Everyone keeps posting on message boards that UALR and UTA are moving, but I never see either school tied to a conference rumor.

What are y'all hearing?

UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

(11-13-2021 10:18 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

All we hear is from poster from the east division thinking they are some kind of experts, but don't seem to know much. Hope y'all can stay in the Belt.

Each of the potential MVC members, Murray State, Arlington, Kansas City and now UIC, will have presentations sometime in December.

(11-13-2021 10:18 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

One of the criteria prospective conferences use for expansion is the commitment to upgrade spending budgets. If UTA has all the academic things going for it as you mentioned, that's all the better, but they're still gonna have to increase monies for better coaching salaries, field/stadium/arena upgrades, recruiting budgets, etc.

(11-27-2021 11:28 AM)Chuck_A Wrote:  

(11-13-2021 10:18 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

One of the criteria prospective conferences use for expansion is the commitment to upgrade spending budgets. If UTA has all the academic things going for it as you mentioned, that's all the better, but they're still gonna have to increase monies for better coaching salaries, field/stadium/arena upgrades, recruiting budgets, etc.

True. If I were MVC commissioner, I would expect some kind of commitment to making further investments in athletics. Failing that, I don't see the point of UTA even looking at a conference change. We might as well be back in the WAC or Southland Conference.

(01-01-2022 11:41 PM)wewererebels Wrote:  

(11-27-2021 11:28 AM)Chuck_A Wrote:  

(11-13-2021 10:18 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

One of the criteria prospective conferences use for expansion is the commitment to upgrade spending budgets. If UTA has all the academic things going for it as you mentioned, that's all the better, but they're still gonna have to increase monies for better coaching salaries, field/stadium/arena upgrades, recruiting budgets, etc.

True. If I were MVC commissioner, I would expect some kind of commitment to making further investments in athletics. Failing that, I don't see the point of UTA even looking at a conference change. We might as well be back in the WAC or Southland Conference.

Going back to either the WAC or the Southland would be a downgrade. MVC is a better basketball conference. Another thing the Valley asks prospective members about is the ability to set aside monies to "buy" home games.

(01-04-2022 11:44 AM)Chuck_A Wrote:  

(01-01-2022 11:41 PM)wewererebels Wrote:  

(11-27-2021 11:28 AM)Chuck_A Wrote:  

(11-13-2021 10:18 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  UTA "Leaders" are examining all their options. On the one hand, the school is thriving in terms of enrollment numbers and academic standing (48,000/Texas Tier One). But on the other hand, school spirit, community involvement and alumni commitment are blah. One of the attractions to greater enrollment has been low student fees - athletics fee are less than 1/3 of what is required at Texas State or UNT, and the fact that Arlington is a very strong STEM university attracts ambitious career-minded students, rather than traditional "college experience" fraternity types like myself.

I could see us going to a basketball conference like the MO Valley, just so the "leaders" could avoid making a big money commitment to athletics. Just my opinion.

One of the criteria prospective conferences use for expansion is the commitment to upgrade spending budgets. If UTA has all the academic things going for it as you mentioned, that's all the better, but they're still gonna have to increase monies for better coaching salaries, field/stadium/arena upgrades, recruiting budgets, etc.

True. If I were MVC commissioner, I would expect some kind of commitment to making further investments in athletics. Failing that, I don't see the point of UTA even looking at a conference change. We might as well be back in the WAC or Southland Conference.

Going back to either the WAC or the Southland would be a downgrade. MVC is a better basketball conference. Another thing the Valley asks prospective members about is the ability to set aside monies to "buy" home games.

The jury is out. Any decision at UTA may be delayed until a new President gets hired. But if the major impetus for change is coming from the Sun Belt, then I suppose we could be orphaned in short order.