UTRGV sports set to make return

WAC announces conference schedule format

Ivan Palacios | THE RIDER

For the first time since late March, with a conference schedule now set, sports are set to return at UTRGV. 

The Western Athletic Conference announced an update to conference schedules for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball in a news release on Oct. 26. 

The change comes after a vote by the WAC Board of Directors in order to reduce the amount of travel and exposure for each team. While the process has been a long one due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque is excited to finally have a sense of clarity of what UTRGV Athletics will look like this academic year. 

“We knew back earlier this fall that we had that path forward to be able to return sports back to our campus and to many college campuses,” Conque said. “We knew Nov. 25 was going to be that date to be able to start your non-conference slate. So to be able to have that clarity plus now have the conference piece finalized, not just for basketball but for our fall sports. We were looking at a way to make sure that those student athletes have a chance to compete this academic year.

“So to be able to get all that information and be able to finalize all those plans gives us really good clarity. Now the planning begins. Now the prep begins. But we now have that true path forward to be able to compete this year.”

In the new format, both men’s and women’s basketball teams will begin conference play on Jan. 7. The updated schedule will consist of back-to-back games against the same opponent at the same location over the course of two days. In total, each team will host four opponents while traveling to four opponents during the conference season.

“We were very supportive and outspoken in support of this format,” Conque said. “When you look at our [UTRGV] basketball schedule and you look at the other sports, the first thing we had to acknowledge is that we’re in the midst of a pandemic and we’re going to have to find a way to cope with that and be able to do this safely. And, so, the format really lends itself to keeping our student athletes safe. 

“As you look at the way the conference basketball season is put together, being able to go to one community, being able to drive in or fly in and fly out to mitigate exposure, to not have to go through multiple airports and multiple destinations and locations over a weekend, all of that was part of the rationale that led us to the scheduling we have.” 

The UTRGV Men’s Basketball Team will open up its conference schedule Jan. 8, traveling to Illinois to take on the Chicago State University Cougars. The women’s team will host the Cougars’ women’s team at the UTRGV Fieldhouse that same Friday. 

Following the end of the conference play, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas March 10-13 to take part in the annual WAC Basketball Tournament. 

Other fall sports also received big news as volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer received an update on their conference schedules for this season. 

Volleyball will begin its conference schedule on Jan. 25, playing games on Mondays and Tuesdays as it follows the same schedule format as that of basketball. UTRGV Volleyball is slated to start its season at home playing host to the Chicago State University Cougars. 

Teams will travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for the WAC Volleyball tournament, which is scheduled April 1-3 at the Pan American Center.

For men’s soccer, their WAC season is scheduled to start on Feb. 6 in a single round-robin format, which will lead up to a six-team tournament April 13-17 at Johann Memorial Field in Las Vegas. The UTRGV Men’s Soccer Team is slated to open its conference season when the players travel to Seattle to take on the Seattle University Redhawks on Feb. 6.

Women’s soccer will follow the same format as volleyball and basketball, playing back-to-back matches against the same opponent at the same location beginning Feb. 18. Teams will then travel to GCU Stadium in Phoenix for the women’s soccer tournament between April 13-17. The UTRGV Women’s soccer team will host the Seattle University Redhawks in its conference opener Feb. 18. 

Conque applauds the Western Athletic Conference for its hard work in making these schedules a reality. More so, he is proud of the way his coaches at UTRGV have handled the situation. 

“Our coaches were really great to work with, especially ours here at UTRGV,” he said. “Just a lot of communication through this whole time period, really the last eight months. We knew early on that we were going to have to be very nimble, that we were going to have to be flexible. And, so, everybody really came together and put together a good, solid plan.”

As seen throughout the nation in both the collegiate and professional levels, things can change in an instant as far as scheduling. For Conque and the athletics staff at UTRGV, they are just thankful to have a chance to compete this year.

“Everybody understands that we’re just grateful to compete,” he said. “That’s something we’ve talked a lot about lately is that it’s truly a privilege to be able to compete right now. And to be able to do it and do it safely, following the protocols, doing everything that we need to do. And so our coaches have been grateful and supportive of the plan that we have. 

“At the end of the day, you want to be able to do it safely and just give our student athletes a chance to get on the court and field to play.”