FOOTBALL BACK AT LAMAR?

[SuperflySnuka]

Is this still just "talk" or does Lamar actually have a timetable of bringing back the state's (and America's) top sport?

[trout]

If there is one no one knows it.

[Tiger90]

I'd rather have a losing football team over a losing basketball team to follow.  Honestly though, we have some solid talent locally that could help jumpstart the program.

[AggiesAreWe]

I have personally spoken to some people that are in the know( ties with school officials ) and each have told me that it's not a matter of are they going to do it, but when. A couple of them have actually said by 2010, football will be playing at the university. I think that's a little soon because I think they would have to have the ball rolling now to be able to play in 3 years. I'm thinking 2012.

[NDN]

I hope it's true about getting the football program going, but only if they heavily recruit in this area.  Lamar sports is known for hardly ever recruiting in this area.  They finally started doing it in baseball about 5 or 6 years ago, but when we did have football that was a mute point.  For the area to support college football at Lamar, they better try and recruit about 85% of the team from this area or else it will flop.

[KFDM COOP]

And you are exactly right!!

[Bulldog92]

It would be great to have football back at Lamar, but at what level would they start and how would scholarship numbers be affected by that? I totally agree that the Cards would have to get as many recruits from the area as they can, but how many of those kids can afford tuition if there are limitations on scholarships? We all know the economy isn't very good in Southeast Texas, so for a while it might be tough to get some of the better available local kids when they can get their educations paid for at more established football schools. Thoughts?

[Cardinal Fan]

It would be great to have football back at Lamar, but at what level would they start and how would scholarship numbers be affected by that? I totally agree that the Cards would have to get as many recruits from the area as they can, but how many of those kids can afford tuition if there are limitations on scholarships? We all know the economy isn't very good in Southeast Texas, so for a while it might be tough to get some of the better available local kids when they can get their educations paid for at more established football schools. Thoughts?

Lamar University will never beat out the UT's, A&M's, LSU's, Texas Tech's of the world of college football on a player. If those kids are good enough to play at the elite football schools it will be hard to land them even if Lamar had a winning football program rich in tradition. I somewhat disagree with the local economy statement. From everything I've read and heard, un-employment is the lowest it has been in 10 years and it is definitely better than back in the 80's. The wages for this area are comparable to other areas in the state. For example in my career field, I'm make more than I did when working in the D/FW metroplex.

In closing, there is a major population growth expected in SE Texas in the next 5-10 years with growth in population in the Triangle said to be over 500,000. That would be huge for the economy and Lamar University with or without football!

[KFDM COOP]

Well said!

[Bulldog92]

Lamar University will never beat out the UT's, A&M's, LSU's, Texas Tech's of the world of college football on a player. If those kids are good enough to play at the elite football schools it will be hard to land them even if Lamar had a winning football program rich in tradition. I somewhat disagree with the local economy statement. From everything I've read and heard, un-employment is the lowest it has been in 10 years and it is definitely better than back in the 80's. The wages for this area are comparable to other areas in the state. For example in my career field, I'm make more than I did when working in the D/FW metroplex.

In closing, there is a major population growth expected in SE Texas in the next 5-10 years with growth in population in the Triangle said to be over 500,000. That would be huge for the economy and Lamar University with or without football!

Your points are all well taken. If you're right about the population boom and the growth in the talent pool, it shouldn't take LU long to become a very respectable 1-AA football school. It would be nice to have some Jasper kids in the program, too. It always seemed like they would opt for everybody else (McNeese, SHSU, SFA, etc.) and being a lifelong Cardinal fan, that always bothered me. I know that those schools are pretty strong in football, but I'd love to see LU get to that level...

[KFDM COOP]

Like you said if they want people to go to the games they have to get kids from SE Texas to play.

[Bulldog92]

I completely agree, but is there enough of a groundswell in the community and within the university to actually put this in motion?

