On December 18, 2008, The University of Texas System Board of Regents granted the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) permission to expand their athletics and add a football program!
UTSA will develop an $84 million athletic complex over the next several years and add an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) football program to advance the athletics department existing 16 intercollegiate sports programs with the addition of an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly Division I-A) Conference.
The Athletic Program will be funded through student fees, corporate and private support and other revenue sources and will not affect the academic budget. The UTSA Students support expanding the athletics program and to double the athletics fee over the next 5 to 7 years from $10 per semester credit hour up to $20 per semester hour. The Fee will be capped at 12 semester credit hours.
The expansion of the Sports Program and adding football is to provide an enhanced and more complete University experience to the current students and to bring former students and the San Antonio Community closer to the University and it's development towards National Research University Status.
In 2009:
- Launch a $15 million fundraising campaign
- Hire a head coach and 2 assistant coaches
- Begin recruiting players
In 2010:
- Hire additional staff.
- Sign first recruiting class in February and begin practicing with red-shirted inaugural team in August.
- Begin construction of Phase I of Athletics Complex in February.
In 2011:
- Expand team and play independent football schedule
- Completion of Phase l of Athletic Complex in October.
In 2012:
- Play Southland Conference football schedule.
Until Phase l of the Athletics Complex is completed, the team will practice either on the 1604 Campus or at one of the surrounding high school facilities. The new UTSA Athletics Complex will be located on a 125 acre of land located at Loop 1604 and Hausman Road.-it's 1 miles Southwest of the UTSA 1604 Campus. The Athletics Complex will include facilities for soccer and track, roadway, surface parking and other related infrastructure. After that, depending on successful fundraising, practice football fields will be added.
For more information about the UTSA Athletics Initiative Business Plan, check the UTSA Athletics Web site.
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Great news Judi, that UTSA is moving this direction with football. Several schools I knew in Florida put there schools on the map by expanding athletics.