UT-Arlington Football Rally

[DFW HOYA]

Fans delivered 3,000 signatures to the school president today, received coverage tonight on WFAA-8. Students says they'll start a club team in 2007.

Of course, the considerably overpaid sportscaster Dale Hansen laughed it off, saying that UTA told him it'll take $17 million to start a football team and a UTA spokesman said football would cost $500 per student per semester for football...this from a school of 27,000 with a fully furnished 17,000 seat stadium just waiting to go?

The broadcast never questioned it. Someone buy WFAA a calculator! :bang:

[slycat]

im sure theyll bring it back someday since the surrpunding population is massive and they have the stadium in place. 17 million to start it up? sounds high without having to build a stadium. i used to run high school track meets there and its in decent condition so not a lot of work would be needed.

[Freightliner]

im sure theyll bring it back someday since the surrpunding population is massive and they have the stadium in place. 17 million to start it up? sounds high without having to build a stadium. i used to run high school track meets there and its in decent condition so not a lot of work would be needed.

17 mil is about right to restart the program. That would cover Scholarships, Equipment, Travel, Coaching/Support Staff Salaries, and office/locker room areas.

[DFW HOYA]

It's just a number used by administrators to scare off supporters. UTA could have start-up SLC football for less than $3 million in the first year--Maverick Stadium is basically ready to go.

It's just PR flackery. One unnamed west coast university claimed $100 million wouldn't be enough to start football there. Why would they say that if it's a gross exaggeration? You figure it out.

[texcap]

Fans delivered 3,000 signatures to the school president today, received coverage tonight on WFAA-8. Students says they'll start a club team in 2007.

Of course, the considerably overpaid sportscaster Dale Hansen laughed it off, saying that UTA told him it'll take $17 million to start a football team and a UTA spokesman said football would cost $500 per student per semester for football...this from a school of 27,000 with a fully furnished 17,000 seat stadium just waiting to go?

The broadcast never questioned it. Someone buy WFAA a calculator! :bang:

Hansen is an egotistical boob, and in my opinion, one of the worst sportscasters that I have ever seen. However, many people will watch him (I do on occassion) because it is like the proverbial train wreck just waiting to happen. Unless it is the Cowboys he doesn't care.

[TexasTerror]

An article from the Ft Worth Star-Telegram...

About 70 attend a rally seeking football revival
By LEILA FADEL
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

* Watch the rally

ARLINGTON - Sam deBerry had hoped hundreds of people would march to bring football back to the University of Texas at Arlington, but about 70 turned out for a noon rally Wednesday.

"It speaks volumes of where we are as a school," deBerry said. "If any other campus had a rally, they would have had thousands of students. We have very little school spirit."

The Mavericks for Football Now and other students, many in T-shirts emblazoned with the words, "Got football? (we don't)" walked with deBerry from the University Center Mall to Davis Hall, where the university president's office is housed.

"What do we want?" deBerry yelled through a bullhorn.

"Football," the small crowd of football activists yelled back.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/16130350.htm
---------------------
THROWING A HAIL MARY
Group makes long-shot effort to bring football back to UTA
By LEILA FADEL and HEIDI PEDERSON
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITERs

ARLINGTON -- About 30 University of Texas at Arlington students ran football plays in shorts and T-shirts Tuesday.

The drills were not for an upcoming intramural competition. The students, who plan to form a club football team, hope that their commitment persuades the administration to bring back NCAA football.

"Nothing in the state of Texas brings about school spirit, a sense of pride and tradition like football," said Sam deBerry, founder of the latest student movement to bring football back to UT-Arlington.

The Mavericks for Football Now, led by deBerry, has gathered about 3,000 signatures on a petition and scheduled a march at noon today to demand that university President James Spaniolo reconsider his position. In April 2004, students voted to raise the student athletic fee by $2 for a football team. But after a consultant's study, Spaniolo in January 2005 put off the decision for five years, saying it was too expensive. Football was disbanded after the 1985 season because of low attendance and high costs.

To reinstate football, the school would also have to begin women's golf and soccer to comply with the Title IX federal law requiring equal opportunity for female athletes. The total cost would be up to $17.5 million over five years, according to the study.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/16121628.htm

[UAalum72]

"$17.5 million over five years " sounds a lot more reasonable.

