UT- Arlington To Join The WAC

[wardly]

i think the belt missed the boat by not going after utsa and tsu. it would have created natural rivals for north texas, and allowed two divisions which would have reduced travel costs.. a west division with unt,utsa,tsu,a-state,ulm, and ull would have worked well. nearly all of the belt moved up from 1aa, except ull [not sure about florida schools], so to me that was a non issue. good move for uta. their new arena opens soon, which will help basketball recruiting, plus they have a solid baseball program.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--- If we had picked up Texas State, which I wanted to do, to give us an instate team in the Belt... the WAC would have really been screwed. None of the others are even close to a quality pickup especially football. NMSU and LaTech should run wild over that group now.... and will have accomplished very little.

.

Edited July 12, 2011 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Duck_Mav]

Congrats to UTA. I'm surprised by this move. I'm really surprised the WAC is adding non-football members. I get Seattle a little but I think they should have waited. Since it looks like Big East isn't going to make another addition this year, I thought the WAC finally had a chance to take another run at some of the football schools they were looking at (Montana schools, ULL, North Texas, etc). I thought there would be 1% they could grab Sun Belt school but this was first time one of those schools might have jumped (nobody would jump if there was chance CUSA, etc might have to expand if they lost a team, etc).

If UTA is going to add football (I've read some rumors they are looking at 2016), North Texas needs to get football going again. Since North Texas is finally serious about football we should be to a point where UTA can't touch us. If we aren't any better than we are today, UTA having football could actually cost us a few recruits. WAC could actually get some coverage in Texas (although Southland really doesn't get much coverage). This probably impacts our non-revenue sports some. WAC with all the Texas schools might be more attractive to volleyball, track, softball, etc.

I bet La Tech fans are pissed. They were pissed when Seattle was added. They want football schools.

This was unexpected good news for UTA. I'm somewhat surprised that there is not more talk about bringing football back as part of the deal, but perhaps that is a side issue until the long expected capital campaign finally kicks off. Football has long been viewed as the ultimate carrot that would figure in such a campaign, and I think that is how it will ultimately turn out. UTA has not hit its students with the large athletics fees like the UNT students agreed to, so that is another potential trick they could pull out of the bag once the decision is made to go bigger time.

All along, I was hoping we would be going to the 'belt, as UNT is a natural rival for us, but frankly, the WAC institutions have better reputations, especially compared to our former SLC conference mates in La. Maybe in a few years the WAC will be good enough for UNT to give it another look.

[Rudy]

Maybe in a few years the WAC will be good enough for UNT to give it another look.

You must be new here, my friend.

[MeanMag]

All along, I was hoping we would be going to the 'belt, as UNT is a natural rival for us, but frankly, the WAC institutions have better reputations, especially compared to our former SLC conference mates in La.

Which ones?

[Rudy]

Say what you say, but in a sense, Karl Benson just trumped us I do believe by bringing in a team in our back yard.

So do we rest on our laurels of having a new stadium now? Not if UTA starts playing WAC football at Jerry's World.

We need to show the WAC what kind of home OOC schedules that we can get at the MGS that they will have to wait 10 years minimum of their own football program development to do the same. The arms race is on folks! We cannot afford to blink.

Wait...What???

[All About UNT]

This was unexpected good news for UTA. I'm somewhat surprised that there is not more talk about bringing football back as part of the deal, but perhaps that is a side issue until the long expected capital campaign finally kicks off. Football has long been viewed as the ultimate carrot that would figure in such a campaign, and I think that is how it will ultimately turn out. UTA has not hit its students with the large athletics fees like the UNT students agreed to, so that is another potential trick they could pull out of the bag once the decision is made to go bigger time.

All along, I was hoping we would be going to the 'belt, as UNT is a natural rival for us, but frankly, the WAC institutions have better reputations, especially compared to our former SLC conference mates in La. Maybe in a few years the WAC will be good enough for UNT to give it another look.

Really? Dreams of playing in Jerry World and no athletic fees? Dude I wish Uta the best but neither is going to happen. The WAC is dead.....and the lowest level of FBS conferences at this point. Everyone acknowledges that. UTA couldn't muster more than 100 protestors the last time u guys tried to resurrect football. For every one of those years that the WAC improves....so will the Belt. Instead of occasional upsets vs Big 6 teams and the occasional win.....there will be more upsets. The WAC has a ton of catching up to do and the worst part is that the WAC is not done plucking Southland teams yet. I want to keep up the series in basketball ....love those games.....but no way we roll to the WAC.

