Decision on UTRGV colors and team nickname to happen next week

After months of anticipation, future students of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will soon finally know who they’re rooting for.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey, Ph.D., plans to make a recommendation to the UT System Board of Regents next week on athletics colors, nickname and mascot. The regents must approve the recommendation to make it official.

Thousands of stakeholders have participated in online surveys to voice their opinions and suggestions and hundreds more were engaged through public forums and focus groups during the last several months.

 “I am so impressed with support for UTRGV and the enthusiasm people have demonstrated in carving out an identity for this new institution,” Bailey said. “This is an important decision and all of the input we have received has been invaluable. In the end, I want to recommend something that is authentic to the Rio Grande Valley, represents the spirit of South Texas, and can be embraced by the entire region.”

Bailey will review numerous sources of suggestions as he considers his recommendation. However, he stressed that while feedback gleaned from online surveys will help inform his views, those results alone will not determine the outcome. The survey results should not be construed as a popular vote, as respondents had the option of filling out the survey multiple times. 

In the most recent online survey, participants were asked two questions:

• Should UTRGV support a completely new identity – nickname, mascot and colors?
• Should the new identify embrace the historical legacy of both the University of Texas at Brownsville and the University of Texas-Pan American?

Those who answered yes to the first question also had the option to choose their favorite team nickname from a list of choices. The choices were selected as recommendations by an advisory committee, with input from UTB and UTPA students, alumni, faculty and staff.  

Two committees aided Bailey in the recommendation process. A student leadership committee of 30 student leaders from UTB and UTPA and a steering committee of staff, faculty, students and alumni formed by Bailey provided guidance. City councils and commissions across the Rio Grande Valley also weighed in by passing resolutions, some in support of a new mascot or keeping a current mascot.

The University of Texas System also engaged a national expert with significant experience and a successful track record in rebranding and logo development for universities and professional sports teams.

Bailey is carefully considering all of the information gathered from the surveys, open forums and focus groups to inform his final recommendation. He’ll make the recommendation at the Board of Regent’s Academic Affairs committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday. His presentation should begin at approximately 11:45 a.m. The Academic Affairs Committee is expected to vote on his recommendation, and the full board will consider it in a meeting Thursday morning. The board is expected to consider committee reports at approximately 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Board of Regents is holding its regularly scheduled November meeting at UT El Paso next week. The meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed via webcast.

About The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 in a historic move that will combine the resources and assets of UT Brownsville and UT Pan American and, for the first time, make it possible for residents of the Rio Grande Valley to benefit from the Permanent University Fund. The institution will also be home to a School of Medicine and will transform Texas and the nation by becoming a leader in student success, teaching, research and healthcare. UTRGV will enroll its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine will open in 2016.

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and an enrollment of more than 213,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public universities in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $15.6 billion (FY 2015) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 90,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.