[LeopardFan04]

I love the term "football activists" in the article...best of luck to them...

[Ivytalk]

I remember those old UT-A teams. They were terrible. If they restarted football, they'd end up being a "Texas Temple.":twocents:

[TexasTerror]

I remember those old UT-A teams. They were terrible. If they restarted football, they'd end up being a "Texas Temple.":twocents:

I'd love having a fourth I-AA squad from Texas in the SLC. Would really be good for our SHSU fans in the DFW Metroplex...

SLC would be great with another football addition...giving us four home and four away games, very ideal for the SLC schools, though a bump to 12 games would be better for such a move...

SHSU
SFA
TXST
UT-Arlington
NWST
NICH
SELA
UCA
McNeese

[texcap]

I'd love having a fourth I-AA squad from Texas in the SLC. Would really be good for our SHSU fans in the DFW Metroplex...

SLC would be great with another football addition...giving us four home and four away games, very ideal for the SLC schools, though a bump to 12 games would be better for such a move...

SHSU
SFA
TXST
UT-Arlington
NWST
NICH
SELA
UCA
McNeese

With UTA I think it would probably be 10 teams, since it appears that UTSA will probably have football long before UTA.

[TexasTerror]

With UTA I think it would probably be 10 teams, since it appears that UTSA will probably have football long before UTA.

Lamar fans claim they'll know about their football wishes by the beginning of 2007...

A&M-CC may be a few years off as are UT-Arlington and UTSA. We'll see. 10 teams may be a bit too much to ensure scheduling yearly. May have to make two five team 'pods' with those five teams guaranteed playing each other and then playing four teams from the other 'pod'.

[texcap]

Lamar fans claim they'll know about their football wishes by the beginning of 2007...

A&M-CC may be a few years off as are UT-Arlington and UTSA. We'll see. 10 teams may be a bit too much to ensure scheduling yearly. May have to make two five team 'pods' with those five teams guaranteed playing each other and then playing four teams from the other 'pod'.

Agreed. But you have t o admit it would be a nice "problem" to have.

[TexasTerror]

Agreed. But you have t o admit it would be a nice "problem" to have.

No doubt about it...

The problem that exists is that UTSA and Lamar have BS pipedreams...

Lamar feels they should be in C-USA as does UTSA. UTSA is more realistic based on market alone IMO. We'll see...

[Retro]

UTSA is the only reasonable choice to start football anytime soon barring a bigtime donation to the other schools that designated strictly to football..

As far as start up cost, be it UTSA or UTA, it would probably 5-7 million for the first year depending on whats already in place.. UTSA could use the alamodome, so that cuts their cost way down.. UTA, however has no ready stadium, not being fully used by someone else and like any other start up has to buy equipment, hire personnel, etc.

The cost to maintain a team after that is not too bad with reasonable funding.. It's the start up costs that kill you.. NEW equipment for every player and then some.. New jerseys for home and road and extras, new practice equipment and uniforms, new or more weight room equipment for more athletes, new administrative equipment, new personnel salaries, etc..

After all that, you have to figure out how many fans you might draw till the program gets going.. Can you pull in 4-5,000 each year for the first 3 years of likely losing seasons? In UTA's case, they have to compete with a lot more schools directly in their market.. UTSA has the edge here also as no real competition within their area as far Div I football, or pro football for that matter.

I could see UTSA starting it up real soon with just a few nice donations to help get it going..

[texcap]

UTA, however has no ready stadium, not being fully used by someone else ...


Huh?

UTA owns a 15,000 seat stadium on campus that has been kept up to date with new turf and a video scoreboard. It is currently rented by the Arlington ISD, but that use is almost exclusively limited to Friday evenings.

http://www3.uta.edu/conferences/mavstadium.htm

[TexasTerror]

Huh?

UTA owns a 15,000 seat stadium on campus that has been kept up to date with new turf and a video scoreboard. It is currently rented by the Arlington ISD, but that use is almost exclusively limited to Friday evenings.

http://www3.uta.edu/conferences/mavstadium.htm

It wouldn't be any worse than some of the SLC stadiums... :)

[texcap]

It wouldn't be any worse than some of the SLC stadiums... :)

Both of my older kids went to Arlington high schools and played in the band, so I have spent 7 years going to the stadium to watch games. I have always found it to be a very good stadium and better than many other college stadiums at the FCS level.

