my breath for a new arena.

[NT80]

6 hours ago, wardly said:

With an average attendance hovering at less that 3,000 its hard for UNT to justify anything venue larger than 6,000. With a guestimated cost of around  $100 million I wouldn't hold my breath for a new arena.

North Texas has hosted several basketball crowds in excess of 6,000.  The weak attendance is usually due to a no-name distant opponent.  A better, more regional conference like AAC will help with that.  The Super Pit is a great basketball arena in a great location on campus, just add some suites and a little interior renovation. 

Maybe the academic side of the University needs to fund a new graduation and general-use facility?  Spend $50 million and just put a roof over Apogee!

[wardly]

I can't recall in the last 20 years "several 6,000+basketball crowds" but will defer to your better memory. However , if you can count them then its not very many. Over this same time frame we hovered at 3,000 average attendance and some of those no name opponents are moving to AAC with us. When you can't draw 3,000 for a home game with UAB you have a problem which my result in our men's basketball coach moving on when the opportunity presents itself. No coach likes playing in a 10,000 seat venue with only 2,500 in attendance.

[NT80]

1 hour ago, wardly said:

I can't recall in the last 20 years "several 6,000+basketball crowds" but will defer to your better memory. However , if you can count them then its not very many. Over this same time frame we hovered at 3,000 average attendance and some of those no name opponents are moving to AAC with us. When you can't draw 3,000 for a home game with UAB you have a problem which my result in our men's basketball coach moving on when the opportunity presents itself. No coach likes playing in a 10,000 seat venue with only 2,500 in attendance.

The past two years have also been attendance-restricted by people having covid or fear of getting covid in an arena.  Tulane, Tulsa, Smut, Wichita St, Memphis, UTSA, et al are better conference draws.   Like you said, we can't afford to buy a new arena anyway (or even buyout a lame football coach) so let's make the Super Pit a special place!  And as mentioned, Athletics could do a better job of marketing for basketball and supporting student groups like the Pit Crew better!

[wardly]

So UTA just joined the WAC. That's a shame as they are going backwards.Too bad they didn't get in the Missouri Valley Conference.

[SilverEagle]

On 1/14/2022 at 8:16 PM, greenjoe said:

If I recall correctly, North Texas and UTA played in the first game at the old Texas Stadium.  This was where I got my first look at the apple green Mean Green uniforms. 
 

I was at the first game played at Maverick Stadium.  A Corkey Nelson coached Mean Green team won.  
 

I was also at Fouts Field to see the last game played by UTA coached by Chuck Curtis.  NT wins.  
 

I don’t think UTA has a core of students that care enough to start a football program.

 

We are fortunate.

I was there too. We won the game 31-14. We were still being coached by Jerry Moore, and Joe Stevenson was the starting QB for NT.  Corky Nelson's first season was 1982.

[greenjoe]

Is that correct ?  Jerry Moore followed Fry.  Fry started here in ‘72.  Texas Stadium opened in ‘72.  Isn’t that right ?

 

[SilverEagle]

1 hour ago, greenjoe said:

Is that correct ?  Jerry Moore followed Fry.  Fry started here in ‘72.  Texas Stadium opened in ‘72.  Isn’t that right ?

 

Fry's first season at NT as 1973. The opening game of that season was vs UTA at Texas Stadium (which we lost 7-31). I can't remember when Texas Stadium opened, but we played a homecoming game there against Wichita State in 1971. Which we won 31-10. A guy that I went to High School with, Glynn Hatchtel (#30), was a starting linebacker for NT that year.

Edited January 22, 2022 by SilverEagle

[Jonnyeagle]

12 hours ago, wardly said:

So UTA just joined the WAC. That's a shame as they are going backwards.Too bad they didn't get in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Again the decision to quit football bites UTA in the rear.  That is the main reason the Belt booted them out of the league as Inam reading.

[NT80]

51 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

Again the decision to quit football bites UTA in the rear.  That is the main reason the Belt booted them out of the league as Inam reading.

Yes, the SBC wants to become an all-sports conference (sponsor football).  Wichita State fans have also had thoughts over the years to restart football.  They have found a good spot for their basketball in the AAC but it makes it difficult to park various sports in different leagues.