McNeese fan's are worried Lamar football will dilute the talent pool of SLC

[Guest abovetherim]

Here is a old post regarding the issue and I'll post one from yesterday.

TexasTerror

Registered: 02/11/06

Posts: 516

  09/16/06 at 10:41 AM  #8

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Quote:

Originally Posted by UNLV

LU dropped football and Mcneese shoot to the top. UTSA, CC, and LU add football, Texas st, SFA, Mcneese and SHSU drop like a rock.

The McNeese faithful that posted on a I-AA board were correct. Lamar folks think more highly of their football program than history indictates...perhaps, that's just the rivalry talking...

Last I checked, McNeese was still pretty good when Lamar had football. In fact, Lamar won a title in 1971 (never to win one again) and then McNeese won one in 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1980, representative of 40% of their SLC titles. Wasn't Lamar still around then? McNeese had apparently already shot to the top before Lamar dropped football.

While Lamar had football, McNeese was higher in the SLC standings than Lamar 14 of the 16 years they were in the conference together. Seems Lamar was the one to suffer when McNeese joined the conference.

The above facts would lead me to believe at this point that Lamar's addition would not impact the conference as much as a UTSA (which has a more rounded SLC athletic program than that of the one in Beaumont) or A&M-CC (which managed to have success as a Div I independent and is much more scenic than any SLC institution).

[Guest abovetherim]

This post is by McNeese beat on the forum AnyGivenSaturday.

Re: Is Lamar Ready to Revive Football? - Yesterday, 11:45 AM

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I'll repeat what I said too: It would be bad for the competitive level of the SLC. We're in an area over-saturated with college recruiters. SLC teams bump into Conference USA teams and second-tier major conference programs from the Big 12, the Big 10, etc., in their area already, recruiting kids at their level. I'm not talking about the 5-star recruits that are picking between Texas and A&M either.

I know McNeese signed a DB last year that got late offers from TCU and Rice. McNeese's tailback, Kris Bush, went to Michigan State out of John Curtis High and McNeese, which had recruited him, brought him back when he wanted to transfer. Forte, the star running back for Tulane, picked Tulane over McNeese (Forte's brother had played at McNeese). Those are three examples.

I know Sam Houston is placing more emphasis on West Texas in recruiting because of the pure number of recruiters you run into in Southeast Texas/ Houston. If you find a guy worth recruiting in the Triangle or Houston, you better be ready for a room full of competing coaches from all over the country.

The whole point is that it's tough enough to recruit without adding 63 more scholarships dead center in the over-recruited area. ...

I wouldn't mind TAMU-CC adding football nearly as much. I don't think any Division I programs have the Rio Grande Valley as a prime recruiting area. TAMU-CC could come into the league, own that area in recruiting, and add a niche to the league. Lamar would just make the league cannibalize itself. In my opinion, that has already happened to some extent with SLU adding football.

It's good for high school football players who want to have an opportunity to play Division I football and it's good for a league that wants a large, stable, lineup of teams. It's bad for that league's competitiveness.

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[Guest abovetherim]

Another post by this McNeese fan. I just find it hilarious because I debated this issue with the guy from Katfans.com and now to have a McNeese fan state the same issues just proves my point.

Re: Is Lamar Ready to Revive Football? - Yesterday, 04:43 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionsrking 

Personally, I'm all for Lamar reinstating football and competing in the Southland Conference. We have a helluva time finding drivable FCS games and adding them would be a perfect fit. I understand what you're saying about the recruiting aspect, especially from a McNeese perspective, but I don't think they'll have much impact at all on us.

Y'all are pretty unique in the league in that you can and do recruit southwestern Mississippi. Nicholls does a little, but I think you guys can probably build a pretty good team out of Northshore, Baton Rouge and Mississippi kids from Hattiesburg to the state line and down to Gulfport and Bay St. Louis. That area can be to you what SE Texas is to McNeese...

But what if a I-AA program started in McComb? That would cut your ___ off because you'd now be running into new competition not only in Kiln and Moss Point, but also in Bogalusa and Kentwood...

[Guest abovetherim]

Now read this statement from a guy on katfans.com.

X-Kat 93 61

KAT back-up

Joined: 08 Oct 2006

Posts: 352

Location: Eagle Pass, Texas

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:55 am    Post subject:   

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As much as I hate to say it... I hope that Lamar brings back football.

Maybe, Just Maybe, they can recruit on the same fertile recruiting grounds as McNeese. Its kind of strange how Mcneese became a powerhouse again after Lamar dropped Football.

Next, who wants to institute football at a University near Central Ark. ? 

[UNLV]

lol...right on.

Many schools have football plans for 08, 09, 10, 11. The whole country will feel the diluting.

This favors LU since we will be playing catch-up.

[TheSportsDoctor]

Abtr, you and the dude from katfans are both right. McNeese State has always been good in DI-AA or now FCS level football. They went to a few bowl games in the 70s when it was just DI. On the other hand, since the NCAA formed the two subdivision McNeese remains a Top 25 team in that subdivision.

However, I see your point very well here. It wasn't until after Lamar dropped the football program in 89 the McNeese State Cowboys started to dominate on the national level in DI-AA now FCS football. Look it up for yourself. McNeese State didn't not go to their first quarter-finals until 92 which is three recruiting classes after Lamar dropped football. Today they are ranked the #2 team in the nation in FCS football. I believe there have several kids from SE Texas on their roster.

I'm a Lamar alumus myself but I have ties to McNeese. I know several guys who played for MSU including Mike Pierce a WO-S assistant coach who was a DI-AA 1st team All-American at McNeese from Vidor High School. Good Luck to the Mustangs as they have a playoff game this weekend. I must say good luck to the McNeese Cowboys as they hoist a 1st round playoff game versus E. Washington.