The oddest part is that their press box side stands are very tall, but narrow. They do not spread out talong the length of the field as they do at most stadiums. What this provides is the abilityto get some pretty high sight lines and be able to watch the plays unfold. On the down side this same feature, along with the track around the stadium, pushes a lot of the fans a long way back fro the sidelines.

[Retro]

Huh?

UTA owns a 15,000 seat stadium on campus that has been kept up to date with new turf and a video scoreboard. It is currently rented by the Arlington ISD, but that use is almost exclusively limited to Friday evenings.

http://www3.uta.edu/conferences/mavstadium.htm

I stand corrected.. I thought it was a high school stadium used on fri and sat and that UTA could use.. Didn't realize it was their own.

[TexasTerror]

Editorial from the UTA student newspaper from the guy who is pushing this like none else...

Financing Football
Student cites football club costs as argument for a football program
I found it amusing, though typical, that immediately following our march for football Wednesday, UTA officials were quick to cite the expense of bringing back a football program to campus.

Public Affairs director Bob Wright spouted the usual scare tactic of “Taxes aren’t going to pay for it, and no donors have come through. That leaves raising tuition and fees. It would raise tuition $400-$500 just to get it started.”

Don’t believe the hype. The proposed cost UTA students would pay for a football program would be a whopping $24 a semester for students taking 12 credit hours. That’s the amount students voted to pay in the April 2004 election. The $2 per credit hour raise in the athletic fee was approved by a 2-1 margin by one of the largest voter turnouts in this school’s recent history.

Did the administration jump on the chance to implement the fee and revive the program? Of course not. Instead, a consulting firm from Colorado was brought in and got paid to write a report, called the Neinas report, for the administration, who got the results they were looking for. The Neinas report is full of faults, and costs are inflated to continue to scare the wits out of anyone who might be leaning towards bringing football back.

http://www.theshorthorn.com/new/archives/2006/fall/120506/o03.asp

-----------
Thoughts from the UNT Message Board on a fellow Metroplex school eyeing football...

http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=30799

[TexasTerror]

According to the President of Mavericks for Football Now, they had a pretty successful tryout for their club squad...

"The tryouts went better than I expected. We have 47 total players on the roster now, and the talent level increased about 10 fold. I have done some research on some of these guys, and 12 were all state, 35 were all-district. One of our running backs played for Wisconsin before having to come home. The team looks good."

That comes from UTAMavericks.com...

[Lionsrking]

17 mil is about right to restart the program. That would cover Scholarships, Equipment, Travel, Coaching/Support Staff Salaries, and office/locker room areas.

No way it should cost 17 million. We restarted with 5 million and even with inflation, I can't imagine it would cost UTA triple what it cost us.

[Panther88]

According to the President of Mavericks for Football Now, they had a pretty successful tryout for their club squad...

"The tryouts went better than I expected. We have 47 total players on the roster now, and the talent level increased about 10 fold. I have done some research on some of these guys, and 12 were all state, 35 were all-district. One of our running backs played for Wisconsin before having to come home. The team looks good."

That comes from UTAMavericks.com...

Thanks for the 411 terror. I need to FIND myself on that campus and "scout" so I can put a buzz into some purple/gold ears back on campus. xlolx :thumbsup:

ut-arlington will be a tough sell for any kids w/ any ounce of common sense. Now you know if the "metroplex" flagship schools can't attract and retain a kid (tcu, smu, unt), surely ut-arlington won't. xlolx

OU/Oklahoma St and ut-austin own the metroplex. Followed by the big 10/pac 8/sec respectively. lol

[DFW HOYA]

ut-arlington will be a tough sell for any kids w/ any ounce of common sense. Now you know if the "metroplex" flagship schools can't attract and retain a kid (tcu, smu, unt), surely ut-arlington won't. xlolx

OU/Oklahoma St and ut-austin own the metroplex. Followed by the big 10/pac 8/sec respectively. lol

Oklahoma State? As Lee Corso would say (just before putting on the Sooner Schooner hat), "not so fast, my friend!"

