UT Dallas Comets

UT Dallas Comets. The athletic teams representing The University of Texas at Dallas are known as the Comets, competing primarily in the NCAA Division III as a member of the American Southwest Conference. The university's football program competes at the NCAA Division II level within the Lone Star Conference. The nickname, chosen by student vote in 1972, reflects the region's connection to the space industry and nearby institutions like NASA and the former Texas Instruments.

History

The Comets' athletic history is intrinsically linked to the growth of the university itself, which evolved from the private Graduate Research Center of the Southwest founded by Cecil Green, Erik Jonsson, and Eugene McDermott. Varsity sports began in the 1970s following the institution's merger into the University of Texas System. A significant milestone was reached in 1998 with the move to NCAA Division III and membership in the American Southwest Conference, providing a structured competitive framework. The most transformative development came in the 2020s with the addition of a NCAA Division II football program, which began play in 2025 under head coach Josh Ragsdale and joined the prestigious Lone Star Conference, marking a new era for the athletics department.

Athletics

The Comets sponsor 14 intercollegiate sports, with men's teams including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's teams compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The program has achieved notable success in NCAA Division III competition, with men's golf capturing a national championship and both men's and women's basketball teams making deep runs in the NCAA tournament. The football team's entry into the Lone Star Conference pits it against historic NCAA Division II powers like Texas A&M University–Commerce and Midwestern State University.

Facilities

The primary athletic complex is the UT Dallas Activity Center, which houses the main arena for basketball and volleyball. Baseball and softball games are played at the on-campus UT Dallas Baseball Field and UT Dallas Softball Field, respectively. The soccer teams utilize the UT Dallas Soccer Field. The most significant new facility is the state-of-the-art UT Dallas Football Stadium, constructed to accommodate the new NCAA Division II program and located near the main campus in Richardson, Texas. Training and support services are centralized at the UT Dallas Athletic Performance Center.

Notable alumni

Distinguished former Comets athletes have excelled in professional and academic spheres. Among them is Dr. John H. (Jack) Strong, a former baseball player who became a renowned surgical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In professional sports, Kyle G. Bates leveraged his success in Comets men's basketball to a lengthy overseas career in Europe. Lisa M. Zhang, a standout in women's tennis, later earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering and holds several patents. Former soccer captain Miguel A. Ruiz founded a successful technology startup in Silicon Valley.

Rivalries

The Comets' primary conference rivalry is with the University of Texas at Tyler Patriots, with intense competition across all American Southwest Conference sports, particularly in basketball and baseball. The football program's entry into the Lone Star Conference has quickly fostered a new geographic rivalry with Texas A&M University–Commerce, historically known as the Commerce Lions. An informal but spirited cross-town rivalry exists with other Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex institutions like Southern Methodist University, though they compete in different NCAA divisions. The annual matchup against the Hardin–Simmons University Cowboys is also considered a key contest in NCAA Division III sports.