A referendum proposed by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to the Student Government Association last week could be discussed, and passed, as early as Tuesday at the next SGA meeting.
If approved, the referendum — which includes creating a women’s swimming and diving program, a football program and marching bands on both the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses, among other expansions — will then be up for a student body vote, possibly in November.
The referendum proposes an athletics fee increase of $11.25 per credit hour, capped at 12 credit hours, and would start in Fall 2022.
“It’s a big step for us,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “You have to go back to the study that we commissioned in 2016 and look at the work that was done. The situation and environment is different today and we feel it’s the right time to bring this to our students.”
In 2017, the study was considered favorable but there was no forward movement within the Western Athletic Conference, which UTRGV participates in.
“In January, when the announcement was made about five new institutions, all of them playing FCS football, it set the stage,” Conque said. “But it’s so much bigger than sports and marching bands.
“It’s about a bigger vision for our institution and the strategic planning process, which is to look at campus life and the entire student experience, to be able to create that sense of place.”
UTRGV officials expect that as the full-blown project gets put into action, it will help with recruiting, retention and graduation rates.
“It’s on track,” Maggie Hinojosa, Ed.D., senior vice president for strategic enrollment and student affairs, said. “This process we are going through would put us on track for a vision where we want to be in 2025, the 10-year anniversary of UTRGV.”
If the student body votes to move forward with the fee, the project will then go to the Board of Regents in February 2022 and be implemented later that fall.
The planning, however, would start immediately, Hinojosa said.
“These programs take time,” Conque said. “We would start immediately with the first steps, whether that be hiring coaches, hiring directors or advisors for the marching bands and spirit programs.
The swimming and diving team would compete in the fall of 2024 as well as the spirit programs. Marching bands and football kickoff would take place in August and September 2025.
“It will give us the time to do it the right way. It’s not something we want to rush,” Conque said. “We want to do it right by our campuses and our students.”
Conque said that in fiscal year 2026 that the fee alone will bring in approximately $7 million in revenue, which will be used to help fund all of the initiatives in the project.
“It’s not going to cover all of the programs completely, but there will be revenue through additional corporate sponsorships, ticket sales will be a big part of this, philanthropy with private support and there’s also access to additional distribution from the NCAA for bringing in these programs,” Conque said.
Hinojosa added that not only is student debt at UTRGV the lowest in the nation, but that the student guarantee regarding tuition is unique.
“We are unique in most institutions across the state have tuition guarantees, but at UTRGV all students are guaranteed that regardless of when you start your education,” Conque said. “For four years, your tuition and mandatory fees do not increase.
“We pride ourselves on our programs that allow us to keep our debt low. We are No. 1 in the country in the lowest amount of debt so it is inherent in what we do on a daily basis to make sure our students are supported and given the opportunities they deserve and at a lower cost. That they are not put into debt because of these things.”
