UTA would begin play in the 12-team Sun Belt in the fall of 2013. Starting in July it will join the Western Athletic Conference for a single year after competing as a member of the Southland Conference since 1964

The school will not be assessed an exit fee by the WAC. UTA will be required to pay a $300,000 entry fee to the Sun Belt, according to the memorandum, a fee that "will be covered through a combination of athletic department funds and conference revenues payable to UT Arlington pursuant to the New Member Agreement with the SBC."

University officials, in making a case for membership, also said that revenues generated through television and the NCAA will probably be comparable or greater in the Sun Belt than in the WAC.
"The SBC represents a more stable, equally competitive conference composed of similar institutions with comparable academic quality to UT Arlington," the memo stated.

Those revenues would certainly be greater if there is no WAC, whose status as a viable conference appears more grim as the days go by

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/21/...rylink=cpy

(05-22-2012 10:39 AM)MG61 Wrote:  UTA would begin play in the 12-team Sun Belt in the fall of 2013. Starting in July it will join the Western Athletic Conference for a single year after competing as a member of the Southland Conference since 1964

The school will not be assessed an exit fee by the WAC. UTA will be required to pay a $300,000 entry fee to the Sun Belt, according to the memorandum, a fee that "will be covered through a combination of athletic department funds and conference revenues payable to UT Arlington pursuant to the New Member Agreement with the SBC."

University officials, in making a case for membership, also said that revenues generated through television and the NCAA will probably be comparable or greater in the Sun Belt than in the WAC.
"The SBC represents a more stable, equally competitive conference composed of similar institutions with comparable academic quality to UT Arlington," the memo stated.

Those revenues would certainly be greater if there is no WAC, whose status as a viable conference appears more grim as the days go by

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/21/...rylink=cpy

Once again: UTA Welcome to the Belt, . . now . .. get a football program!

(05-22-2012 11:22 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  Once again: UTA Welcome to the Belt, . .

+1

(05-22-2012 11:22 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  now . .. get a football program!

+2

Where are the UTA fans?

(05-22-2012 11:22 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:39 AM)MG61 Wrote:  UTA would begin play in the 12-team Sun Belt in the fall of 2013. Starting in July it will join the Western Athletic Conference for a single year after competing as a member of the Southland Conference since 1964

The school will not be assessed an exit fee by the WAC. UTA will be required to pay a $300,000 entry fee to the Sun Belt, according to the memorandum, a fee that "will be covered through a combination of athletic department funds and conference revenues payable to UT Arlington pursuant to the New Member Agreement with the SBC."

University officials, in making a case for membership, also said that revenues generated through television and the NCAA will probably be comparable or greater in the Sun Belt than in the WAC.
"The SBC represents a more stable, equally competitive conference composed of similar institutions with comparable academic quality to UT Arlington," the memo stated.

Those revenues would certainly be greater if there is no WAC, whose status as a viable conference appears more grim as the days go by

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/21/...rylink=cpy

Once again: UTA Welcome to the Belt, . . now . .. get a football program!

The same to UALR, get a football program!

Now the Sun Belt hasn't lost DFW (they have in football) completely. They're still in South Florida, they've added Atlanta and a school with a broad based Texas appeal (Texas State - a primarily residential school - unlike UTA or UNT).

From a market perspective, CUSA really hasn't taken that much from us.

(05-22-2012 12:09 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  Where are the UTA fans?

I live in the DFW area. From my personal experience (maybe I've posted this in another thread on this board), they are few and far between.

My wife, and two close friends are UTA grads. The wife I was able to quickly convert to a Texas State fan. Sports Tx State gear all the time. One of my two buddies (huge sports fan), was able to quickly convert him to a Tx State fan as well - it only took one trip to San Marcos for a football game. Now he goes with me and a group of friends every year, sports Bobcat gear randomly, etc. The other buddy, while also a huge sports fan, couldn't tell you two things about UTA's atheltic programs as a whole - largely because he has no interest in them and the teams they have been assoicated with (ie. Southland Conference). When it was announced UTA was going to the WAC, I had to tell my wife and converted Bobcat buddy about it. They had no clue. Same with them coming to the SBC.

You don't see any advertisements for UTA in this area (at least I don't), and outside of this past year's basketball season, I cannot remember the last time I read about UTA in the news.

This isn't meant to be a bashing of UTA. I'm in their corner and hope they can start drumming up some interetest in their school. They just opened a really sharp basketball arena, and their mens basketball team was really solid this past year. So hopefully that will be a start for them.

But as for an actual fanbase.......... ehh. Kind of lacking.

Funny.

One of the reasons I'm leery of UTA is because they have a stadium in place and with an investment in it could add football.

I'm not terribly excited about the idea of being the home of Texas' 13th FBS program nor the metroplex's 4th program.

