This Is UTSA About UTSA______40-43 The city of San Antonio____44-45 President Dr. Ricardo Romo___46 Athletics Director Lynn Hickey___47 Southland Conference______48 The University of at San Antonio n 1969, San Antonio was a 250-year-old city famous for its historic Spanish missions, the River Walk and military bases. The University Iof Texas at San Antonio existed only in the minds of the visionaries who pushed for its creation that year by the Texas Legislature.

Today, the city and its only public university have reached levels of maturity not even dreamed of 36 years ago. With a population of more than 1.2 million, San Antonio is the eighth-largest city in the and UTSA is among the fastest- growing universities in the nation (an enrollment of more than 28,000 students).

These rising stars of Texas – one in its third century and the other in only its fourth decade – are now making history together.

Today, UTSA is rapidly moving toward premier The Main Building on the 1604 Campus research university status while remaining committed to its original mission of providing UTSA’s earliest students attended college at the Koger Center, affordable, accessible higher education to the people of Texas an office park. Master’s degrees were offered in business and beyond. Balancing excellence with access is a challenge that administration, education, bicultural-bilingual studies, English as has been embraced by the university community as both a goal a second language, environmental management, Spanish, biology, and a responsibility. mathematics and systems design.

History In 1973 construction began on UTSA’s original campus — the Governor Preston Smith founded the University of Texas at San 1604 Campus — on 600 acres at the intersection of Interstate Antonio on June 5, 1969. The university has come a long way in 10 and Loop 1604 near the northwestern edge of San Antonio. just 35 years. Administrative offices for the first UTSA president, As enrollment grew, five colleges — Business, Fine and Applied Arleigh B. Templeton, were set up in 1970 in Hemisfair Park, Arts, Sciences and Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences and architects Ford, Powell and Carson Inc. began developing a and Multidisciplinary Studies — opened in 1975. One year later, conceptual master plan for the campus. the John Peace Library Building, which also served as the new administration building, opened. In 1973 Peter T. Flawn was appointed UTSA’s second president, and by this time, more than 670 students had enrolled in graduate James W. Wagener was named UTSA president in 1978, and in the level courses taught by 52 faculty members. 1980s, four new colleges were put in place and new undergraduate programs were offered in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. Later in the decade, the College of Sciences and Mathematics was reorganized to form the College of Sciences and Engineering. Also, UTSA’s athletics teams began competing as San Antonio’s only NCAA Division I sports program.

More than 12,000 students enrolled at UTSA in this era and a recital hall, university center and the first on-campus residence — Chisholm Hall — opened. The Institute of Texan Cultures also became a part of UTSA during this period. Samuel A. Kirkpatrick became the fourth UTSA president in 1990.

UTSA began offering classes downtown in the Institute of Texan Cultures, and as enrollment increased, the university began looking for a new location. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises purchased the Fiesta Plaza site for the new campus. The Texas Legislature-funded South Texas Border Initiative allocated $71.5 million to UTSA, with The Student Recreation/Wellness Center $20 million stipulated for the Downtown Campus. 40 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 41 The University of Texas at San Antonio While continuing to strengthen its undergraduate academic offerings through such initiatives as the Learning Communities and expanded student success program, UTSA has made the commitment to become a premier research university. Enhancing the prospect of Top 100 Public Research University status are ever-expanding, state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, the recruitment of outstanding faculty and students and strategic collaborations with both public and private partners throughout the region, state and nation.

