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 season | 1919 |
| Last season | 1985 |
| Stadium | Maverick Stadium (capacity: 15,000) |
| Location | Arlington, Texas |
| NCAA division | Division I-AA |
| Conference | Southland Conference |
| All-time record | 129–150–2 (.463) |
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) |
| Conference titles | 3 (1966, 1967, 1981) |
| Rivalries | Lamar Cardinals, North Texas Mean Green |
| Colors | Royal blue, white, and orange[1] |
History
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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
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
- Memorial Stadium, 1959–1969
- Turnpike Stadium, 1970–1976
- Cravens Field, 1977–1979
- Maverick Stadium, 1980–1985
References
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