UTA FB History: Vol. 9 Gm. 2 - Stereotypical

When I look back at wasted opportunities for the UT Arlington football program, there are a lot to choose from, starting in the 1970's and going all the way to the unplayed 1986 season. There were three seasons that one more UTA win would have resulted in an Independence Bowl berth. Their last conference title team came in UTA's last year in Division I-A, or today's Football Bowl Championship Subdivision. But, that was the first year the Indy Bowl didn't team with the Southland Conference and the conference champ did not play in the postseason. Would a bowl team increased enthusiasm in the program? Maybe. Especially considering a bowl berth was much more difficult in that time period.

Mistakes of some kind or another usually resulted in the losses. While an opponent can force a fumble or goad their foes into untimely penalties, more often it is undisciplined play by the fumblers or by the penalty committers that are the likely culprit. That was a defining trait of Head Coach Harold "Bud" Elliott's tenure.

There was, of course, the mascot controversy when the University transitioned from the Rebels to the Mavericks. Playing off campus didn't help either. Going from Memorial Stadium, on the site of the Maverick Activities Center, to a baseball stadium that could accommodate football, which in turn transitioned to being at the mercy of a Major League Baseball team, which then transitioned to a high school stadium in Cravens Field at Arlington Lamar High School was a black eye.

Still Streaking

At the start of the 2025 volleyball season, the UT Arlington program was coming off one of the best seasons in program history and by pure winning percentage, THE best season. At 29-3, UTA lost to two ranked teams and the American Athletic Conference's runner-up. At 16-0, it was the first undefeated conference run since 1992, and the only undefeated conference mark that played double-digit games in loop play.

One would have to go back to September 20th of last year to find the last regular season loss to this point in the 2025 season. Just FYI, between a funeral in California, a new work schedule and transcribing the interview with Athletic Director Jon Fagg, I just didn't have enough hours in the day to cover the first volleyball weekend tournament. So, I'll give my thoughts on it here.

I mentioned in the preseason poll post that the first Mav opponents weren't world-beaters. Quinnipiac was rated highly in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which isn't a powerhouse league by any stretch (third worst overall conference last year). Western Illinois was picked sixth in the Ohio Valley. The OVC is only rated a few spots higher. Host Bradley's predicted finish in the Missouri Valley isn't available as the conference didn't publish its full list.

UTA FB History: Vol. 9 Gm. 1 - What Could Have Been

It is one of the more exciting times of year for me on this blog as the first Saturday in September kicks off This Day in UTA Football History. For long-time readers, you know that we are in a period of time where prior years covered the same seasons as the current edition.

The rules are simple, in the University era, UT Arlington rarely played on any other day but a Saturday. I can think of only one exception. Every junior college game I have found is the same, but I don't have them all, so I can't definitively say for the entire program. As such, the entries are posted on Saturday. The 2014 entries will be this year's sister season. For the next 12 weeks, we will look at games from the 1969, 1975 and 1980 seasons. But there will be twist this year.

Between my interview with UTA Athletic Director and this, I've been saying excited a lot. But it is genuinely true. I'm excited to announce this twist. Football schedules are made years in advance. Some colleges and universities today schedule games almost a decade out. Contracts are signed, penalties are enforced and conference games planned around these non-conference games. This was true decades ago. It is one reason why the Arlington State College Rebels played only seven games in its first season as a four-year school. There were not enough openings by opponents in a short time to schedule a full season.

No one knew as 1985 progressed that the final game of the program was nearing until the Monday following the last game against North Texas. UTA had already published schedules for 1986 and 1987. Had the program not been disbanded, 1986 would have qualified for this year's entries. I personally have wondered, like many, how the team would have fared. Now, every so often, a game that was scheduled was postponed or rescheduled, so nothing in 1986 was 100 percent guaranteed.

Conversation with an AD Part Four - Sports Quick Hits

The first three parts of my sit-down interview with UT Arlington Athletic Director Jon Fagg focused on a near singular topic each. As the interview reached the half way mark, the topics came closer in time and at a quicker pace. There has been a small delay in the release of part four as I originally envisioned part four being the last portion. However, the post itself started becoming too long. 

As we transition from the topic of football, we started discussing the sports we have on campus.

The Maverick Rambler: Well let's talk about pouring the efforts into, into men's basketball.

Jon Fagg: Yeah, sure.

Conversation with an AD Part Three - Gridiron Gossip

In part two of a long sit down interview with the UT Arlington Athletic Director Jon Fagg, we both discussed the start of the Mavericks flag football team. The topic transitioned to Maverick Stadium and teetered towards the men's side of the pigskin.

For part three of a one-on-one interview with the AD, we jump all in to football.

The Maverick Rambler: If you had a dollar for every time football was brought up to you in some capacity...

Jon Fagg: I'd have some money already. 

TMR: You'd be able to buy a private island.

Conversation with an AD Part Two - Behind the Scenes of a New Sport

In the first part of my sit-down interview with UT Arlington Athletic Director Jon Fagg, we had a great discussion regarding the Mavericks current home, the Western Athletic Conference, and its transition to the United Athletic Conference starting next year. It was a great talk with some behind the scenes information that wasn't generally known.

In that same theme, particularly the behind the scene workings, the Maverick Rambler looks behind the curtain of UTA's next, newest sport, coming at the dawn of the UAC. At the end of this edition, the topic starts to shift organically to one of the most common topics on campus. 

Here's part two of the one-on-one with the UTA Athletic Director.

The Maverick Rambler: We're going to go back to ... to, to your President for a second. Because, one of the other big headlines: women's flag football.

Jon Fagg: Yeah, women's flag football!

Conversation with an AD Part One - the UAC Rebrand

While I don't want the purpose of this blog to vary from its core, opinions and commentary on various aspects of the UT Arlington Mavericks Athletic Department, I have been contemplating in recent years how to do a little more, take it to the next level if you will. I attempted what follows last year, but obviously it didn't work, likely due to user error. I took a different approach, shook a few more hands and viola. 

On Friday afternoon, I had the genuine pleasure of a sit-down question and answer session "on the record" with the Athletic Director at UT Arlington, Jon Fagg. While I intended to make the interview a singular blog post, he allowed me to keep going. My thought process was if he offered 30 minutes, I was going to take 31. However, he let me go for over an hour and a half. As such, I really have to break it down into multiple parts. 

While I picked his brain about quite a bit of items, the drive home was filled with internal questions about things I should have followed up on more than I did, it was only natural. I did hit a lot of main points though. There is quite a bit of information in the conversation.

With that said, the Maverick Rambler presents its one-on-one with the AD.