Development of new doctoral programs, which are designed to address the socioeconomic concerns of the region, is occurring at a rate unmatched by other Texas institutions. UTSA recently implemented doctoral programs in English, business administration, environmental science, electrical Chaparral Village opened in 2004 and houses more than 1,000 students. engineering, cellular and molecular biology, biomedical engineering, counseling and physics, as The 11-acre Downtown Campus was dedicated in fall 1997 well as a master of social work program. and now has four academic buildings. A growing number of undergraduate and graduate degrees can be completed on-site at Student Life the Downtown Campus. Other facilities constructed or opened The campus environment at UTSA is becoming increasingly during the 1990s included the Engineering-Biosciences Building, residential with the opening in 2004 of Chaparral Village, a $45 Business Building, a campus visitor center, and a computer lab. The million, 1,000-bed housing complex that increases on-campus student-centered University Center has tripled its original size. student housing to nearly 3,000 beds. Plans are in the works to expand the luxury Olympic-style housing complex by an Dr. Ricardo Romo became UTSA’s fifth president in 1999 and was additional 700 beds. the first Hispanic president in the university’s 30-year history. Academic reorganization the following year included a move to A 500-seat dining hall, Roadrunner Cafe, opened in fall 2005 with six colleges — Business, Education and Human Development, a contemporary feel and two outdoor dining patios. Air Rowdy, Engineering, Liberal and Fine Arts, Sciences, and Public Policy. A the university’s wireless Internet service, is live in the cafe, which School of Architecture, Honors College and The Graduate School features a variety of food choices beginning with the Mongolian were subsequently developed. Grill, one of the first of its kind on a university campus.

New construction and additions to the campuses recently Also enhancing campus life at UTSA are a new Recreation and completed include the Downtown Campus Durango Annex, Wellness Center, Health Services Clinic and Child Development home of the UTSA Institute for Economic Development; a $19.3-million Recreation and Wellness Center and Child Development Center; the Main Building, a $52 million facility located just east of the John Peace Library Building on the 1604 Campus; and a $23 million Margaret Batts Tobin Laboratory Building that will be used to study emerging infectious diseases.

Academic Strength UTSA serves more students than any other higher education institution in South Texas, offering 58 undergraduate, 42 graduate and 13 doctoral programs through eight academic divisions: College of Business; College of Education and Human Development; College of Engineering; College of Liberal and Fine Arts; College of Public Policy; College of Sciences; School of Architecture and Honors College.

As the region’s largest generator of engineers, artists, business professionals, teachers, scientists and technology managers, UTSA has produced nearly 60,000 graduates since awarding its first degrees in 1974. The University Center is the heart of student activity on the 1604 Campus. 40 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 41 The University of Texas at San Antonio Center, which provides care for Sciences and Engineering the children of students, faculty Building is one of the largest and staff. science-related educational facilities in Texas. Phases II The dynamics of the student and III of the facility, scheduled learning experience are for completion in 2007 and enriched with such state-of- ’09, will add $150 million in the-art facilities as the newly instructional and research opened $52 million Main space for undergraduate and Building, which provides more graduate programs for these than 150,000 square feet of in-demand academic areas. lecture halls and teaching labs. Among life science programs, For many students, their UTSA’s Department of Biology university experience is ranks 22nd in the nation and centered at UTSA’s Downtown second in Texas in research Campus, which offered its funding from National Institutes first classes in temporary of Health. An example of the facilities in 1994. Today, three impact of such funding is the beautiful new buildings in the A view of the San Antonio skyline from the Downtown Campus. Cajal Neuroscience Research heart of San Antonio provide Center, established in 1999 instructional service and activities space for more than 6,000 through a $6.3 million NIH grant. undergraduate and graduate students. The university plans to keep pace with the rapid growth through an expansion program To address one of the nation’s greatest concerns, the Center for that includes the addition of new facilities and eight acres of land, Infrastructure Assurance and Security was designed to leverage which will almost double the size of the Downtown Campus. San Antonio’s security strengths as part of the solution to the nation’s homeland defense needs. With the support of UTSA’s In spring 2004, UTSA’s students approved the Campus Life congressional delegation, $8 million has been invested in the Initiative that will provide additional revenue to enhance the center. student experience outside the classroom. One beneficiary is the university’s NCAA Division I athletics program, which has grown In 2004, UTSA also became a major center for demographic to 16 sports with the recent addition of women’s golf (started research with the creation of the Institute for Demographic and play in 2005-06) and women’s soccer (began in fall 2006). In the Socioeconomic Research and the relocation of the official state planning stages are a new track and soccer complex and major demographer, Steve Murdock, and the State Data Center to the facility upgrades for baseball, men’s and women’s and university. softball. The initiative will also fund a $38 million expansion to the Recreation and Wellness Center and enhance student services UTSA: Making an Impact on the Community and programs. UTSA is a crucial component of the state and regional economy. Not only is the university graduating thousands of well-prepared Research and Service: Building Partnerships professionals into the workforce each year, the institution also is There are certain accepted requisites for a city to be considered taking a leadership role by partnering with public schools in San a “great city,” and one of those is a premier research university. Antonio to increase the number of high school students going Though home to five universities, San Antonio remains the on to college. largest city in the nation without a major research university. UTSA is committed to filling that void by becoming, in the next University events and athletics bring in an estimated $30 million 10-15 years, one of the top 100 public research universities in annually to the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area the United States. – including revenue from NCAA Championship events hosted by UTSA. To reach this goal, the university will build on the strengths of its current 450 tenure and tenure-track faculty by hiring at least 75 The university’s own impact on the local economy during the new professors each year for the next eight years and increasing past five years has approached $1 billion annually, an amount the amount of research funding it attracts from $15.5 million that should increase dramatically in the next decade. Fueling the to $100 million a year. These are significant steps since premier growth will be a projected $500 million construction program research universities are, in part, measured by the quality and and the hiring of 600 new faculty members. size of the faculty and annual funding for research. UTSA will continue to provide access to higher education for UTSA has already made great strides in the research arena. The growing numbers of students, while embodying the concepts of newly-opened $83.7 million, 227,000-square-foot Biotechnology, service to society and creation of new knowledge.

