June 2, 2008

The University of Texas-Pan American men's track and field program became the third athletic squad at UTPA to become a full-fledge conference affiliate on Friday (May 30) and will join the Ohio Valley Conference beginning in the 2008-09 season.

"I was happy to hear that we are back in a conference, I just wish the women were in the conference also," said head men's and women's track and field coach Dennis Darling. "It's a big accomplish for the men to get back in a conference. I'm going to try to do my best to win a championship title. We are going to do our best to be competitive and make a name for ourselves."

The Ohio Valley Conference concluded its annual conference spring meetings on Friday in Nashville, TN where they approved to add the University of Texas-Pan American as an associate member. The Broncs will participate in the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships starting next year.

The move was made to bring the number of men's outdoor track sports squads to six, to keep the Conference's NCAA automatic bids in the sport.

The Ohio Valley Conference membership includes Austin Peay State University, Eastern Illinois University, Eastern Kentucky University, Jacksonville State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin.

UTPA Sports Information