History
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 non-binding 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. It was noted at the time that the school would need to add a women's sport to go with football to comply with Title IX regulations along with needing to raise money to build a new stadium and annual operating expenses of at least $3 million per year. [9] [10]