TWU seeks new athletics fee

Apr. 21, 2022 — DENTON — On the heels of TWU Gymnastic’s 12th national title in program history, Texas Woman’s University will ask Denton students to vote for a new athletic fee in fall 2022.

The proposal would create an athletic fee of $12 per credit hour for a maximum of $180 with exemptions for Dallas and Houston. As dictated by legislative statute, required fees that exceed a 10% increase must be approved by a campus-wide vote. Since the fee will only impact Denton students, neither Dallas nor Houston students will weigh in.

The new fee would represent a first for Texas Woman’s athletics and stands to keep the university competitive with other conference teams. TWU is the only program in the Lone Star Conference that does not currently levy any type of dedicated athletic fee, and the current proposal would be among the lowest in the conference.

Conversations have already been happening around campus, and thus far the feedback has been positive, according to Sandee Mott, Director of Athletics at TWU. 

“Athletics serves as the front porch of the university,” said Mott. “Student athletics programs provide a positive role in student development as well as offer fun opportunities to increase school spirit, pride and traditions, and so far our general student population has been very receptive to helping us grow.”

Texas Woman’s currently offers nine sports and one mascot program and continues to see exponential growth. In just two years, the department has gone from 90 student-athletes to approximately 200 commitments for fall 2022.

A new athletic fee would help the university: provide safe equipment for players, address limitations of existing facilities, remain competitive and potentially back out costs to student service fees, allowing for more general student activities and mental health support.

Discussions regarding the fee will continue in the fall with the vote tentatively slated for October 2022. For those interested in learning more now, be sure to find student representatives at Pioneer Palooza who will share their experiences and answer any questions.

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Page last updated 12:58 PM, April 26, 2022