University of Texas at Arlington - Athletics

Athletics

UT Arlington's athletic teams are known as the Mavericks (the selection was made in 1971 and predated the Dallas Mavericks choice in 1980). UT Arlington is a charter member of the Southland Conference and one of two charter members still in the conference. UT Arlington has won the Southland Conference's Commissioners Cup three times since the award was first instituted in 1998. The Commissioners Cup is awarded to the athletics program with the highest all-around performance in all conference events, including all men's and women's events.

UT Arlington's basketball and volleyball teams play at College Park Center, which opened with a women/men basketball double header on February 1, 2012. The new arena seats about 7,000 fans for sporting events and cost an estimated 78 million dollars. New athletic director Jim Baker began work on the same date.

UT-Arlington will become a member of the Western Athletic Conference on July 1, 2012.

UT Arlington will join the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2013. The switch comes after continued shake-ups in college conference membership.