Bob Costas Opens 2014-15 Maverick Speakers Series at UT Arlington
By UT Arlington University Communications
Posted on August 20, 2014, August 20, 2014

Bob Costas

Defending national champion Florida State is looking to make history right here in Arlington.

Not only do the Seminoles open their season August 30 against Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the team is favored to be one of the two teams playing in the inaugural first ever College Football Championship Game being played January 12, 2015 at the same venue.

As the city prepares to host this historical event, it's only appropriate that the University of Texas at Arlington to have legendary sportscaster Bob Costas kick off the 2014-15 Maverick Speakers Series on Sept. 25 at College Park Center. Tickets available Aug. 26.

Costas' topic will be "Sports in America: Is it Still Only a Game?" He has been on NBC Sports since the early 1980s and has hosted nine Olympic games. Costas has garnered 26 Emmy Awards, more than any other sports broadcaster. He also has been named the National Sportscaster of the Year a record eight times. He is the host of Football Night in America and Costas Tonight.

Now in its seventh season, the lecture series features a diverse group of leaders that will share their breadth of experience in the worlds of sports, politics, the military and science.

Maverick Speakers Series fans will be doubly rewarded when James Carville and Mary Matalin, two nationally known political pundits, take the stage in October. James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist and a professor at City College of New York; and Henry Cisneros, former Housing and Urban Development secretary and former San Antonio mayor, also will be featured during the 2014-15 season.

The Maverick Speakers Series offers guests four great ways to enjoy a thought-provoking evening.

  • General admission tickets. You can obtain a free general admission ticket online at utatickets.com. Limit two general admission tickets per person.
  • Preferred packages, which cost $50 per event, are also available at utatickets.com They include reserved entrance to the lecture facility (for Texas Hall only), reserved seating at the front of the venue, reserved parking and front-of-the-line access to book signings (when offered)
  • Preferred season packages cost $200, which is a savings of $50 over individual preferred packages. Benefits include everything that a preferred package holder receives. There is no limit to the number of preferred packages or preferred season packages purchased.
  • A VIP package is available for $500. This is the preferred package plan plus entry to an exclusive reception with the featured speaker and entry to an invitation-only dinner before the event. The VIP package also includes photograph and autograph opportunities. Contact Mark LaVelle at [email protected] or 817-272-5235 for this package.

General admission and preferred packages are made available approximately four weeks prior to each event and are subject to availability. Preferred season packages are available now.

All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m., either in College Park Center, 600 S. Center St., or Texas Hall at 701 W. Nedderman Drive. Visit www.uta.edu/maverickspeakers to learn more.

Other Speakers Scheduled

Monday, Oct. 20, 2014, Texas Hall - Tickets available Sept. 22. James Carville and Mary Matalin - "All's Fair: Love, War, and Politics" Carville and Matalin make up one of America's best-loved political couples. Carville is a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, while Matalin is a well-known consultant for the Republican Party. Carville and Matalin are co-authors of the best-selling book "All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President."

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, Texas Hall - Tickets available Oct. 7. James Stavridis - "Sailing the Cyber Sea: The New Realities of 21st Century Security" Stavridis is dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he received his master's and doctorate degrees. He also is board chairman for the U.S. Naval Institute. A retired admiral, Stavridis served as Supreme Allied Commander from 2009-13. Stavridis has maintained a strategic emphasis on topics like the role of women in international relations, synthetic biology and its impact on foreign affairs, and the function of online media and social networks in public diplomacy. He is the author of "Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command."

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, Texas Hall - Tickets available Jan. 20, 2015. Michio Kaku - "Physics and the Future" Kaku is one of the most renowned contemporary figures in science. His particular area of specialty is Einstein's unified field theory, which Kaku is attempting to complete. He is also known for his work in predicting trends that affect business, commerce and finance. He holds the Henry Semat Chair in Theoretical Physics at the City University of New York. Kaku has written several best-selling books and is currently the public face of the Science Channel. He has hosted many television specials for the BBC, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel and the Science Channel.

Thursday, March 26, 2015, Texas Hall - Tickets available Feb. 24. Henry Cisneros - "Smart Growth: Developing the Economy, Infrastructure, and a Sustainable Future" Cisneros was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton. He also was San Antonio's mayor from 1981 to 1989. Since leaving public office, he has remained actively involved with housing development and urban revitalization through his business, CityView, and his position as co-chair of the Housing Commission at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Community, Headlines, News, UT Arlington