I've been at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) for almost 28 years (since August 1989). Yesterday evening, if my memory serves me, I went to a UTA basketball game for the first time, in the beautiful College Park Center. The UTA men's team was in the regional final (i.e., quarterfinals) of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The game was in Arlington because the sixth-seeded Mavericks happened to be playing the eighth-seeded Cal State-Bakersfield Roadrunners. UTA was 14-0 at home, so I expected a victory. The game started slowly, with neither team scoring a point in the first three minutes. UTA's players appeared to be nervous and faced a 16-point deficit at halftime. They never stopped fighting, however, and closed the gap to two points with six seconds left. But the Roadrunners held them off, winning, 80-76. We had great seats; the popcorn was excellent; and the excitement was palpable. Congratulations to the Mavericks on a great season. We may attend a game or two next season. By the way, I didn't recognize a single person the entire evening. Not a faculty member, a staff member, a student (current or former), or anyone else. How weird is that?