42 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 43 Student-Athlete Success ll too often, the term “student-athlete” ends up just becoming “athlete.” However, the UTSA Department UTSA Southland Conference of Athletics takes tremendous pride in the academic Student-Athlete of the Year Honorees Aachievements of its student-athletes, in addition to their 2005-06 (4) accomplishments on the playing field. Several student-athletes Kurt Attaway______Men’s Basketball have found a way to balance athletics and academics, defying Meagan Daniel______Volleyball stereotypical expectations of their roles on the UTSA campus. Bryan Wolfe______Men’s Indoor Track & Field Bryan Wolfe______Men’s Outdoor Track & Field This is particularly evident by the number of Roadrunners who 2004-05 (8) have earned Southland Conference (SLC) Student-Athlete of Kurt Attaway______Men’s Basketball the Year honors since the award’s inception in 2002. During that Meghan Chance______Women’s Indoor Track & Field time, 12 Roadrunners have combined to collect 17 awards. Nicole Dunson______Women’s Basketball Matt Johnston______Men’s Golf “It is always an honor to have our student-athletes considered Ashley McDonald______Women’s Cross Country the best individual in their respective sport when combining Jessica Rogers______Softball athletics and academics,” UTSA Athletics Director Lynn Hickey Bryan Wolfe______Men’s Indoor Track & Field said. Bryan Wolfe______Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Last year, three UTSA student-athletes collected four awards: 2003-04 (2) junior Kurt Attaway (men’s basketball), junior Meagan Daniel Meghan Chance______Women’s Indoor Track & Field () and senior Bryan Wolfe (indoor and outdoor track Jessica Rogers______Softball & field). Attaway and Wolfe collected awards for the second 2002-03 (3) consecutive year, while Daniel was a first-time honoree. That Svenja Fuhrig______Women’s came on the heels of a SLC-record eight Roadrunners earning Katie Poindexter______Women’s Indoor Track & Field awards in 2004-05. Mike Srp______Baseball

The award is presented annually to the top student-athlete in each The final component is the service requirement, for which the of the conference-sponsored 17 sports. It is voted on by the head winner must have demonstrated significant contribution to the coaches, sports information directors and academic/compliance campus or community through service. administrators from each SLC school. The winner must have earned at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average to meet the Additionally, UTSA has had four Academic All-Americans minimum academic requirement. Athletics standards include since 2004, 11 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI superior achievement, having brought significant recognition honorees the past three years and 33 academic all-conference to the institution and having competed in at least two seasons. selections the last three seasons.

