In February 2006, the University of Texas at San Antonio
approached Carr Sports Associates, Inc. to conduct a feasibility
study and make recommendations to the university regarding an
expansion of the athletics department. In November of that year,
UTSA was given the final results of that study. Following the
recommendations of CSA, the university facilitated a student
referendum in September 2007 to gauge support for a fee increase.
Nearly 66% of student voters supported the fee increase.
In December 2008, after the approval of the UTSA administration,
the university presented the University of Texas System Board of
Regents with a long-term plan that followed the feasibility study
recommendations to build an $84 million athletic complex and the
fee increase for their approval. It was approved by the board soon
thereafter.
In January 2009, UTSA launched a campaign to raise money for the
program dubbed the "Step Up UTSA" initiative. With a goal of $15
million USD, the campaign is meant to help fund coaches salaries,
player scholarships, and construction of practice fields.
On February 4, 2009, former Miami Hurricanes head coach Larry Coker
announced he had applied for the head coaching job. Later that
month it was announced that Coker along with Tulsa's co-defensive
coordinator Paul Randolph and Mel Tjeerdsma, head coach from
Northwest Missouri State were the finalists for the position. On
March 5, 2009, the San Antonio Express-News reported that Larry
Coker had earned the position. The next day Coker was officially
announced as the Roadrunners' first head football coach in a press
conference. On April 22, 2009, Coker announced the addition of Mike
Menefee, Eric Roark, and David Ross to the roster as assistant
football coaches.
On June 4, 2009 UTSA unveiled the team's inaugural helmet design.
The design was done by Ohio-based Rickabaugh Graphics, and had
final approval by Coker. On January 20, 2010, the program announced
the hiring of Travis Bush as offensive coordinator. Bush had
previously worked in the same capacity for his alma mater,
nationally-ranked Texas State.
Although plans for conference and subdivision affiliation were
unclear, Lynn Hickey, UTSA's athletic director had strongly hinted
at plans for UTSA to join their current conference, the Southland
Conference (a member of the Division I FCS subdivision) in
September 2009. However in late January 2010, Hickey stated that
the football program would attempt to join the Division I FBS
subdivision by 2014 instead, citing an overall disappointment for
previous plans. This entailed UTSA joining the subdivision as an
independent until finding admission to a conference.
On February 3, 2010, National Signing Day, UTSA officially
announced their inaugural signing class.[18] The twenty-seven
students consisted mainly of incoming freshmen, including two
transfer students who were currently sophomores at the university.
Seven of the student athletes were considered all-state performers
from their high school careers. The class was heavily recruited
from the Greater San Antonio area, as fourteen players were from
such area high schools. Each player for the inaugural class was
redshirted during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football
season.
On March 16, 2010 UTSA announced Neal Neathery as defensive
coordinator for the team. Neathery had last served in the same
position for Drake. In an effort to move the program to the FBS,
UTSA had discussions with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
about joining that conference after they lost Boise State to the
Mountain West Conference during the summer of 2010.
In July 2010, the Northside Independent School District announced a
three-year agreement that allowed UTSA to use Dub Farris Athletic
Complex for practice. On September 15, 2010, UTSA held its
first-ever practice at the stadium.
On November 10, 2010, it was reported that the WAC had offered
UTSA, along with fellow Southland conference member Texas State and
Sun Belt Conference member Denver an invitation to join its
conference that would take effect in 2012. Denver would join as a
non-football school. Such an invitation was an effort to offset the
departures of Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada to the Mountain
West Conference during the 2010 NCAA conference realignment. The
following day, UTSA announced it had accepted the invitation.
On September 03, 2011, UTSA Roadrunner foorball played it's first
game to a crowd of 56,743 by beating Northeastern State 31-1!
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