[UNLV]

It's not a question of "if", but "when". LU approved softball and just announced the first womens soccer class. LU is now covering title IX. No reason to add those 2 sports unless football is coming back. The big conference realignment is coming in 2010. LU will need to announce football soon in order to upgrade out of the Southland. This area will not support a FCS(I-AA) playing in the Southland.

[Bulldog92]

It's not a question of "if", but "when". LU approved softball and just announced the first womens soccer class. LU is now covering title IX. No reason to add those 2 sports unless football is coming back. The big conference realignment is coming in 2010. LU will need to announce football soon in order to upgrade out of the Southland. This area will not support a FCS(I-AA) playing in the Southland.

  I can understand covering Title IX to add football, but to jump right into D1 is very ambitious. The only conference I could see them joining at this point would be the Sun Belt and they would get mauled for the first few years and be amongst the national bottom-feeders. Why not start out in 1-AA while the facilities are being ramped up? You could still schedule the guarantee games with bigger schools to bring money into the athletic budget and possibly move up to 1-A after a few years.

  A similar example would be South Florida. They started out as Division II (I think) and worked their way up through 1-AA within a couple of years and up to 1-A a few years after that, making money and having success along the way. They are very competitive in 1-A and I would hope to see Lamar do something similar. There are plenty of schools that are in 1-A that might never win there (Idaho, LA-Monroe, LA-Lafayette, etc) consistently and might best be served dropping back to 1-AA. I would be very careful not to put LU too high too soon.

[UNLV]

  I can understand covering Title IX to add football, but to jump right into D1 is very ambitious. The only conference I could see them joining at this point would be the Sun Belt and they would get mauled for the first few years and be amongst the national bottom-feeders. Why not start out in 1-AA while the facilities are being ramped up? You could still schedule the guarantee games with bigger schools to bring money into the athletic budget and possibly move up to 1-A after a few years.

  A similar example would be South Florida. They started out as Division II (I think) and worked their way up through 1-AA within a couple of years and up to 1-A a few years after that, making money and having success along the way. They are very competitive in 1-A and I would hope to see Lamar do something similar. There are plenty of schools that are in 1-A that might never win there (Idaho, LA-Monroe, LA-Lafayette, etc) consistently and might best be served dropping back to 1-AA. I would be very careful not to put LU too high too soon.

I wasn't clear. I agree I-AA should be the starting goal, long term should be I-A. Nobody here wants to see SFA or SHSU. LU would get better support bringing Dodge(UNT) and UH or SMU. I also agree local players should make up at least 40% of the team. This area of BPT 400,000 + the rest of SETX 150,000 could supply LU with a boat load of talent. 5 million people 1 hour east of here could fill the gaps.

[AggiesAreWe]

I wasn't clear. I agree I-AA should be the starting goal, long term should be I-A. Nobody here wants to see SFA or SHSU. LU would get better support bringing Dodge(UNT) and UH or SMU. I also agree local players should make up at least 40% of the team. This area of BPT 400,000 + the rest of SETX 150,000 could supply LU with a boat load of talent. 5 million people 1 hour east of here could fill the gaps.

East of here? When did Lake Charles get that many people?

[Cardinal Fan]

I believe the guy probably meant to say 1 hr west of here. I think that direction would be Houston, Texas. Large city with a lot of football talent.

[BLUEDOVE3]

I've been at Lamar for a number of years and the football discussions pop up every  3 years or so. After soccer and softball are in place, then maybe the people in power will sit down and see if a football program won't lose money. I have always heard that recruiting local talent would help the football program, and those comments hold some merit. 

There is/was also some local talent on the basketball team but I don't see our arena packed with fans.  But I do remember years ago when the women basketball team in their heyday played UT and the Montagne was packed. Too bad the UT. UofH, and A&M alums in the area won't put pressure on the programs to play Lamar. Hmmm, oops!? I'm one of those alums.....

[formerpirate]

I've been at Lamar for a number of years and the football discussions pop up every  3 years or so. After soccer and softball are in place, then maybe the people in power will sit down and see if a football program won't lose money. I have always heard that recruiting local talent would help the football program, and those comments hold some merit. 

