Rice looked into dropping down to FCS football

[Guest coachacola]

I didn't know Rice had looked to dropping down to FCS level football a few years back.  Georgia Southern is looking at going FBS and they quote a lot from Rice's study.  It's an interesting read and it does relate to Lamar football.

The financial situation is unlikely to be significantly better in Division I-AA than in Division I-A. Attendance and/or ticket prices (already low) at football games might drop substantially, and football revenue from away game guarantees and conference distributions would disappear. Travel expenses may also return to WAC-like levels were Rice forced to leave the C-USA and opt for academically similar peers.

Cost savings from scholarships may never materialize in a non-scholarship football conference, as it is reasonable to believe Rice would be subject to the same financial “packaging†faced by other schools with non-scholarship Division I football programs. As a rough estimate, these lost revenues and other cost increases are unlikely to be offset by salary and recruiting cost saving opportunities. The decision to move to Division I-AA, therefore, is not about cost savings. It is about playing less competitive football with over 85 athletes that are more academically qualified.

Implications

Moving to less competitive football may impact the quality of athletes in other sports slightly and will attract players from a different competitive level in football.

Donations to athletics would likely decline dramatically, since football alumni and boosters will likely view the move negatively.

Whole article: http://www.southernfacts.org/AdvocatingStudy.aspx

[TexasTerror]

Actually, Rice and Tulane both did studies related to possibly going FCS or even Div III...a good friend of mine (and a former all-SWC offensive lineman) was very active in fighting to keep them playing Division I.

[UNLV]

The same arguement not to drop down is the same arguement I would use for Lamar to move up.

[McTailGator]

Actually, Rice and Tulane both did studies related to possibly going FCS or even Div III...a good friend of mine (and a former all-SWC offensive lineman) was very active in fighting to keep them playing Division I.

That is a point I have tried to get TooLame supporters to see for years.

If they want to use the; "I have to recruit smart kids as an excuse for losing" , than they all need to eith form their own Chess League with the likes of Rice, Tulane, Baylor, SMU, and who ever else that does not want to do what it takes to win, or just give up football as an NCAA sport all together.  TCU has already made their statement, when they left CUSA, and Went to the MWC.  I think SMU made a statement when they hired June Jones and spent all that money to upgrad their facilities.

If Rice want to consider FCS, they should play McNeese for about 5 years in a row and see if they can compete with us on the field, and in Recruiting.  My guess is, they might choose to drop football as an NCAA sport all together.  Because they will not be able to find enough 4.0 GPA's that can run a 4.3 in the 40 and hit like a truck year after year.