The institution was formed from a 1991 partnership between the two-year Texas Southmost College and University of Texas-Pan American at Brownsville.

UTB itself offered baccalaureate and graduate degrees in liberal arts, sciences, education, business, and professional programs.

[6] In 2015, the UT Brownsville merged with UT–Pan American, to form The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

[13] Immediately, Students on both Campuses began protests objecting to the new name as a caricature and racial stereotype of Mexican, Latino, Chicano, and Hispanic culture.

[16] On August 31, 2015, UTB and UTPA were officially dissolved and changed to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The university continues to expand, recently purchasing substantial acreage east of Fort Brown.

[citation needed] Sorority Students expressed their opinions in and outside of class through periodicals including The Collegian[34] and the Sting Radio.

[36][37][38] The UTB Ocelots women's volleyball team was ranked #18 in the NAIA,[39] but lost the standing after a bad 2008 season.

In 2009, under new head coach Todd Lowery, formerly of National American University, the Scorpions began to shine again, achieving a #12 ranking in the NAIA.

[41] The University of Texas at Brownsville was widely regarded for having one of the strongest chess programs in the nation.