UT Tyler Accepts Invitation to Join American Southwest Conference

May 28, 2002

UT Tyler Accepts Invitation to Join American Southwest Conference

The University of Texas at Tyler has accepted an invitation to join the NCAA Division III American Southwest Conference, effective Aug. 1, 2003. The announcement of UT Tyler's conference acceptance was made by ASC Council of Presidents chair Dr. Oscar Page of Austin College and league commissioner Fred Jacoby.

UT Tyler will begin Conference affiliation in the 2003-04 academic year as a provisional NCAA Division III member.

"The ASC is pleased to welcome UT Tyler to the Conference," said Dr. Page. "Their philosophy of non-scholarship athletics is consistent with the other institutions and is supportive of the Conference goal of providing the best academic and athletic experiences possible for our students."

Formerly an upper division-only university, UT Tyler has expanded its academic programs and is now a four-year university enrolling more than 2,700 undergraduates within the University of Texas system. UT Tyler has completed the first year of a planned four-year athletic sport implementation program. The institution will undergo NCAA membership exploratory review in 2002-03, and enter the Division III membership lottery in June 2003.

"We are excited by the invitation extended by the member universities for us to join the American Southwest Conference, and we are pleased to accept," said Dr. Rodney H. Mabry, president of UT Tyler. "We look forward to the opportunity for our excellent students to compete athletically with these first-rate colleges and universities."

The UT Tyler athletic program offered men's and women's tennis in 2001-02, and will begin competing in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's golf in 2002-03. Men's and women's basketball will be phased-in during 2003-04, and softball added in 2004-05 to bring the total sports offerings to 13 teams (seven women, six men).

"The University of Texas at Tyler administration and coaching staff have shown a strong commitment to the NCAA Division III philosophy," Jacoby said. "They are compatible with our membership academically and geographically, and continue our mission to provide a broad, diversified, competitive athletics program for student-athletes."

The addition of UT Tyler will expand the American Southwest Conference membership to 16 institutions. UT Tyler will compete in the ASC East Division with Austin College, East Texas Baptist University, LeTourneau University, Louisiana College, Mississippi College, University of the Ozarks and University of Texas at Dallas. West Division members Concordia University at Austin, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, McMurry University, Schreiner University, Sul Ross State University and Texas Lutheran University complete the ASC.

Contact:
Emily Battle
565-5604