There is/was also some local talent on the basketball team but I don't see our arena packed with fans.  But I do remember years ago when the women basketball team in their heyday played UT and the Montagne was packed. Too bad the UT. UofH, and A&M alums in the area won't put pressure on the programs to play Lamar. Hmmm, oops!? I'm one of those alums.....

The thing is that Southeast Texas is football crazy. Yeah the basketball team may have some local kids, but it just isn't the same fan base as football. People would go to the games just to have fun and watch some football. I've been to some McNeese St. games and it is crazy on gameday. I attend Lamar and I see a lot of guys who I use to play football with and against. If Lamar gets smart and brings back the football program, they will be raking in the cash.

[HouTexan]

Ah, how soon we forget. I was at every single LU game back in the late 80's before the program was dropped. LU was ranked in the Top 25 in I-AA a few times during those years. The talent was there, the record was good, the atmosphere electric with 300 in the band, the cheerleaders, the end zone full of fraternity and sorority greek letters, and the stands.........EMPTY.

It's the same way with the Texas Drillers (2nd lowest attendance in the NIFL), the Wildcatters, the old minor league baseball teams, etc. If you don't support the team (local talent or not) and you don't have the facilities...UH is not coming to Beaumont for a share of 1/2 of the ticket sales when they can generate more at Robertson Stadium with 32,000 seats vs. Cardinal Stadiums 12,000 or so.

It's all about money and support, you need commercial dollars (BIG DOLLARS) and a huge fan base to make football work. Local talent or not, if you don't put the backsides in the seats it's doomed for failure before it starts.

[tvc184]

Ah, how soon we forget. I was at every single LU game back in the late 80's before the program was dropped. LU was ranked in the Top 25 in I-AA a few times during those years. The talent was there, the record was good, the atmosphere electric with 300 in the band, the cheerleaders, the end zone full of fraternity and sorority greek letters, and the stands.........EMPTY...............

Maybe I am reading this wrong. Are you saying that Lamar was a top 25 1-AA football team a few times back in the late 80's? Exactly when is it that the "record was good" in the late 80's?

This is from a New York Times article from December 15, 1989:

Lamar University Drops Football

The Lamar University board of regents today voted to discontinue the school's football program, citing projected losses of half a million dollars over the next three seasons.

The Lamar University board of regents today voted to discontinue the school's football program, citing projected losses of half a million dollars over the next three seasons.

The board's vote was 5-4 to discontinue football at the school, which has competed as a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA independent the past three years. The football program lost $4.3 million over the past decade, all losing seasons on the field except this year's 5-5 finish under Coach Ray Alborn.

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Okay, so in the last decade of Lamar football they had all losing seasons except a 5-5 finish in their last year.  Not a single winning season in the 80's and yet several times Lamar was a top 25 team? It must not have taken much to be in the top 25 back then.

You are correct, how quickly we forget.. or in your case, just make it up.

[NDN]

I'm for the footbal program coming back to LU, and yes I do feel more people will go to the games if most of the team is local talent.  If LU can have 15,000 to 20,000 people in the stands then that to me would be a positive.  You can't expect them to put 50 to 80 thousand in the stands.  The facilities would have to be upgraded and alot of money poured into the program.

[AstrosDawg07]

  The facilities would have to be upgraded and alot of money poured into the program.

Agreed there, the stadium is in a bad location due to the refinery being beside it.  Not many people want to breath in all that high quality air :.

[AshlyHasBeen]

Oh come on there's nothing like the smell of battery acid in the morning, lol.

[HouTexan]

Just because Lamar finished 5-5 did not mean they did not start out 5-1 or 5-0 earning those rankings. The Southland was much stronger back then when (now I-A teams) North Texas, UL-Lafayette, Arkansas State, etc. were in the conference.

I suppose you'd also like to deny the fact that Lamar won the Tangerine Bowl in 1961 as well.