Kurt Attaway collected his Meagan Daniel became UTSA’s first Bryan Wolfe swept both second SLC Student-Athlete volleyball player to earn Student- track & field awards for the of the Year award a year ago. Athlete of the Year honors last fall. second year in a row last season. 42 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 43 The City of San Antonio orn a small Indian camp The city also hosts concerts by along the banks of a George Strait, Eric Clapton, gentle river nearly 300 Tony Bennett and Janet Jackson Byears ago (1718), the city of San to name a few. Broadway Antonio has grown up into one touring productions perform of the most diversified cities in at the Majestic Theatre, while the United States. musicians perform at the SFX Verizon Amphitheatre. A favorite of tourists, the “Alamo City” has kept its small-town San Antonio is also a sports feel while becoming the eighth- town. It is the home of the largest city in the country with three-time NBA World more than 1.2 million people Champion Spurs and four calling it home. professional sports franchises The Alamo is the top tourist attraction in the state of Texas. overall. In addition to the Spurs, It is easy to see why people the Missions are a member of love the ambiance of San Antonio. Its modern amenities are the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego interwoven into the rich-history of the city’s past. A multicultural Padres. The Rampage compete in the American Hockey League, center of the Southwest, San Antonio ranks among the lowest and the newest addition to the professional ranks in San Antonio in cost of living for metropolitan areas with at least one million are the WNBA Silver Stars, who opened play in 2003. people. A 1998 survey showed it as 10 percent below the national average. San Antonio is a young city. The median age of its citizens The city also hosts the Alamo Bowl each December and two is just under 30 years old, almost three years younger than the professional golf events — the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open at national average (32.6). the Resort Course at La Cantera Golf Club and Champions Tour AT&T Championships at Oak Hill Country Club. It is a multi-cultural center with seven museums, including the first museum of modern art in Texas, the Marion Koogler McNay The Alamodome has brought numerous sporting events to the Art Museum. Historic downtown landmarks include the Alamo, city, including the 1998 and 2004 Men’s Final Four, 2002 Women’s Majestic Theatre, River Walk and the Tower of the Americas. Final Four, three NCAA Men’s Basketball Regionals and 1998 Big Among all tourist attractions in the state of Texas, the Alamo is 12 Conference Football Championship Game. ranked as the top attraction, while the River Walk is the second- most visited. Future events at the dome include the 2007 NCAA Men’s Basketball South Regional, 2007 Big 12 Football Championship The town also boasts popular tourist attractions Six Flags Fiesta Game, 2008 Men’s Final Four and 2010 Women’s Final Four. By Texas and Sea World (the world’s largest marine-life theme park). 2010, the city will have hosted 11 NCAA Championships events More than 20 million tourists visit the city per year. in a 13-year period.

Lined by shops and restaurants, the River Walk is an The Alamodome will be the site of the 2008 NCAA Final important part of San Antonio’s urban culture. Four and it has hosted three Final Fours since 1998. 44 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 45 The City of San Antonio San Antonio also has hosted the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers preseason camps in the past. In 2006, the city announced they came to an agreement with the Cowboys and the team will hold its preseason workouts in San Antonio from 2007-11. UTSA graduates do not have to look far to find careers. San Antonio is the corporate home of Valero Energy Corporation; USAA, one of the nation’s largest insurance providers; regional grocery giant H-E-B; LaQuinta Hotels; Taco Cabana restaurants and communications giant AT&T.

