Utah Tech Trailblazers Explained

Utah Tech Trailblazers
University:Utah Tech University
Association:NCAA
Conference:Western Athletic Conference
United Athletic Conference (football)
Division:Division I
Director:Ken Beazer
Location:St. George, Utah
Teams:15 (6 men's and 9 women's)
Stadium:Greater Zion Stadium
Baseballfield:Bruce Hurst Field
Basketballarena:Burns Arena
Mascot:Brooks the Bison
(formerly Rodney the Rebel)
Nickname:Trailblazers
(formerly Red Storm (2009-2016), Rebels (1952-2009)
Pageurl:https://utahtechtrailblazers.com/

The Utah Tech Trailblazers, formerly known as the Dixie State Trailblazers, the Dixie State Red Storm and the Dixie State Rebels, are the 15 varsity athletic teams that represent Utah Tech University (formerly Dixie State University and similar names), located in St. George, Utah, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Trailblazers compete as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); in football, the school competes in the second level of D-I football, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), in the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The UAC was formed after the 2022 football season as a merger of the football leagues of the WAC and the ASUN Conference.[1]

Utah Tech began competing in NCAA Division II in the 2006–07 academic year (as Dixie State)[2] after being a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. From 1952 to 2009, as part of a general theme of Confederacy symbolism for the university, the school's nickname was the "Rebels", which was changed to the "Red Storm" in 2009. In 2016, the nickname was changed again to "Trailblazers".[3]

On January 11, 2019, the university announced that it would move its sports program up to NCAA Division I by joining the WAC for all sports except football, which played as an FCS independent for one year before joining DSU's other sports in the WAC after it reinstated football for the 2021 season. The transition to D-I, which began upon the school's arrival in the WAC on July 1, 2020, will take four years; during this time, the Trailblazers will be ineligible for NCAA-sanctioned postseason play in any of their current sports.[4]

On November 10, 2021, the Utah legislature approved the rebranding of the school from Dixie State University to Utah Tech University. The publicly presented name change occurred in May 2022, with the change planned to take legal effect on July 1, 2022.[5] [6]

Sports sponsored

Basketball
Cross country
Cross Country Golf
Soccer
Golf Softball
Soccer Swimming and diving
Tennis
Track and field
Volleyball

Club sports

Pickleball

Utah Tech hosts a club pickleball team which has found success and finished as runner ups in the 2022 DUPR Pickleball Collegiate National Championship, losing to North Carolina. [7]

Notes and References

  1. ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands as the United Athletic Conference . Western Athletic Conference . April 17, 2023 . April 21, 2023.
  2. Web site: Dixie State Athletics - DSU Men's Basketball Almanac (Division II Era) . Dixieathletics.com . 2015-03-03.
  3. Web site: Dixie State students will now be Trailblazers, represented by a bison . sltrib.com . April 12, 2016 . December 25, 2017 . Knox, Annie.
  4. Web site: Dixie State to move up to Division I, join Western Athletic Conference in 2020-21 . deseretnews.com . January 11, 2019 . January 13, 2019 . Judd, Brandon.
  5. News: Utah Legislature passes Dixie State name change . November 10, 2021.
  6. Web site: Move over 'Dixie State', Utah Tech University has arrived . 2022-05-18 . en-US . St. George News.
  7. https://triangleblogblog.com/2022/11/30/unc-club-pickleball-wins-national-championship/ UNC Club Pickleball wins national championship