Interesting read about a former conference-mate and the death of their football program: https://swcroundup.com/news/2018/8/1...h-of-a-program
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Interesting read about a former conference-mate and the death of their football program: https://swcroundup.com/news/2018/8/1...h-of-a-program
Tech has been promoting the Top 50 Bulldogs in JAS history, but UTA actually provided some of the best players in stadium history who resided on the other sideline.
Dexter Bussey, Roy Dewalt, Derrick Jensen, Cliff Odom, and Tim McKyer all saw time in the NFL, or in Dewalt's case, as a star in the CFL.
Derrick Jensen, was a Big Time RB from UTA. Jensen was a two-time All-Southland Conference choice (1976-77) and a third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 1978. He was also a valuable member of the Raiders' Super Bowl XV and XVIII championship teams. He ran the ball down LA Tech's throat in a a 56-35 win in 1976 in Arlington.
It's a shame, but UTA shutting it's football program down was a story that was almost never heard about in the DFW area. At the same time UTA was shutting their football program down, SMU was fighting for its life against the NCAA in hopes of avoiding the death penalty in football over major recruiting violations. This was a fight that we all know the Mustangs eventually lost. SMU was subsequently banned from playing football in 1987, and chose not to play in 1988 either while the school reorganized it's football program. Needless to say, SMU's Death Penalty stories sucked all of the wind out of the local news media cycles in the mid 1980's. There was nothing left for UTA. UTA football simply slipped quietly into thy good night.
Clint Conque resigned at SFA.
They could run that Wishbone in the mid 70's.
UTA giving consideration to reinstating football.
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/col...fter-disbanded
They'll probably still win a CUSA championship before we do.
It amazes me that UT Arlington and UT Dallas don't have football teams. UTA has 42,496 students and UTD has 28,750 students. That's a lot of people pouring money into 2 schools surrounded by nice football stadiums.
For some folks, colleges are still about EDUCATION.
Until recently, UTD was not a traditional college enrollment. At one time, its' student base was mostly working adults from the nearby Tech companies, seeking adult education. UTD is located right on the edge of the Telecom corridor in Richardson, so it has always drawn a lot of working professionals. Most of them wouldn't care about UTD athletics.
UTD has championship chess too.
I think based on what I've heard (working here for 10+ years) and read (like in that article) UTA"s issue was largely bad timing.
If they had held on for just a few more years they might have made something work at the I-AA/FCS level until they were ready to make the jump (probably along with TxSt and UTSA).