TWTW: UTSA Wins First Game

((HT: WOAI-TV San Antonio))

Larry Coker is 1-0 as a Roadrunner...

56,743 saw the UTSA football program kick off it's first-ever everything with a 31-3 win over coach Larry Coker's alma mater Northeastern State.

Eric Soza who threw for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for 108 yards and 1 touchdown.

UTSA is back at the Alamodome next Saturday against McMurry- who gave up 82 to Stephen F Austin this week...

Here's the look back...

UTSA, Texas State Fined For Leaving Southland Early

The Southland Conference has fined Texas State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio $250,000 each for not giving enough notice of their pulling out of the league to head to the WAC- a plan the schools made public last month in time for the 2012-2013 school year.

The Southland says both schools violated a requirement in the league's bylaws that schools give two academic years' notice of their intention to withdraw from the league. Aside from the fines, both schools were stripped of voting privileges in all league matters, effective immediately.

Larry Teis, Texas State University athletic director, says the school was not surprised by the decision, and Texas-San Antonio spokesman Kyle Stephens says UTSA had no comment either.

To distract all of you, here's the Roadrunners first practice...
((HT: UTSAStudentAffairs))

Three Schools Added To The WAC

((HT: ESPN/Katz))

And the winners are: Denver, Texas-San Antonio, and Texas State

Larry Coker and his undefeated Roadrunners football team now have a home. The three schools mentioned above are going to replace Boise State, Nevada, and Fresno State when they leave to go to the Western Athletic Conference.

UTSA needs approval from its Board of Regents. They, along with State, will join in all sports. Denver doesn't have a football program that high up in Division. That's the only exception by the Pioneers.

UTSA and Texas State are paying $250,000 exit fees, but Denver will not have to do that to the Sun Belt Conference.

San Antonio is playing as a Division I-AA independent in football in 2011. They'll join the WAC for football in 2012.

Katz also says that Montana is still in play to join the WAC by then. They're still trying to figure out if they want to jump from FCS to FBS.

More when we know more...

Wile E. Coker Takes Over at UTSA

Former Miami coach Larry Coker has been hired to lead the new Texas-San Antonio football program, his first coaching job since the Hurricanes fired him in 2006.

UTSA announced the decision Thursday. A news conference is scheduled for Friday.

Texas-San Antonio plans to play its first season in 2011 in the Football Championship Subdivision. Coker was among three finalists for the job, along with Tulsa assistant Paul Randolph and Northwest Missouri State coach Mel Tjeerdsma.

Coker's hiring was first reported by San Antonio television station WOAI.

A phone message left at Coker's home in Florida on Thursday was not immediately returned.
Coker, who has been working for ESPN as a college football analyst, went 60-15 with the Hurricanes and led them to the 2001 national championship. He was fired in 2006 after a tumultuous season in which the team went 6-6.

That season was marred by problems off the field, including an infamous brawl during the Florida International game that resulted in the suspension of 31 players. Coker has talked of returning to coaching since being fired, and his name has been linked to several openings.

In a 2007 interview with AP, Coker said it only took "about 30 seconds" before Miami's 2006 brawl with FIU came up during interviews for coaching jobs elsewhere.

Coker reached the pinnacle of college football in 2001, guiding Miami to a 12-0 record and a national championship victory over Nebraska in his rookie season as a head coach. Now, the 60-year-old Oklahoma native will pilot a program just getting off the ground.

San Antonio is the largest city in the nation without an NFL or Division I-A football team. UTSA has about 28,000 students, and an overwhelming majority approved a referendum in 2007 that served as a major step in establishing a football program.

The Roadrunners plan to play in the Alamodome, the 65,000-seat downtown stadium built in 1993 that never attracted an NFL franchise like the city hoped.

Coker won the Big East each of his first three seasons at Miami. He started off coaching in the 1970s at an Oklahoma high school before moving on to assistant jobs with Tulsa, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

(HT: AP))

Those of us at OSG HQ Are curious that they're actually letting an Oklahoman coach a Texas team of any kind... but, then again, it is UTSA...

Let the jokes begin...