UT Arlington Mavericks
| UT Arlington Mavericks | |
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| University | University of Texas at Arlington |
|---|---|
| Conference(s) | WAC Sun Belt (2013) |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Pete Carlon[1] |
| Location | Arlington, TX |
| Varsity teams | 14 |
| Basketball arena | College Park Center |
| Baseball stadium | Clay Gould Ballpark |
| Mascot | Blaze |
| Nickname | Mavericks |
| Fight song | UTA Fight Song |
| Colors | Blue and White
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| Homepage | www.utamavs.com |
The UT Arlington Mavericks are the athletic teams that represent the University of Texas at Arlington. The Mavericks' team name selection was made in 1971,[2] predating the National Basketball Association's expansion franchise Dallas Mavericks' starting choice in 1980. The Mavericks compete in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference in 14 varsity sports. UT Arlington will begin competing in the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.[3]
UT Arlington has won the Southland Conference's Commissioners Cup three times since the award was first instituted in 1998. The Commissioner's Cup is awarded to the athletics program with the highest all-around performance in all conference events, including all men's and women's events.[4]
A new arena called the College Park Center is now the host facility for basketball and volleyball home games as well as other university activities. The arena opened February 1, 2012 and seats approximately 7,000 people.[5]
Contents |
Team list[edit]
The Mavericks compete in the Division I varsity sports listed below:[6]
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Baseball[edit]
- For conference championships, see: Southland Conference Baseball Tournament
The baseball team plays at Clay Gould Ballpark, located at the southwestern edge of the UT Arlington campus. The inaugural season was in 1969.[7] Highlights include Southland Conference regular season championships in 1990 and 1992 along with tournament championships in 2001, 2006 and 2012.
Basketball[edit]
Men's basketball[edit]
Home games are played at College Park Center, located on University of Texas at Arlington's campus in Arlington. The team appeared in the 2008 NCAA tournament, losing against the #1 seed Memphis in the first round. Later, Memphis had to forfeit their win for "ineligible competition, impermissible benefits and failure to monitor its athletics programs."[8] Although only 14 of 51 seasons have resulted in an overall winning record, 4 of the past 5 seasons have winning records, including a school record 24 wins in the 2011-2012 season. They won the Southland Conference regular season championship along with a tie for the 2004 regular season champion and a 2008 conference tournament championship that led to their first NCAA Tournament appearance.[9]
Women's basketball[edit]
The women's basketball team was established in 1972 and experienced early success with a combined 64-32 record in three seasons between 1975 and 1977.[10] The Mavericks participated in several AIAW state and regional tournaments before joining the Southland Conference beginning with the 1982-83 season. Between 2004 and 2010, the team posted an overall record of 121-65. During this time span, highlights have included a perfect 16-0 Southland Conference record for the 2006-07 season and two NCAA tournament appearances (2005 and 2007).[11]
Football[edit]
UT Arlington fielded a Division II football program in the Southland Conference from 1964 to 1969, a Division I College Level program from 1970 to 1974 and a Division I program from 1975 to 1985. Home games were played in Maverick Stadium beginning in the 1980 season. The Mavericks were conference champions in 1966, 1967, and 1981. In 1967, the team won the Pecan Bowl against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux,[12] the only bowl game in its history. The team was disbanded after the 1985 season due to major financial losses (nearly one million dollars per year) and low home game average attendance (5,600 with 23,100 students). By the end, the program was funded by the university's auxiliary enterprise income while the other 14 sports were under-funded, as football accounted for half the total athletic budget.[13]
In April 2004, UT Arlington students voted by a 2-to-1 margin to increase their student athletic fees by $2 per semester-credit hour should the university reinstate football and begin women's golf and soccer teams. After review, President James D. Spaniolo dismissed the idea as too costly in terms of time and resources.[14]
Other sports[edit]
In Track & Field, the men's team has won seven outdoor and eight indoor Southland Conference championships. The women's team has won six outdoor and seven indoor championships.[15] The softball team has won three regular season championships and one tournament championship in 2003.[16]
The men's tennis team has won seven regular season championships in the Southland Conference, including a streak of 5 in 6 years from 1998 to 2003. The women's team has seen similar success, also winning seven championships with a streak of 6 in 7 years from 1999 to 2005.[17]
The first season for volleyball at UT Arlington was in 1973. The volleyball team appeared in the national rankings towards the end of the 1980s and advanced to the NCAA Volleyball Final Four in 1989.[18] The team has won 12 Southland Conference regular season championships, including the first 9 from 1982 to 1990.