It also is the home of Clear Channel Communications, the largest media conglomerate in the United States. Clear Channel owns more than 1,200 radio stations worldwide and is the owner of Eller Outdoor Media, the largest outdoor billboard company in the United States and SFX Entertainment. Six Flags Fiesta Texas, renovated and expanded for the 2006 season, features six roller coasters and a water-theme park. At the entrance of the rolling Hill Country, San Antonio is a few short hours by car to the Gulf of Mexico beaches and the Mexico The town’s newest arena, the AT&T Center, became the new border. home of the Spurs in 2002 and it hosted the 2006 NCAA Women’s Basketball San Antonio Regional. The arena also is home to the Silver Stars.

In 2005, the city served as the temporary home of the New Orleans Saints, who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The Alamodome hosted three of the Saints’ regular seasons games and averaged nearly 63,000 fans per contest, including a facility-record 65,562 against the Atlanta Falcons. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated the city was successful in hosting the team and it would be on the short list for any future NFL expansions.

Did you know San Antonio is …

• The filming location of 36 movies including The Alamo starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton;All the Pretty Horses featuring Matt Damon; Miss Congeniality with Sandra SeaWorld San Antonio is the world’s largest marine-life theme park. Bullock; The Newton Boys starring Matthew McConaughey; and Selena featuring Jennifer Lopez.

• The home of four professional sports teams. The 1999, 2003 and ’05 NBA Champion Spurs; the 2002 and ’03 Texas League Champion Missions, the then-Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners; the Rampage of the American Hockey League; and the Silver Stars of the WNBA.

• Located in a mild climate that averages more than 300 days of sunshine, 68.8 degrees and less than 30 inches of rain per year. Most residents spend most of their free time enjoying the outdoors.

• The cultural center of South Texas with seven award-winning museums, including the Alamo and the historic Majestic Theatre.

• The location of the 1968 World’s Fair. As a permanent reminder, the Tower of the Americas overlooks downtown. 44 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 45 President Dr. Ricardo Romo ne of the most decorated athletes in San Romo holds a master’s degree in history from Loyola Antonio history, Dr. Ricardo Romo returned Marymount University and a doctorate in history to his roots and is making UTSA one of the from the University of California at Los Angeles Omost highly-regarded universities in the region. (UCLA). In February 2002, President George W. Bush appointed He began his university teaching career at California Romo to serve on the 21-member President’s Board State University at Northridge, then taught at UC San of Advisers on Historically Black Colleges and Diego. In 1980, Romo returned to his undergraduate Universities. The group advises the President on institution, the University of Texas at Austin, to teach issues and challenges facing many of the country’s history. Before he assumed the UTSA presidency, he historically black institutions of higher education, served as vice provost for undergraduate education including an expanding need at all institutions for at UT. additional scholarships. Romo has earned national respect as an urban historian and is best known for his 1983 book, East Los Angeles: Romo was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on History of a Barrio. Now in its eighth printing, the book details Oct. 8, 2001 along with former UTSA Athletics Director Rudy the growth of the largest Mexican-American community in Davalos, Robert Quiroga, Charley Parker and . the United States and describes its contribution to Southern California’s early 20th-century development. Beginning his eighth year as the President of the University of Texas at San Antonio, Romo has made education a top priority. From 1987-93, Romo directed the Texas office of the Tomas Rivera Under Romo’s direction, UTSA ranks fourth nationally among Center, housed at Trinity University in San Antonio. The Center is U.S. colleges and universities in the number of bachelor’s degrees a national organization that evaluates the impact of governmental to Hispanic graduates, according to a survey by Hispanic Outlook policies on Latinos. magazine. As an athlete, Romo gained fame while competing for San Antonio Fox Tech High School. He won the mile at the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 4A state meet as a junior and senior in 1961 and ’62. He also won the 1961 UIL Cross Country Championship.

Romo won the mile run at the 1964 and ’66 Southwest Conference Track and Field Championships and became the first Texan to run a mile in less than four minutes, clocking a time of 3:58.8 at a meet in Los Angeles. He earned All- America honors in 1966 and finished third in the mile at the NCAA Championships. He also earned a bronze medal in the mile for the U.S. Track & Field Team at the Commonwealth Games.