TU and ATM will get their recruits, but they only sign 20-25 kids a year. Next comes OU, Baylor, TCU, the Big 12, SMU, UNT, etc. There are over 150 high schools within an hour of Dallas-Ft. Worth and 95% of these kids want to play football after high school. UTA could attract a lot of kids who want to stay close to home and play football doing so.

[TxSt02]

id like to see more slc schools with football

[TexasTerror]

Thanks for the 411 terror. I need to FIND myself on that campus and "scout" so I can put a buzz into some purple/gold ears back on campus. xlolx :thumbsup:

Well, with the SWAC West 'opening up' with the lack of success from the ICON and the SUperior school, perhaps it's time to find some talent from some club football squads!

[Panther88]

Oklahoma State? As Lee Corso would say (just before putting on the Sooner Schooner hat), "not so fast, my friend!"

TU and ATM will get their recruits, but they only sign 20-25 kids a year. Next comes OU, Baylor, TCU, the Big 12, SMU, UNT, etc. There are over 150 high schools within an hour of Dallas-Ft. Worth and 95% of these kids want to play football after high school. UTA could attract a lot of kids who want to stay close to home and play football doing so.

And as Herbstreit would say (while hitting Corso w/ the Sooner Schooner hat on) "yeah! that's not right!"

I guess that I'm looking @ this from a quality perspective. :) The "big-name"/quality athletes will go to Oklahoma/Oklahoma St-ut austin followed by tx a&m, baylor, tcu, big 12 (true), smu, unt, big 10, sec, et al.

The quality athletes ALWAYS go to the big 12 first and foremost. Thinking back on the Kansas St heydays of the 90s... those guys on those squads were super-duper terrific. Funny that during that same time, those aggies were also.

An all-district performer in the greater dallas/ft worthless area is a dime a dozen. However, a legitimate first-team all-state selection may not be as plentiful. texas is a pretty big state w/ a ton of high schools @ all levels including 6-man. :)

TERROR: Thx for the inside tip. lol I'll be sure to start asking questions when the spring semester kicks in. ;)

[MplsBison]

The quality athletes ALWAYS go to the big 12 first and foremost.

You mean the athletes highest ranked by Rivals, etc.

Big school coaches are expected to bring in big name recruits as a matter of politics.

But a big name recruit is not automatically the best recruit.

[Panther88]

You mean the athletes highest ranked by Rivals, etc.

Big school coaches are expected to bring in big name recruits as a matter of politics.

But a big name recruit is not automatically the best recruit.

The one who runs the fastest/biggest/strongest/more READY for prime-time (like Adrian Peterson who was a TRUE frosh). I didn't see other schools on his radar when BIG OKLAHOMA came knocking. lol Guys like him to me are the "best" recruit. Plz don't factor grades, school loyalty, etc into the equation. Just talking about the guys who are ready for the gridiron on day #1. :)

Right. :eyebrow:

[MplsBison]

Just talking about the guys who are ready for the gridiron on day #1.

That's what I meant.


Those guys are not necessarily the guys who have the biggest stats/the best 40 times.

[TexasTerror]

Head coach of the UT-Arlington Club Football Team reports, "We had a local marketing firm donate thier services and they went out rasied the funds we need. The games are scheduled to be played in Mav Stadium, but that might change."

Great news! A fully-funded club football team is a definite start for UT-Arlington in getting some footing as they try to get football started once more in Arlington!

[UTA Football Club]

We are off and rolling. The team in fully equipped and funded, but we are waiting for some last minute snags to clear from UTA officials before we can pad up.

[TexasTerror]

We are off and rolling. The team in fully equipped and funded, but we are waiting for some last minute snags to clear from UTA officials before we can pad up.

Glad you joined our board! You can definitely provide updates about the UT-Arlington Football Club through this medium...:thumbsup:

[TexasTerror]

The campus officials pushed and got rid of the head man behind UT-Arlington football. This is a blow to the club team that occurred because of the administration. They have been given countless things to do above and beyond anything anyone expected and they have followed through, only for the administration to keep coming back with more and more...