Notable athletes[edit]
The baseball and football programs have produced several notable athletes.
Baseball[edit]
- Michael Choice - Outfielder, 10th overall draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft[19]
- Steve Foster - Pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds[20]
- Dillon Gee - Pitcher for the New York Mets[21]
- Trey Hillman - Manager of the Kansas City Royals from 2008–2010[22]
- John Lackey - Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox[22]
- Mark Lowe - Pitcher for the Texas Rangers
- Adam Moore - Catcher for the Seattle Mariners[23]
- Daniel Ortmeier - First baseman/outfielder for the San Francisco Giants[24]
- Dave Owen - Shortstop for the Chicago Cubs[25]
- Hunter Pence - Outfielder for the San Francisco Giants[22][26]
- Ryan Roberts - Infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks[27]
Football[edit]
- Dexter Bussey - Running back for the Detroit Lions from 1974 to 1984.[28]
- Skip Butler - Kicker and Punter, mostly for the Houston Oilers.
- Mark Cannon - Center, mostly for the Green Bay Packers.
- Bruce Collie - Offensive lineman for the 49ers (1985–89), where he played on Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV teams and Eagles (1990–91).[29]
- Doug Hart - Defensive back for the Green Bay Packers who played in the first two Super Bowls.
- Derrick Jensen - Running back and tight end for the Raiders where he played on Super Bowl XV and XVIII teams.
- Tim McKyer - Cornerback, played on Super Bowl XXIII, XXIV, and XXXII championship teams.[30]
- Don Morrison - Offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints.
- Cliff Odom - Linebacker for the Browns, Colts, and Dolphins between 1980 and 1993.[31]
References[edit]
- ^ Pete Carlon profile
- ^ How a Grubbworm became a Maverick
- ^ University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks to join Sun Belt Conference in 2013 - ESPN Dallas
- ^ Southland Conference All Sports Trophy Record Book
- ^ UT-Arlington College Park Center
- ^ - Texas-Arlington
- ^ 2010 UT Arlington Baseball Information Guide Section 5
- ^ Memphis Forfeits Final Four Season for Violations
- ^ Media guide record book
- ^ 2009 UT Arlington women's basketball media guide section 3
- ^ 2009 UT Arlington women's basketball media guide section 2
- ^ Pecan Bowl results
- ^ Executive Summary of the Neinas Report, UT Arlington Sports Expansion Study, 2004, Accessed May 13, 2008.
- ^ James D. Spaniolo, Sports Expansion Announcement, UT Arlington Sports Expansion Study, January 20, 2005, Accessed May 13, 2008.
- ^ UTA Track and Field Media Guide
- ^ SLC Softball records
- ^ Southland Conference Tennis Records
- ^ UTA Volleyball records
- ^ Excellent Choice: A's draft college slugger
- ^ Steve Foster Statistics and History
- ^ Dillon Gee UTA Profile
- ^ a b c Pence named to National League All-Star roster
- ^ Adam Moore UTA Profile
- ^ Daniel Ortmeier stats and bio
- ^ Dave Owen Statistics and History
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank (August 21, 2011). "Hunter Pence's road to the majors". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2011-08-21. "... he hit .429 as a sophomore in 2003 and .395 the following season."
- ^ Ryan Roberts UTA profile
- ^ Dexter Bussey statistics
- ^ Bruce Collie statistics
- ^ Tim McKyer statistics
- ^ Cliff Odom statistics
External links[edit]
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