Should UT Tyler Students Be Happy About Division II Athletics?


(Image: Dan Sanborn via Flickr)

 On Wednesday, The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) announced it will apply for NCAA Division II membership, according to a statement released on Facebook.

"After throughly(sic) vetting the idea with internal research and an outside expert consultant, the university is currently preparing an application for Division II membership," the post said.

Despite many hopes from social media and local residents, the institution "does not have plans to add a football team at this time," it said.

However, hours before the Facebook statement, University President Michael Tidwell told Tyler's City Council the University could add football once it obtains Division II or Division I status.
A University spokesman clarified that there are no concrete actions in motion to add football, according to Tyler Morning Telegraph's Cory McCoy.

My Reaction

Here's what I think about this so far.

As far as how administration made the decision, students didn’t seem to have a lot of input in this decision and I don’t think a lot of people know what this will or could mean for the university.

Although, on that note, I don’t know that they need to know. The president has the purview to direct the university where he believes it should go and The Student Government Association (SGA) hasn’t been vocal on nearly any other issue of university policy. So why would the president think to consult with SGA before he directs the university to apply for NCAA Division II status? It makes sense, at least on precedent, that the president would act independently from formal student input. (Tidwell did advise SGA in the fall semester about the possibility of pursuing Division II.)

 Moreover, he has what appear to be qualified administrators to guide and advise his decision-making process. He has also hired a consultant to look at the opportunity costs and cost/benefit analyses of applying for Division II, as the post said. So I don’t think there’s any real justifiable reason for someone to say students weren’t involved or were excluded or ran around leading up to this decision.  

 Is It A Good Move?

As to the substance of the decision, I don’t really know what this will mean for students at the university. I can say that I am concerned about the influence of big money on our relatively small university. I am concerned about new financial influence in the form of corporate sponsors and NCAA activity having more weight than student voice. I’m not saying this will happen, of course, but it is a concern. 

 I’m also concerned about the financial investment of athletic programs of this stature. College athletics as a fundraising model for higher education have been highly contested with opponents claiming it can take years before the institution ever sees a return on investment, if at all. I don’t know enough about what Division II status will mean for UT Tyler, but the general critique of athletics programs is also concerning.

 We'll see where this goes. Students still have an opportunity to speak up in this process and Tidwell has repeatedly welcomed student opinion. 

 It is also possible SGA might take up this issue in the spring, but given how silent student government has been on policy, it's unlikely it will weigh in unless there is strong student activism to compel it to do so.  

 For now, college life goes on! UT Tyler is definitely growing, although it’s up to students now to decide whether or not that’s for the better. 
What do you think about UT Tyler seeking Division II membership? Sound off in the comments below. 

Twitter: @Jhescock

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