(01-17-2022 09:54 PM)edinburger Wrote:  You're right but it's one of many issues caused by the "merger". It boils down to two facts: (a) the students and locals in Brownsville always suspect they are being treated as 2nd class, but their votes were needed for the referendum, and (b) the two cities are represented by different legislators, and keeping them happy is necessary to even have money and approval for football, much less salaries, classrooms, etc.

I sympathize a little bit with the Brownsville guys. (Not enough to agree with this wacky plan, but a little.) They had their own sports teams, D2 but some of them were very good, especially volleyball. They lost all that in the merger when the state said UTRGV would inherit the UTPA D1 programs and conference membership.

TBH I feel for Brownsville too but I think this more on them than anything else... their facilities IMO were not good enough for NAIA. They were never D2 in anything. Not even when they were a JUCO school before becoming NAIA. The only thing that they inherit was a tremendous volleyball coach who was very successful in the NAIA level and has done wonders with the program since arriving. Back to football conversation the city of Brownsville has had multiple opportunities to build some thing similar to Payne Arena in Hidalgo but on a smaller scale to where if could host volleyball and basketball it really could. Plus the city of Brownsville has not done anything to fix the condemned part of Brownsville Sports Park which has a nice football stadium that resembles a bit like Houston Baptist for example. IMO it is a better option than Sams Stadium which has no access to parking. In essence Brownsville has always been its own problem either due to its own politics which refuses them to move forward.