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December 1, 2006

Student Life

Fifty march to support UTA football

The Mavericks for Football Now group present a 3,000-student petition to Lamas.

Story by: Joan Khalaf

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Dominic Bracco

History senior Sam DeBerry and other protesters call out to President James Spaniolo on Wednesday to speak about reinstating football on campus. As president of Mavericks for Football Now, DeBerry organized the march that started on the University Center mall and ended at Davis Hall.

Nearly 50 students hit the pavement starting at the University Center mall Wednesday to revive the football program after a 20-year absence.

Mavericks for Football Now, a student group working to bring the football program back, gathered about 3,000 signatures to present to the administration. About 100 participants were expected to march, but only about half that number came out.

“The low turnout today just shows how low the spirit is here on campus,” said Sam DeBerry, group president and history senior. “Look at other campuses around Texas and their rallies. They have football teams, and thousands would have shown up.”

DeBerry stood on a concrete ledge, shouting through a bullhorn while supporters held banners reading “We Want Football” and “March for Football.”

Criminal justice junior Marcus Fisher stopped to voice his opposing opinion during the rally.

“How do you expect us to show support for a football team when you guys don’t even show support for the sports we have, like basketball?” Fisher yelled at the crowd. “How many campus traditions do you guys support right now? Our basketball is awesome, and you guys are just knocking the basketball team we have right now.”

The group marched to Davis Hall where Frank Lamas, Student Affairs vice president, accepted the petition.

“I applaud them for coming forward,” Lamas said. “I think the president made it fairly clear that he is a supporter of athletics. I will present him with this information later today.”

Public Affairs director Bob Wright said the problem is not the president’s lack of enthusiasm for a football team, but the lack of financial resources to support it.

“Taxes aren’t going to pay for it, and no donors have come through. That leaves raising tuition and fees. It would raise tuition $400-$500 just to get it started,” Wright said. “There are only seven football programs in Texas that actually break even and make profit. The president is from Michigan. There is nothing he’d love more than football, but we simply don’t have the money.”

DeBerry is also trying to gather more support by starting a club football team that is scheduled to start its season Feb. 27, 2007.

“When we fill up the stands with people coming out to watch our football team play, it will go against everything that the administration is telling us,” he said.