I'm fine with having non-football programs provided they raise the bar in basketball.

I agree, arkstfan. I'm excited about the upcoming football season with us FINALLY playing FBS, and I am very grateful/excited as hell about joining the SBC (part of me wishes we could just start SBC play now). But I'm of the opinion that the FBS landscape in Texas is saturated. When UTA's WAC announcement was made, it was rumored they'd revive their football by 2016. I'm of the opinion that they have SOOO much work to do for that to happen. Like you mentioned - 3 FBS programs in the area already, and the pro sport franchises (depending on which one is currenly winning/in fashion) dominate the area. When Big 12 teams start coming to the area, its going to be even harder for UTA to get any coverage.

(05-22-2012 01:00 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Funny.

One of the reasons I'm leery of UTA is because they have a stadium in place and with an investment in it could add football.

I'm not terribly excited about the idea of being the home of Texas' 13th FBS program nor the metroplex's 4th program.

I'm fine with having non-football programs provided they raise the bar in basketball.

The reason that you don't see fans from UTA imo is that they don't have a football team. I know that there is a group at UTA that have been petitioning for football for years. If football was added, they would be here.

I lived in dfw a long time. They have billboards up around town. They get minimal coverage in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I like this add only in the sense it adds a travel partner. I would much rather see NMSU or App St.

Really I don't want them to add a football team. Its yet another startup that takes spot from a team that could boost the profile of the conference like App St. It further dilutes Texas recruiting and I doubt they'd be anywhere as successful as UTSA pulling it off because they aren't the only show in town. Also it would be ironic to see these Bobcat fans that keep pushing for it get in a tizzy when UTA adds a team and "leapfrogs" past the TXST into CUSA or MWC because they are in massive tv market. Be careful what you wish for.

UTA couldn't crack the DFW nut in the NCAA's top division in the Southland and with the Southland forced to I-AA after the 1981 season they just couldn't make it work. Odd thing is they dropped football three years after UNT joined the Southland. They only hosted UNT once in football as a member of the Southland but had played regularly and had been a strong advocate to admit UNT.

Any word on expansion to 12 football playing schools? ie adding App St?

(05-22-2012 12:30 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  Now the Sun Belt hasn't lost DFW (they have in football) completely. They're still in South Florida, they've added Atlanta and a school with a broad based Texas appeal (Texas State - a primarily residential school - unlike UTA or UNT).

From a market perspective, CUSA really hasn't taken that much from us.

UTA did draw more in basketball than your broad based appealing Texas State. 2,131 to 2,030. So maybe the broad based appeal isn't as much as you think. At this point UTA's basketball is solid and Texas States is horrible.

(05-22-2012 12:09 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  Where are the UTA fans?

probably at work....

(05-22-2012 12:09 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  Where are the UTA fans?

probably at work..

(05-22-2012 01:00 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Funny.

One of the reasons I'm leery of UTA is because they have a stadium in place and with an investment in it could add football.

I'm not terribly excited about the idea of being the home of Texas' 13th FBS program nor the metroplex's 4th program.

I'm fine with having non-football programs provided they raise the bar in basketball.

and this basketball knock is coming from a stAte fan????..really.....

(05-22-2012 02:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:30 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  Now the Sun Belt hasn't lost DFW (they have in football) completely. They're still in South Florida, they've added Atlanta and a school with a broad based Texas appeal (Texas State - a primarily residential school - unlike UTA or UNT).

From a market perspective, CUSA really hasn't taken that much from us.

UTA did draw more in basketball than your broad based appealing Texas State. 2,131 to 2,030. So maybe the broad based appeal isn't as much as you think. At this point UTA's basketball is solid and Texas States is horrible.

How dare you.

(05-22-2012 02:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:30 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  Now the Sun Belt hasn't lost DFW (they have in football) completely. They're still in South Florida, they've added Atlanta and a school with a broad based Texas appeal (Texas State - a primarily residential school - unlike UTA or UNT).

From a market perspective, CUSA really hasn't taken that much from us.

UTA did draw more in basketball than your broad based appealing Texas State. 2,131 to 2,030 . So maybe the broad based appeal isn't as much as you think. At this point UTA's basketball is solid and Texas States is horrible.

(05-22-2012 02:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:30 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  Now the Sun Belt hasn't lost DFW (they have in football) completely. They're still in South Florida, they've added Atlanta and a school with a broad based Texas appeal (Texas State - a primarily residential school - unlike UTA or UNT).

From a market perspective, CUSA really hasn't taken that much from us.

UTA did draw more in basketball than your broad based appealing Texas State. 2,131 to 2,030. So maybe the broad based appeal isn't as much as you think. At this point UTA's basketball is solid and Texas States is horrible.

So the difference between "solid" and "horrible" is 100 people?

Great argument - sounds to me like the broad appeal is certainly more than you think.