HBU finds conference affiliation

[KFDM COOP]

HBU finds conference affiliation

Huskies among 2 Texas schools in 9-team Great West

Houston Baptist University announced Thursday that it will become a member of the Great West Conference, starting play this fall.

The Great West began as a football-only league in 2004, but it is expanding to include all sports.

"We are excited about our move to the Great West Conference," HBU president Robert B. Sloan Jr. said. "The identity that comes with conference membership will impact our entire HBU community, including our faculty, staff, students and alumni and help build a stronger campus atmosphere. Our participation in the conference will also provide an array of exciting sporting events for the Greater Houston community."

The Huskies will join Texas-Pan American, New Jersey Institute of Technology, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah Valley in the conference. Cal Poly, UC Davis and Southern Utah will compete in the league only in football for now.

HBU, which joined NCAA Division I as an independent on a provisional basis last year, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in March, bidding to shorten its probational period from seven years to three. The case will be heard in Houston on Nov. 10.

"The lawsuit does not affect the school joining the Great West," said Tom Thomas, a Dallas-based attorney who is co-counsel for HBU's case against the NCAA.

The Huskies will open Great West play this fall in men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track and field, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.

HBU will play a full conference schedule in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and women's soccer starting in the 2009-10 season. The men's soccer team will play in the Atlantic Soccer Conference until the Great West adds the sport. HBU doesn't play football.

"Conference affiliation is key to a successful athletic program and will aid in scheduling, fundraising, branding, marketing, recruiting and will give HBU exposure in many areas of the country," Huskies athletic director and men's basketball coach Ron Cottrell said. "We are especially happy that our student-athletes will once again have the opportunity to play for championships and be recognized with postseason honors."

[TexasTerror]

Smart move if you ask me...

These schools were already in a scheduling alliance and pretty much playing each other as is. Now, they have a conference and can play for championships. It may never get to the auto-bid point, but these schools have a home for a few years until they move on and if anything, being in a league may help their chances for an at-large in some of the non-revenue sports...

Also, athletes can get academic and athletic rewards from the conference, who will also help with compliance, signing days, etc.

For non-revenue sports, look for them to approach things differently. Basketball will be the only sport you see a true home-and-home. Look for volleyball to probably have two tournaments (round robin format) -- one in the north, one in the south -- where you play quite a few conference matches on one trip. Could see the same in softball. All of this coming when most programs are in their conference schedules across the country.

Championship events in all sports...good stuff here.

[Guest mffl]

So they get an auto bid to march madness now?

[TexasTerror]

So they get an auto bid to march madness now?

Nope. They are a few years off as they do not have core members who are qualified to even get that conference working towards the qualification for auto-bids. Outside of UT-Pan Am, the other schools in the conference (unless Chicago State comes in) are not even full Division I members!

Basketball is very far off. If they get the right affiliate members for baseball and softball, it would not be too long there...

[BigRed44]

My sister attends HBU and everyone is very excited about the acceleration of the athletic program. Dr. Sloan is the president and has kick started a lot of non athletic construction on campus as well. The rumor is that there are long term plans for football and even where the stadium would be. Nothing that can be confirmed just what I heard. But this looks promising for them and is evident with them moving up to D1 basketball last year from NAIA plus getting into the Great West conference.

[TexasTerror]

My sister attends HBU and everyone is very excited about the acceleration of the athletic program. Dr. Sloan is the president and has kick started a lot of non athletic construction on campus as well. The rumor is that there are long term plans for football and even where the stadium would be. Nothing that can be confirmed just what I heard. But this looks promising for them and is evident with them moving up to D1 basketball last year from NAIA plus getting into the Great West conference.

The HBU fan forum talks about football, but nothing substantial regarding it. Now that they have a home for football, it would be great if they got it because that would push the GWC closer to the auto-bid and most importantly, if they stayed in the GWC, it would provide an excellent OOC foe for SLC teams. In fact, I'd think HBU's entire OOC slate would be SLC and SWAC (other than the typical sub-Div I).

[UNLV]

If HBU starts football, they could join the slc.

[TexasTerror]

If HBU starts football, they could join the slc.

Would not expect the SLC to give them a look, even with football until a) facilities are upgraded and their membership issues with the NCAA -- lawsuit goes up in November are worked out...