[emmitt01]

I think overall the Sun Belt schools have a better national reputation than the SEC schools.

Just thought I'd post that since apparently anything you say on a message board becomes reality.

[KoldBeer]

Really? Dreams of playing in Jerry World and no athletic fees? Dude I wish Uta the best but neither is going to happen. The WAC is dead.....and the lowest level of FBS conferences at this point. Everyone acknowledges that. UTA couldn't muster more than 100 protestors the last time u guys tried to resurrect football. For every one of those years that the WAC improves....so will the Belt. Instead of occasional upsets vs Big 6 teams and the occasional win.....there will be more upsets. The WAC has a ton of catching up to do and the worst part is that the WAC is not done plucking Southland teams yet. I want to keep up the series in basketball ....love those games.....but no way we roll to the WAC.

UTA doesn't need to play in Jerry World. They already have an on-campus stadium. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=153618128022127&set=o.144489345589775&type=1&theater

I want to keep playing UTA. I like playing Texas St. I would not mind playing La. Tech and UTSA more often. I don't want to be in the WAC. Now I would like the Sun Belt to add a Texas team so UNT could get a conference rival.

[Stix]

UTA doesn't need to play in Jerry World. They already have an on-campus stadium. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=153618128022127&set=o.144489345589775&type=1&theater

That was a good start 30 years ago, but if they want an on-campus football stadium now, they should tear it down and start over - without a track.

It would probably be a few years before UTA could get a football program going, and then it would be several years more before they'd be competitive - so I'll worry about them around 2021. I will acknowledge that they have a good basketball program.

The WAC is truly WACy.

[All About UNT]

UTA doesn't need to play in Jerry World. They already have an on-campus stadium. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=153618128022127&set=o.144489345589775&type=1&theater

I want to keep playing UTA. I like playing Texas St. I would not mind playing La. Tech and UTSA more often. I don't want to be in the WAC. Now I would like the Sun Belt to add a Texas team so UNT could get a conference rival.

Yeah under the assumption that they will enhance the Maverick Stadium I can see them restarting football. UTA cannot afford to play at Jerry World and if anyone thinks that he will allow them to play for free because they too are in Arlington then you are disconnected with reality. I had this discussion with 3 alum of UTA the other day. They may have been trying to get under my skin but they were convinced that UNT would be jealous of the situation due to the UTA team inevitably playing within Jerry World. I informed them that they should put down the pipe.

I DO NOT want to play at Maverick Stadium or against UTA at Jerry World. Neither situation sounds appealing for a VERY NON-Existent football opponent.

[FirefightnRick]

Speaking of the WAC, we're here at Fiesta Texas today and there are a lot of people wearingUTSA Roadrunner shirts.

Rick

[Rudy]

tuSA has done a hell of a job promoting thier "Yet to play a single down" football team.

[untjim1995]

tuSA has done a hell of a job promoting thier "Yet to play a single down" football team.

That happens when you are basically the only college in a huge town. The paper, TV stations, and local radio stations would love to have UTSA get off to a strong start just to help add coverage to their Big XII teams. They have the potential to be like UH in their market IF they can find some success. UTSA is a true wildcard, as far as I am concerned. I can see them failing badly, but I can see them being Texas' version of USF/UCF/FAU/FIU, too. They are not weighed down by decades of losing and apathy by the media and their alumni. Trust me on this, if UTSA somehow hits a homerun in this new WAC and starts winning big, CUSA and the MWC will drool over the idea of adding the San Antonio market to their footprint. You get a huge TV market, a bowl game possibiility for the future, and a destination city that other teams' fans would love to travel to. Just to be clear, I am not saying that this will happen, but it is definitely a possibility. Neither Denton, nor San Marcos, offer all of those advantages.

[PlummMeanGreen]

That happens when you are basically the only college in a huge town. The paper, TV stations, and local radio stations would love to have UTSA get off to a strong start just to help add coverage to their Big XII teams. They have the potential to be like UH in their market IF they can find some success. UTSA is a true wildcard, as far as I am concerned. I can see them failing badly, but I can see them being Texas' version of USF/UCF/FAU/FIU, too. They are not weighed down by decades of losing and apathy by the media and their alumni. Trust me on this, if UTSA somehow hits a homerun in this new WAC and starts winning big, CUSA and the MWC will drool over the idea of adding the San Antonio market to their footprint. You get a huge TV market, a bowl game possibiility for the future, and a destination city that other teams' fans would love to travel to. Just to be clear, I am not saying that this will happen, but it is definitely a possibility. Neither Denton, nor San Marcos, offer all of those advantages.

