UTRGV officials are waiting to meet with the new University of Texas System chancellor before making a decision on whether to establish a football program.
A feasibility study details the information, research, analysis and recommendations concerning the possibility of UTRGV having a football team in the future.
Although the study was completed a year ago by College Sports Solutions, the university did not release the findings until The Monitor newspaper filed a public information request.
When The Rider asked for a copy of the study on Aug. 15, the university also required the newspaper to file a public information request.
The study, which cost $104,837.21, states that adding a football team would cost millions of dollars. Under the Football Championship Subdivision level, the program cost is estimated at $16,807,996 over five years. If the program transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision, it would cost an estimated $26,948,622 over five years.
Under the FCS track, revenue is estimated at a combined $2,560,866 in the fourth and fifth years of the program. At the FBS level, the revenue generated is estimated at a combined $3,761,510 in the fourth and fifth years.
“Thus, a university business plan and funding model regarding student fees and university sources in support of the athletics program would need to be conducted,” according to the UTRGV Football Feasibility Study.
In an interview with The Rider, Patrick Gonzales, UTRGV’s associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said the student fee would not increase until the decision of creating a football team is made.
“Since we don’t have a decision on football, we don’t have a timeline on when the student fee will go into place, or anything like that,” Gonzales said. “We don’t have any specifics. But, it is key to know the increase will only affect new students, because legacy students are protected by the guaranteed tuition and fee plan that we have in place.”
Although the study provides a timeline for UTRGV to begin playing football as early as 2021-22, the timeline has been pushed back due to other priorities, such as the accreditation probation placed on UTRGV by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, opening of the UTRGV School of Medicine and meeting with the new chancellor at the University of Texas System, James Milliken.
According to the study, the university’s president or chancellor “must first officially award the sport varsity status.”
“The university just decided that, you know, they will make a decision on football when [it] felt the time is right and when these other priorities were kinda out of the way,” Gonzales said.
The study states, “Given the size of the university and its aspirational goals to be recognized as a Tier One research institution, CSS would recommend entry at the FBS level, which will require an invitation from an existing conference.”
However, the study also notes the transition to Football Bowl Subdivision involves a two-year reclassification process and the university must receive an offer to do so.
The report also pointed out the need to comply with Title IX/Gender Equity law.
Title IX/Gender Equity law requires institutions to follow at least one of three requirements:
–intercollegiate athletics participation opportunities for male and female students are “substantially proportionate” to their respective full-time undergraduate enrollment.
–a “history and continuing practice of program expansion” for the under-represented sex.
–“fully and effectively” accommodating the interests and abilities of the under-represented sex.
Gonzales said UTRGV will follow what the study recommends.
“The Football Feasibility report states that with a football team, we will have different options, one of them being adding two women’s sports,” Gonzales said. “Those are rules and policies enforced by the NCAA and we will have to follow them.”
Biology senior Gloria Torres sees the benefits and disadvantages of a football team at UTRGV.
“I think that is going to raise tuition, which kinda sucks. Who wants tuition raised? No one,” Torres said. “It’ll bring more publicity to the school–that’s a plus. The downfall to that will be the school would get known more. It’s a small campus already, so that means more students will be attracted to [UTRGV]. It’s gonna kinda do a waterfall of problems beginning with parking. [I] think that’s going to be one of the main things.”
The study advised the university against playing football independently.
“CSS does not recommend an attempt to play football independently at any level, as the operational difficulties, particularly with scheduling, present additional issues that can become problematic both as to management and resources,” the report states.
Student Government Association President Denisce Palacios said the university is not ready for a football team because it needs to improve in other areas first.
“I would be really excited, I just don’t think this is the time,” Palacios said. “I wouldn’t say an addition, like adding football, would be good within five years because then we would have to worry about our medical school and then we to have to worry about making sure UTRGV is an emerging research institution.”
She said the university might have problems with the student fee and Title IX.
“We would have problems with Title IX,” Palacios said. “So, first of all, football is super expensive. They have to raise the athletic fee. First, we would have to separate the athletics fee from student fees and then we would have to raise it in order for it to be sufficient to support not only the current athletics but the addition of football and because of Title IX equity issue, we would have to add female sports.
“It’d be quite a big expense for our students. I think before they move forward with anything, I mean, if even the community did want it, we need to make sure that students want it by passing a student referendum, by taking a vote if whether or not students want it.”
Gonzales said the football team will create more opportunities for students.
“It would bring more student athletes,” he said. “There’s a possibility of having a marching band as well, which will open up new opportunity for our music students. The training and medical providers could possibly come from UTRGV as well, and students there. Media and communications, it could provide an opportunity for live radio broadcasting for some of our students. So, I think there’s multiple benefits that a football team could bring for the university.”
Gonzales also said the university does not want to make any decisions until officials speak with Chancellor Milliken.
“We’re sitting tight on the decision, just to make sure that whatever we decide is the right time,” Gonzales said. “Another big thing that occurred was the change in leadership at the UT System that occurred this summer. Our old chancellor stepped down and the new chancellor was named a month ago. Before any decision is made, we want to make sure that we discuss it with the new leadership.”
William McRaven stepped down as chancellor on May 31. Milliken began his duties as chancellor on Sept. 17.
The Rider requested an interview with Milliken, but was told via email by Karen Adler, director of media relations and communications programming for the UT System: “It would be premature for Chancellor Milliken to answer questions about the feasibility study without first having a chance to learn about it from UTRGV leadership.”
The possibility of having a football team was first discussed in February 2016.
In April 2016, the university announced the 21-member football feasibility committee, which was comprised of university staff, faculty, students, community leaders and special advisers, including former University of Texas Head Coach and current ESPN/ABC Analyst Mack Brown.
For the complete football feasibility study, click here.