This is ridiculous...
----------
DeBerry ousted as Mavs football coach
Campus Recreation officials reportedly urged the team to rethink its leadership.
Story by: Joan Khalaf

After a prohibited contact-practice Wednesday, the Maverick football club team removed Sam deBerry as the club’s coach.

Campus Recreation officials, including director Sharon Carey, discussed consequences with the team Friday at the Campus Recreation Fields Complex.

The team held a contact practice without meeting several guidelines as stated in the restrictions. The guidelines include having an athletic trainer at contact practices, a catastrophic insurance policy in place and all 40 helmets certified for 2007.

The team decided Friday to select a new coach, president and official in charge of risk management.

http://www.theshorthorn.com/new/archives/2007/spring/022007/n02.asp

[Fresno St. Alum]

TT, which one of UTSA,UTA, TAMU-CC, and Lamar will get football going first and how many of the 4 will add it sooner or later?

[TexasTerror]

TT, which one of UTSA,UTA, TAMU-CC, and Lamar will get football going first and how many of the 4 will add it sooner or later?

UT-Arlington seems to be having issues with dealing with their club team. Lots of fans and students seem to be upset with this...

A&M-CC will not even talk football til 2010 in my opinion.

Lamar could be very close to it happening as well as UTSA. Not sure what will develop on either front, though Lamar fan thinks an announcement is coming in the next few months...

[Fresno St. Alum]

It would be nice if you guys could get 2 to be at 10 for football.

[TexasTerror]

It would be nice if you guys could get 2 to be at 10 for football.

No...SLC does not need 10. The league would be perfect at nine, meaning four home and four away to go along with three OOC games (one FBS, one FCS and one sub-Div I likely for most SLC schools).

Ten means you wouldn't play someone each year as it would be ridiculous to have a nine-game mandate (see SWAC). I'm a big fan of nine. Would love if we could get one more school to join. Two more would be a bit much...

[TexasTerror]

This mess just continues to get dirtier...this institution is working against their club football program. What a darn shame...

Student Organizations
Football concussion ruling expected today
Officials debate whether the injury was sustained at the unauthorized practice.
Story by: Joan Khalaf
The Shorthorn staff
The Campus Recreation Department and the Maverick Football Club team reported conflicting accounts of a team member receiving a concussion during an unsanctioned practice Feb. 14.

Campus Recreation director Sharon Carey said club leadership reported the injury.

“The member went to their own doctor, but the doctor cleared the member to practice,” she said.

Doug Kuykendall, Student Affairs assistant vice president, said the department could not confirm that the concussion was sustained at practice due to the practice’s illegality.

Political science senior Katherine Miller, the team’s chief executive officer, said there is no formal documentation that a member was injured because no athletic trainer was at the practice.

“This has not been the most honest process,” she said. “But we will continue to make sure that the players are safe throughout the season.”

History senior Sam deBerry, the team’s former coach, denied that the player suffered from a concussion.

“The member got a headache because his helmet was too small,” he said. “Certain people are saying things they shouldn’t be saying and taking the hearsay without getting first-hand information. It makes us look irresponsible.”

http://www.theshorthorn.com/new/archives/2007/spring/022107/n01.asp

[89Hen]

this from a school of 27,000
:eyebrow: I know student body size doesn't necessarily equate to football but it's amazing that some big schools don't have football. Has anyone seen a list of big schools without football?

George Mason - 17,800 undergrad
Georgia State - 27,000 combined (can't find undergrad)
Wichita State - 14,298 undergrad
Cal State Northridge - 33,000 combined

Who else?

[TexasTerror]

:eyebrow: I know student body size doesn't necessarily equate to football but it's amazing that some big schools don't have football. Has anyone seen a list of big schools without football?

George Mason - 17,800 undergrad
Georgia State - 27,000 combined (can't find undergrad)
Wichita State - 14,298 undergrad
Cal State Northridge - 33,000 combined

Who else?

Ohio State 51,818
Univ of Texas 36,878
Univ of Alabama 23,878

Oh wait...those schools play in that non-championship brand of football...xidiotx

[TexasTerror]

On a new note...

UT-Arlington is looking at taking legal action against their now ousted club football head coach...