Joe Utay

Bio

Joe Utay served college football as a player, coach, athletic director, writer, official, and promoter. He played halfback for Texas A&M and was captain in 1907. During his three years, the Aggies had a 19-4-1 record. Utay graduated in 1908, went to law school, and was a practicing attorney in Dallas for 55 years. He returned to Texas A&M in 1912 and served one year as freshman football coach and director of athletics. That same year he founded the Texas Officials Association, and he was its president 1912-36. In 1914, he helped found the Southwest Conference. He wrote the Southwest review of each football season in the NCAA Guide for 25 years and helped found the Texas A&M letterman's club. After the 1921 season he promoted the Dixie Classic, a game matching Texas A&M with Centre College in Dallas. This was the forerunner of bowl games in the Southwest. Utay also promoted three all-star games matching Southwest Conference stars against players from the Midwest. The games benefited the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. He served on the Texas A&M board of directors 1935-1941. Texas A&M named a dormitory for him.