UT Arlington Mavericks football

The UT Arlington Mavericks football team represented the University of Texas at Arlington from the 1959 through 1985 seasons. Between 1919 through 1958, UTA competed as a junior college prior to moving to the NCAA College Division in 1959 and ultimately the University Division in 1971. UTA played its home games at multiple stadiums throughout their history with the most recent being Maverick Stadium, in Arlington, Texas.

UT Arlington Mavericks football
First season1919
Last season1985
StadiumMaverick Stadium
(capacity: 15,000)
LocationArlington, Texas
NCAA divisionDivision I-AA
ConferenceSouthland Conference
All-time record129–150–2 (.463)
Bowl record1–0 (1.000)
Conference titles3 (1966, 1967, 1981)
RivalriesLamar Cardinals, North Texas Mean Green
ColorsRoyal blue, white, and orange[1]
     

History

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Carlisle Military Academy football team, circa 1906-1907
 
University of Texas at Arlington football game against Louisiana Tech University at Arlington Stadium, Arlington, Texas. UTA's Ernest Baptist (#36), is seen making a play on the field against Louisiana Tech's Wide Receiver Roger Carr (#24).

The UT Arlington football team traces its roots to 1919 when the program was established at Grubbs Vocational College.[2] By 1923, Grubbs was renamed as the North Texas Agricultural College with the football team then playing as the Junior Aggies competing in the Central Texas Conference. As the Aggies, the program captured four conference championships through the 1948 season.[2] The 1943 North Texas Aggies football team was ranked at No. 69 among the nation's college and military service teams in the final 1943 Litkenhous Ratings.[3]

By 1949, the school changed its name and mascot again, competing as the Arlington State Blue Riders through the 1950 season only to once more change the mascot to the Rebels for the 1951 season.[2] Arlington would reach their zenith as a junior college program in capturing both the 1956 and 1957 Junior Rose Bowls as national junior college champions.[4] Following the 1958 season, Arlington State became a four-year school and begin competition as a College Division school.[2]

After founding the Southland Conference as a charter member for the 1964 season, by 1966, the school officially became the University of Texas at Arlington.[2] UTA won conference championships in 1966, 1967 and 1981 seasons in addition to winning their lone bowl game, the 1967 Pecan Bowl.[2] The program would be officially disbanded after an announcement by then university president Wendell Nedderman on November 25, 1985, citing financial loss and low attendance as the primary impetus for its abandonment.[2][5][6]

Despite the team's disbandment, the UTA Maverick Marching Band was determined to stay intact. They shifted focus to performing at various contests and events around the state and remain one of the only college marching bands in the United States to stand alone without a football program.[7][8]

In 2023, the UTA students voted on a referendum which gauged student support for the return of football resulting in increased student fees. The referendum passed 1,004 in favor to 625 opposed.[9]

Seasons

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This listing includes only the seasons UTA competed as a four-year college beginning with the 1959 season.

Conference Champions * Bowl game berth ^
Season Head coach Conference Season results Bowl result
Conference finish Wins Losses Ties
Arlington State Rebels
1959 Chena Gilstrap Independent 4 3 0
1960 Independent 9 2 0
1961 NCAA College Division independent 7 3 0
1962 NCAA College Division independent 4 6 0
1963 NCAA College Division independent 1 8 0
1964 Southland Conference 5th 3 6 1
1965 Southland Conference 2nd 6 3 0
1966 * Burley Bearden Southland Conference 1st 6 4 0
UT Arlington Rebels
1967 * Burley Bearden Southland Conference 1st 10 1 0 Won 1967 Pecan Bowl against North Dakota State Bison, 13–0 ^
1968 Southland Conference 2nd 6 4 0
1969 Southland Conference 3rd 5 5 0
1970 Southland Conference 5th 0 10 0
UT Arlington Mavericks
1971 John Symank Southland Conference 7th 2 9 0
1972 Southland Conference 2nd 5 6 0
1973 Southland Conference 5th 4 6 0
1974 Harold Elliott Southland Conference 5th 1 10 0
1975 Southland Conference 5th 4 7 0
1976 Southland Conference 3rd 5 6 0
1977 Southland Conference 3rd 5 6 0
1978 Southland Conference 3rd 5 6 0
1979 Southland Conference 2nd 9 2 0
1980 Southland Conference 3rd 3 8 0
1981 * Southland Conference 1st 6 5 0
1982 Southland Conference 6th 3 8 0
1983 Southland Conference 5th 5 6 0
1984 Chuck Curtis Southland Conference 3rd 7 4 0
1985 Southland Conference 6th 4 6 1
Total 128 150 2 (only includes regular season games)
1 0 0 (only includes bowl games)
129 150 2 (all games)
References:[10]

Stadiums

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References

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  1. ^ "UTA Color Palette". Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rychlik, Michael (December 29, 1999). "UTA had some football success until the program died in 1985". Arlington Morning News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2000. Retrieved July 12, 2018. Published in print as "Rise & Fall: Plight of UTA football still hard for some to swallow". The Dallas Morning News. December 29, 1999. Retrieved September 12, 2020 – via Newsbank.
  3. ^ E. E. Litkenhous (December 17, 1943). "Litkenhouse Selects U.S. Grid Leaders: Notre Dame Named Top Team for 1943; Minnesota Does Fadeout". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 18. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ UTA Magazine Online, Legendary Coach and Athletic Director Dies Archived 2006-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Former congressman Tommy Vandergriff, who was willing to contribute..." UPI. December 10, 1985. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  6. ^ McNabb, David (November 26, 1985). "UTA eliminates football because of program costs". The Dallas Morning News. p. 1A. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  7. ^ Lawson, Mike (2002-08-01). "UPFRONT: TACKLING MARCHING BAND WITHOUT A FOOTBALL TEAM". SBO Plus!. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  8. ^ "Maverick Marching Band". Maverick Marching Band - Department of Music - The University of Texas at Arlington. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  9. ^ Appelt, Isaac (April 4, 2023). "Students, alumni react as football referendum passes in Student Government election". The Shorthorn. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  10. ^ League History & Records 2008 Southland Conference Football Media Guide, southland.org. Accessed December 18, 2008.