support for both countries did not violate the rules of the Spirit Rocks. CBS Texas reported on the issue, calling the Spirit Rocks "a tense platform for politics with competing views about the violence in the Middle East".
On November 20, the Spirit Rocks were removed by Student Affairs executives for platforming "extended political discourse" without consulting the committee responsible for university policies. This sparked backlash from the student body, prompting protests attended by hundreds of students. Free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression condemned the university for the Spirit Rocks' removal.
== Athletics ==
UT Dallas is transitioning to NCAA Division II varsity athletics. It has competitive club teams and intramural sports teams. Athletic teams are known as the Comets, while the mascot is Temoc ("Temoc" is "comet" spelled backwards.)
=== Varsity ===
The University of Texas at Dallas' Varsity athletics program started when UTD provisionally joined the NCAA Division …