Alright! The game I've been looking forward to since this year's edition started. It will tie everything together as far as 2026's theme. The actual payoff came next week in 1981, but the reason for the payoff was due to today's game.
The McNeese State Cowboys were the preseason pick to win the Southland Conference that year. Meanwhile, the UT Arlington Mavericks were slated for the fourth spot. The Cowboys were the two-time defending SLC champs. UTA was coming off a three-win season. The Cowboys were 6-2-1 while UTA was 4-5. UTA was 2-1 in the conference race while McN was 2-0-1. To say McNeese was the favorite in today's game would be an understatement.
Two weeks prior, the Mavericks lost to Arkansas State to fall to 1-1 in the conference standings. The SLC lineup had been very consistent with the same group of six teams since the 1973 season. Northeast Louisiana (now UL Monroe) and North Texas would join in 1982 so 1981 was the last year of a five-game conference slate. From 1973 to 1980, only champions from 1976 and '78 won a title with a number greater than zero in the loss column. UTA's season was looking suspiciously like the ones the fan base had seen consistently for the past decade plus. Holding strong but not holding the top.
As mentioned, after that stAte loss, UTA was now 1-1, but the team they just lost to, and subsequently gave the tiebreaker to in the loss, was now 2-1. The then-Indians had to win out and there was nothing UTA could do to catch them.
But there was a gift that was like a small Christmas present, that really was a 14-carat diamond ring. On the same day UTA lost to the then-Indians, McNeese and Lamar played to a tie. Counting as half a loss, it put a blemish on McNeese's conference record.
A week prior to today's game, the Mavericks made their only road trip of the conference schedule to Lafayette, Louisiana. In a fortunate turn of events, the eventual last place team in Southwestern Louisiana was it for Movin' Mav road trips. All four other SLC games were at the friendly confines of Maverick Stadium. UTA ended up winning the only road game, 23-7.
UTA's prospects for a title faded when Arkansas State defeated Lamar and moved to 3-1. With a date against 1-2-1 Louisiana Tech remaining, the title race looked to be between them and McNeese State, who still hadn't suffered a true loss.
So, to play for something special on the last game of the year, UTA needed help, quite a bit. But they would also need to dethrone the champs. UTA had lost to McNeese in 1979, 14-13, in Arlington. That '79 squad was 9-2 and the Cowboy/Maverick game was between the two preseason favorites and the two best SLC teams. UTA's best overall squad in more than a decade couldn't get one on McNeese. In 1980, the Mavs lost 31-17. The Cowboys finished '80 undefeated in conference play. In fact, McNeese's last conference loss was a 20-17 setback to UTA in 1978.
Now to the themes:
I've talked a lot this year about the tough Septembers and non-conference early game schedules starting in the 1970's. That was present in 1981.
I've also mentioned that several times the Mavericks opened up SLC play in the 1970's against the Southland favorites and lost. Those occurred in 1972, '74, '75, '78 and '79. While that wasn't present specifically, losing to a 2-1 Arkansas State was close. In fact, not counting the above years, UTA lost the second SLC game in 1970, '71 and '80. That part was present in 1981.
But they weren't out of the race. However, attendance for today's game was not good. While not a drop from the previous game as the gate saw 5,988 pass through, less than 6,000 is a bad number for a potential conference winning team, or really any competitive team.
Now what did change as far as the gate tally...I'll address after the game article.
Ultimately what was different was meaningful November games. UTA thought leaders believed all that was needed to reverse the 1970's regression was an on-campus stadium. While I genuinely think that was helpful, Arlington Stadium and Cravens Field were easier to get to for alumni who didn't live in Arlington. General attendance numbers are better for Maverick Stadium than the two prior homes, but nothing near what it was when they played on campus in the 1960's.
As a whole, support was there in September. It just didn't sustain itself as the season progressed. Keeping excitement high was the missing piece. That missing piece really crippled the growth of the program and ultimately contributed to its demise.
Thanks to some help, today was a meaningful game, which was why today's game would be the second highest in-game attendance total of the season to this point. But, no one would know just how meaningful as UTA still needed help. And help they would get. But first, they had to play today's game.
On this day in UTA football history, UTA hosted McNeese State in 1981.
Taken from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 15, 1981.
As teased earlier, the results of the Arkansas State/Louisiana Tech was known prior to the end of UTA's game. UTA getting that help staged something not seen since the 1960's: the chance to play for a title on their home field.
After this game, UTA saw a bump in attendance for the finale. Staying in the time of the 1970's on, only 1973 witnessed the final game of the year having an attendance mark better than the yearly average. 1981 proved that if you give the fans reasons to come, you can build that support (Part of me thinks 1986 would have also proved that too).
The average of the first four home games was 6,043. The attendance for the last game, ultimately a 31-7 UTA win, was a decent 8,437, or 40 percent higher than the season average prior. The final season average of 6,522 was still 30 percent lower than the final game.
Now yes, 8,437 isn't a ground-shattering number, but consider these points. First, averages today and quite a bit higher than then. I mentioned earlier, but TCU was averaging about 20-25,000 then, compared to 40,000ish now.
Two, attendance numbers are built over time. UT Austin didn't start average 100,000 in 1920. They built a reason for fans to come.
I think that second lesson was learned as UTA started changing their scheduling philosophy. Starting in 1984, UTA saw different opponents. They were more regional in nature and were more winnable. UTA went 7-4 in 1984. After a 4-6-1 mark in 1985, I think 1986 would have been really special, but that lesson was learned too late for UTA President Wendell Nedderman.
It at least was for the UTA Athletic Department.
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