Romo met his wife, Harriett, when they were students at UT-Austin, where she earned an undergraduate degree in elementary education. She holds a doctorate in sociology and is a UTSA associate professor of sociology.

The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2001 Their son, Carlos, graduated from Stanford (l-r): Robert Quiroga, Rudy Davalos, Nelson Wolff and Dr. Ricardo Romo University in 1999 and their daughter, Anadelia, (not pictured: Charley Parker) is a doctoral candidate at .

46 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 47 Athletics Director Lynn Hickey ynn Hickey has made student-athlete welfare women’s sports in the state of Texas, she served as one of her top priorities as she continues to work President of the Southland Conference in 2002-04 to bring the UTSA Athletics Department to the and currently is the SLC’s representative to the NCAA Lupper echelon of the NCAA Division I standings. Championship/Competition Cabinet. Under Hickey’s direction the last seven years, UTSA “It has been an exciting seven years,” said Hickey, who has claimed two Southland Conference all-sports served on the Women’s Basketball Rules Committee championships while consistently winning both team the last four years, the last two as Chair. “We have and individual awards in all 16 sports sponsored by made some good strides to bring the program to the university. In fall 2004, the department announced prominence nationally. San Antonio is an outstanding the addition of two new sports, women’s golf (began city and is a tremendous asset to the unlimited competition in 2005-06) and women’s soccer, which potential of the UTSA athletics program.” begins play this fall. Hickey came to San Antonio from Texas A&M Hickey has led the charge for UTSA and its hosting of numerous University, where she served as senior associate athletic director/ NCAA Championship events. UTSA has served as host institution senior woman administrator since 1994. At Texas A&M, her for the 2001 NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional, the responsibilities included event management and marketing and 2002 Women’s Final Four, the 2003 Men’s Basketball South promotions for 16 of the university’s 19 Division I sports. She also Regional, the 2004 Men’s Final Four, the 2005 Women’s Volleyball represented the Big 12 Conference as a member of the NCAA Championship and the 2006 Women’s Basketball South Regional. Championship Cabinet. This year, the university will host the 2007 Men’s Basketball South Regional. Future championship events include the 2008 Men’s From 1984-94, Hickey served as head women’s basketball coach Final Four and the 2010 Women’s Final Four. When the calendar is for Texas A&M. She directed the 1993-94 Aggies basketball team turned to 2010, UTSA will have hosted 11 NCAA Championship to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, becoming the lowest-seeded events in a 13-year period. team to ever reach that milestone. Texas A&M finished the year ranked No. 19 in the CNN/USA Today Top 25 poll. Following Hickey has been honored nationally for her hard work at UTSA. the season, Hickey relinquished her coaching duties to accept She was named the National Association of Collegiate Women the promotion to senior associate athletic director. She finished Athletics Administrators 2005 Division I-AAA Administrator of her coaching career with an overall mark of 279-167 in 15 years the Year. Hickey earned her second national award in June 2006 of collegiate coaching. as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)/GeneralSports TURF Before her stint at A&M, Hickey was Systems Division I-AAA West Region head women’s basketball coach at AD of the Year (ADOY). She also Kansas State University from 1979- was selected to and completed the 84. She averaged more than 23 wins Masters Leadership Program of San per season in posting a 125-39 (.762) Antonio and Bexar County. record over five years and led the Wildcats to five consecutive NCAA “UTSA is very fortunate to have Tournament berths. She was inducted an athletic leader with both the into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of administrative and coaching Fame in September 2004. experience of Lynn Hickey,” UTSA President Dr. Ricardo Romo said. A native of Welch, Okla., Hickey “Lynn not only is a leader who can graduated summa cum laude from take our athletic program to the next Ouachita Baptist University in level, but she is also well respected Arkadelphia, Ark., with a bachelor’s nationally and serves as an excellent degree in education. She was an role model for all student-athletes at All-American for OBU’s nationally- this university.” ranked basketball team and a member of the USA National Team in 1973. In serving as the fourth athletics Hickey and her husband, Bill, have director in UTSA history, Hickey one daughter, Lauren Nicole. assumed the lead athletics role at one of the youngest NCAA Division Lynn Hickey has helped UTSA work I universities in the country (UTSA its way toward the upper echelon of began athletic competition in 1981). NCAA Division I. By 2010, UTSA will The only female Division I athletics have hosted 11 NCAA Championship director that oversees both men’s and events in a 13-year period.

