UTA Athletics and COVID-19

Jim Baker joined the University of Texas at Arlington as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Feb. 1, 2012, the same day the university and department opened the $78 million, 7,000-seat College Park Center.

Entering the 2020-21 season – in 8+ seasons of Baker leading the department – UTA has won 22 conference championships and made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.

While the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the worldwide Coronavirus Pandemic, UTA’s student-athletes still produced numerous individual and team accolades, but none more impressive than their collective 3.4 GPA in the spring. Each of UTA’s 15 teams had better than a 3.0 GPA. It marked the 13th-straight semester UTA student-athletes produced better than a 3.0 GPA.

Under Baker, UTA Athletics has consistently made community service a focal point as the Mavericks won the Community Service Initiative Award for the fourth-straight year in 2019.

The Mavs won the Community Impact Award for the second-straight time in 2019 as well due largely to their Operation Global Impact project as part of ‘Team Uganda.’ The trip to Uganda was part of the larger Operation Global Impact series which in the summer of 2019 resulted in UTA being named one of three Division-I finalists nationally by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) for the 2019 Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.

In 2018-19, UTA added three more Sun Belt Championships under Baker’s tenure – men’s cross country, women’s basketball and men’s indoor track & field. Highlighting the athletic success for the year was the softball team winning the National Invitation Softball Championship (NISC) for the first time, and the women’s basketball team earning its first postseason WNIT win.

The 2017-18 season had many noteworthy accomplishments on and off the field of competition. UTA student-athletes graduated at the 2nd-highest rate among all Division-I public institutions in the state of Texas, according to the NCAA Graduation Success Rate.

In 2016-17, UTA student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom. Priscilla Glenn received national grants and accolades for her research within the College of Science, and Hervey was named the Sun Belt Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

Championships continued to pile up in 2015-16 as men’s tennis and men’s cross country won Sun Belt trophies. The Mavericks finished 4th in the Sun Belt’s Vic Bubas Cup.

The 2014-15 season was highlighted by a league championship in women’s cross country and an incredible 29 individual conference crowns in men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field – with men’s outdoor track and field finishing the year ranked No. 25 in the nation. UTA placed 3rd in the Bubas Cup – just two points out of 1st. Academically, student-athletes posted a spring and cumulative GPA of 3.055 – at the time the highest in the department’s history.

Jim married the former Nicole Lavoy on New Year's 2019. He and his late wife, Nancy Ann Baker, shared 32 years of marriage. They have two sons, Nate and Jordan – who is married to Tiko.

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The Rotary Club of Arlington is grateful for Jim Baker, both his leadership and presentation. The Rotary Club of Arlington considers hosting excellent guest speakers like Jim. For further information, contact Kurt Bartley, President Elect.