{"id":6936,"date":"2024-04-01T11:54:38","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T17:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/?p=6936"},"modified":"2024-04-01T11:54:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T17:54:40","slug":"a-new-era-for-utrgv-athletics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/01\/a-new-era-for-utrgv-athletics\/","title":{"rendered":"A new era for UTRGV Athletics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Victoria Gonzalez | Vaquero Radio<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-03-29-at-2.28.26-PM-954x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6937\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-03-29-at-2.28.26-PM-954x1024.png 954w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-03-29-at-2.28.26-PM-280x300.png 280w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-03-29-at-2.28.26-PM-768x824.png 768w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-03-29-at-2.28.26-PM.png 982w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Commissioner of the Southland Conference Chris Grant points at a plaque that honors UTRGV as its 11th member.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Tori-SLC-story_mixdown.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">UTRGV Athletics announced Tuesday its acceptance to join the Southland Conference as its 11th full-time member beginning July 1 after being part of the Western Athletic Conference for 11 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UTRGV President Guy Bailey said partnering with SLC represents a transformative moment for the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019m confident that this decision not only will elevate our athletics program, but serve as a catalyst for the advancement and success of our entire university community,\u201d Bailey said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said UTRGV chose to accept the conference\u2019s invitation because of the student-athletes\u2019 well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt\u2019s about their experience,\u201d Conque said. \u201cIt\u2019s about finding a partnership with a tradition-rich conference, and it\u2019s about regional Division I competition.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Conque added being a part of the SLC significantly reduces travel time, calculating student-athletes would miss 30 fewer class days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commissioner of the SLC Chris Grant said conversations between Conque and himself began in December regarding UTRGV\u2019s membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cOur board, as I mentioned, really wanted this to happen and truly wanted to expand to the valley,\u201d Grant said. \u201cIt was a no brainer once we knew we had the opportunity to do this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletic programs such as baseball, cross country, football, golf, indoor and outdoor track &amp; field, tennis, women\u2019s soccer, women&#8217;s and men\u2019s basketball, as well as volleyball, will compete in the SLC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Information about men\u2019s soccer and women\u2019s swimming &amp; diving program memberships are in the works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other schools in the SLC are Houston Christian University, University of the Incarnate Word, Lamar University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, New Orleans University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Texas A&amp;M University-Commerce and Texas A&amp;M University-Corpus Christi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is Victoria Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Victoria Gonzalez | Vaquero Radio UTRGV Athletics announced Tuesday its acceptance to join the Southland Conference as its<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":6937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[32,14],"tags":[606,44,46,42,26],"class_list":["post-6936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-sports","tag-606","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-students","tag-utrgv"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - 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