File photo \/ Samarie Goffney<\/a><\/p>\nAmid a move into a rebranded conference, the UTA men\u2019s tennis team has joined the Atlantic Sun Conference as an affiliate member ahead of the 2026 spring season, the league announced Thursday. <\/p>\n
UTA originally decided to compete in the ASUN in September ahead of the 2025-26 season. The decision followed a June announcement that the school’s current conference, the Western Athletic Conference, is rebranding to the United Athletic Conference. The UAC will be a mesh of UTA\u2019s current conference and the ASUN, with the WAC being fully absorbed. <\/p>\n
UTA\u2019s conference change stems from a lack of competition in the WAC. The WAC\u2019s only other men\u2019s tennis program is at Abilene Christian University, which will also officially join the ASUN as an affiliate member for the spring season. <\/p>\n
“ASUN Men’s Tennis has long been a strength of the Conference and the additions of two championship caliber programs in Abilene Christian and UT Arlington will only enhance that collective strength,” ASUN commissioner Jeff Bacon said in a press release. <\/p>\n
UTA and ACU will bring the ASUN\u2019s total number of affiliate members to 15, joining universities such as the U.S. Air Force Academy, The University of Utah and Gardner-Webb University. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to have several different teams to compete against different types of levels,\u201d head coach Diego Benitez said. \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what the ASUN brings. The guys are super excited, and we\u2019re going to go there and do our best.\u201d <\/p>\n
In a meeting Thursday, the UT System Board of Regents approved $6,000 in funding for UTA to pay the conference in an annual contract. Upon mutual written consent, the agreement’s terms can be extended at any time, with the current expiration date being Aug. 31, 2026. <\/p>\n
UTA has already begun blending with the conference. From Oct. 23 to 26, the Mavericks competed in the ASUN Individual Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. <\/p>\n
The men\u2019s team will also see three to four new members heading into the spring season, Benitez said. This will bring the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams up to a full roster, with the men\u2019s having four during fall play. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis new home for men’s tennis will provide positive opportunities for our student-athletes to compete at a high level and continue to challenge for championships,\u201d Athletics director Jon Fagg said in a press release. \u201cIt was important for us to find the right fit for our program and student-athletes and believe that we have found that with the ASUN.” <\/p>\n
@kaleivie_<\/p>\n
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