You are so right, how a city supports one of its city's chief cash cows (even some cities #1 cash cow) and potential national marketing tools for said city is always important.

I don't think UTSA can duplicate the early successes of the type of program such as South Florida simply because there are so many more FBS school in the Lone Star State than Florida to vie for recruits. For a school with no sports history at the FBS level, it seems they have been taking an online course from LaTech's BB&B smack board on how to be condescending when they have absolutely nothing to be condescending about.

Edited July 13, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[golfingomez]

looks like it's all but official

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/07/13/wac-texas-arlington.ap/index.html?sct=cf_t2_a10&xid=shareFB

[Duck_Mav]

Dang. I don't mean to start anything hostile, but why all the hate? Do you guys really hate the WAC? I think the WAC is shaping up to be an improved version of the Southland for UTA. I really have no beef against the 'belt, but they seem to be a larger collection of former SLC schools than the WAC. Former SLC schools Troy, ASU, ULL, ULM and UNT are in the 'belt, vs TSU, UTSA and UTA in the WAC, right? Maybe Lamar and Sam Houston will get an invite as well, and that would make us even. Ya think?

Even after those defections, I think the Southland will survive with its collection of 4 remaining Louisiana schools, UCA, SFA and Corpus Christi. All except Corpus play FB.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Dang. I don't mean to start anything hostile, but why all the hate? Do you guys really hate the WAC? I think the WAC is shaping up to be an improved version of the Southland for UTA. I really have no beef against the 'belt, but they seem to be a larger collection of former SLC schools than the WAC. Former SLC schools Troy, ASU, ULL, ULM and UNT are in the 'belt, vs TSU, UTSA and UTA in the WAC, right? Maybe Lamar and Sam Houston will get an invite as well, and that would make us even. Ya think?

Even after those defections, I think the Southland will survive with its collection of 4 remaining Louisiana schools, UCA, SFA and Corpus Christi. All except Corpus play FB.

It may not be a bad move for UTA--you probably had more stability in the Southland, but the WAC should remain a better overall athletic conference. However, you seem to be missing the point when others have referred to the new WAC as the new Southland. The thing with the WAC is, they are being overrun with teams straight out of the Southland. It's been a long time since UNT (1996), ASU (1987), and ULL (1982) were in the SLC. And LaTech was another former SLC team now in the WAC, if you want to look at it that way. But right now, the WAC is scrounging for member schools, the Belt is not.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Mean Green 93-98

[TheTastyGreek]

It may not be a bad move for UTA--you probably had more stability in the Southland, but the WAC should remain a better overall athletic conference. However, you seem to be missing the point when others have referred to the new WAC as the new Southland. The thing with the WAC is, they are being overrun with teams straight out of the Southland. It's been a long time since UNT (1996), ASU (1987), and ULL (1982) were in the SLC. And no, Troy was never in the SLC, and LaTech was another former SLC team now in the WAC, if you want to look at it that way. But right now, the WAC is scrounging for member schools, the Belt is not.

Troy played football in the Southland Conference at the end of the 90s.

[UNTflyer]

"The invitation... is a significant recognition of U. T. Arlington and its intercollegiate athletics program."

Yeah, whatever. You are the ugly troll who got invited to the school dance because of a lack of options.

[UNTflyer]

I think the WAC is shaping up to be an improved version of the Southland.

How the mighty have fallen! The WAC has sent a school to a BCS bowl six times in seven years. That run is coming to a crashing end. This realignment has set the WAC back 25 years.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Troy played football in the Southland Conference at the end of the 90s.

I don't recall that, and didn't see that in the Wikipedia article on the Southland, but I went ahead and made the correction. Thanks.

[TheTastyGreek]

I don't recall that, and didn't see that in the Wikipedia article on the Southland, but I went ahead and made the correction. Thanks.

For the record, missing one detail doesn't necessarily invalidate the larger point. I thought about chalking it up to the Germans and Pearl Harbor... But figured it was better to point it out before someone else harped on it.

[UNTflyer]

For the record, missing one detail doesn't necessarily invalidate the larger point. I thought about chalking it up to the Germans and Pearl Harbor... But figured it was better to point it out before someone else harped on it.

Good idea. When the going gets tough....

[UNTflyer]

....