UT Board of Regents to discuss SEC move, Rodney Terry's contract in upcoming meeting

On3 imageby:Joe Cook05/01/23

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The agenda for the University of Texas System Board of Regents’ upcoming meeting on May 3 and 4 featured several high-profile Longhorns athletics topics.

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The board will have “discussion and appropriate action related to legal issues concerning terms of contracts associated with UT Austin’s membership in the Southeastern Conference.” It will also have similar talks “regarding approval of terms of employment agreement and related professional services and license agreement for head men’s basketball coach Rodney Terry.”

Both topics will be discussed in executive session, which will be closed to the public.

Texas, Oklahoma, the SEC, and the Big 12 announced in February that the Longhorns and the Sooners had agreed to terms to leave the Big 12 in 2024 subject to final approval from the UT and OU governing boards. In February, the conference announced compensation to the Big 12 for the early withdrawals totals “$100 million in foregone distributable revenues, which OU and UT will be able to partially offset with future revenues.”

“We have always been committed to fulfilling our contractual obligations to the Big 12,” UT president Jay Hartzell said in February. “The collegiate athletics landscape has continued to evolve rapidly, and working together to accelerate our exit produced benefits for all parties. The Big 12 has been a respected partner for nearly three decades, and we look forward to a final season of spirited competition with our friends and rivals. I appreciate Commissioner (Brett) Yormark’s and Chairman (Lawrence) Schovanec’s thoughtful approach and the collaborative work toward a solution that prioritizes the best interests of all institutions.”

The UT board will also discuss terms of Terry’s employment. Terry, who took over as acting head coach in December 2022 following the arrest of Chris Beard and continued through the end of the year as interim head coach following Beard’s dismissal in 2023, was named permanent head coach of the Longhorn men’s basketball program on March 27.

Terry led the Longhorns to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2007-08 Texas team reached the regional finals. Terry, who has previous head coaching experience at Fresno State and UTEP, was an assistant on Rick Barnes’ staff during the 2007-08 season.

Terry and the school reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth approximately $15 million in March.

The board is also scheduled to discuss details related to the demolition of the Frank Erwin Center. The Erwin Center played host to Texas men’s and women’s basketball, plus countless other sporting events, concerts, and graduation ceremonies, since its opening in November of 1977. Texas’ basketball programs moved out of the Erwin Center to the nearby Moody Center ahead of the 2022-23 season, and both teams enjoyed successful years at home in the new facility.

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The Erwin Center demolition is set to be completed by October of 2024. The total project cost is set to be $25 million.

The only other athletics related subject on the agenda was an authorization for UTEP to accept the gift of a statue of Don Haskins. Haskins led UTEP, then known as Texas Western, to the 1966 national championship over Kentucky with an all-black starting five. The sculpture is by Brian Hanlon and was donated by Dan Longoria.

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