46 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com 47 Southland Conference In an era of considerable change in intercollegiate athletics, the All told, the revised membership of the Southland encompasses Southland Conference continues to be a model of stability and over 160,000 current students and an alumni base of approximately consistent achievement as it celebrates the academic and athletic 700,000. Famous alums from Southland Conference schools accomplishments of its member institutions. include former President Lyndon B. Johnson (Texas State), CBS What began as a small gathering of college administrators news anchor Dan Rather (Sam Houston State), U.S. Central over 43 years ago, the Southland Conference has transformed Command general Tommy Franks (Texas-Arlington), NBA itself into a dynamic and respected consortium of 12 member executive Joe Dumars (McNeese State), ABC news and sports universities in three states. Beginning with a historic meeting anchor Robin Roberts (Southeastern Louisiana), country music of five institutions in Dallas on March 15, 1963, that included star George Strait (Texas State), Major League Baseball stars current members Lamar University (then Lamar State College Kevin Millar (Lamar) and Ben Broussard (McNeese State), NBA of Technology) and the University of Texas at Arlington (then legend Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas), and actor Lou Diamond Arlington State College), the Southland Conference set on an Phillips (Texas-Arlington). extraordinary course that has proven successful well into its fifth The cities of the Southland are diverse and progressive, decade of existence. ranging from international business and cultural centers such On July 1, 2006, the Southland Conference commemorated as the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, San Antonio and the New another milestone as the league membership reached Orleans area, to the historical cities of Nacogdoches, Texas, 12, marking the largest configuration ever for the and Natchitoches, La., to the home of the modern oil organization. The addition of the University of boom, Beaumont, Texas, to the unique Cajun Central Arkansas and Texas A&M- French cultures found in the Louisiana Corpus Christi expands the Southland cities of Thibodaux and Lake Charles. into the Little Rock metro area and Southland Conference institutions into the eighth largest city in Texas. also draw large numbers of students UCA and A&M-Corpus Christi will from the metropolitan areas of immediately enhance the Southland Houston, Little Rock, Ark., Baton Conference in innumerable ways, Rouge, La., Austin and Shreveport, including athletic and academic La. successes, strong and principled leadership, and The Southland sponsors 17 championship sports, strong fan support and media coverage. all at the NCAA Division I level. The eight men’s sports UCA’s academic achievement is exemplified by its own include football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, cross country, Honors College, and the institution also serves as the home of and indoor and outdoor track & field. The women compete for The Oxford American, the premier journal of Southern American nine championships in basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, literature, as well as the statewide Arkansas Educational Television golf, tennis, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and Network. A&M-Corpus Christi’s campus is home to nine research field. The Conference earns automatic qualification to NCAA centers, including the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico championships in football, men’s and women’s basketball, Studies, which recently hosted the 2006 State of the Gulf Summit baseball, softball, volleyball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, attended by over 400 state, regional and foreign dignitaries. women’s soccer, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, and In addition to its two newest members, the Southland men’s and women’s cross country. Conference lineup also consists of Lamar University, McNeese In addition to providing expanding opportunities for student- State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State athletes, the Southland Conference and its member institutions University, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana are very involved in various community outreach programs. University, Stephen F. Austin State University, the University of Many of these programs provide positive life skills training such Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and as academics, citizenship and leadership to school-aged students -San Marcos. in Southland communities.

48 2007 UTSA Men’s Track & Field www.goUTSA.com PB