KFDM COOP Posted August 9, 2006 Report Posted August 9, 2006 UTA, UTSA, A&M-CC to add football ? from i-aa.org The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Lamar, Texas-San Antonio, and Texas-Arlington ADs reported feasibility studies have been done or will be done in the future but nothing is concrete at this point if football is in their future but some had some more positive news than others. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi AD Brian Teter said, “Right now, we here at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are in the middle of a feasibility study with a consulting firm. We are expected to have the report and findings at the end of the year (in December or January).†Texas-Arlington AD Pete Carlon said, “Our President has said that he will take another comprehensive look at the possibility of reinstating a football program, but only after the University has constructed a Special Events Center on campus, which is priority at the present time. The institution hopes to make a formal announcement on the construction timetable for this Special Events Center as soon as the funding program has been finalized, hopefully by the end of the calendar year.†Texas-San Antonio AD Lynn Hickey said, “We are conducting a football feasibility study that should be completed in the next two weeks. It will then be up to our President to determine if we will be going forward. Hopefully - if things go forward - we could field a team by 2010 or 2011.â€
UNLV Posted August 9, 2006 Report Posted August 9, 2006 Corpus Christi already covering title IX. San Antonio wants to bring back the SWC and lure UH, Rice, and SMU into the conference. I'm sure North Texas, and LA-tech and a few other SUN/USA teams will want in. This would be perfect for LU. But as far as I know, it's just talk. Conference USA will die. Memphis is leaving in 2010. UAB has finance problems as well as Tulane. Central Florida wants out. Sunbelt Western Kentucky is looking at MVC. UNO is having finance trouble. Big changes are coming.
DenisGScott Posted August 9, 2006 Report Posted August 9, 2006 You can might call it the SWC but it would never be... assuming you wanted an 8 team league and could get UH, Rice and SMU.... you'd never get back the UT, a&m, or Arkansas...yeah you might get a North Texas that makes 4....you might be able to get Baylor, would be 5, a better choice would be to go after UTEP, to make 6, maybe even Tulsa or New Mexico. putting in the likes of LU or La Tech would accomplish little if only to bring down the rest of the conference. Yes it sounds good on LU's end, but what if you were an alumni or fan of another school would you really be excited to play La. teach or Lamar??? Whcih also goes back to the other topic about "big league mentality" UH/Rice/SMU could care less about playing Lamar when they can play a non conference game against a UT/a&m get it on Fox SW, where as a game with Lamar may not even rate radio broadcast for those schools. LU is not in the same class of schools, yeah they may compete somewhat in baseball... but in basketball not lately........ if they re-instated football ... not for a good while. LU's best move would be to try to bring back the Ark St and USL's back to the SLC ... there's history and rivalry there which helps with crowds and neither of them's football programs are going anywhere in D-I
UNLV Posted August 9, 2006 Report Posted August 9, 2006 lol...I dont think anyone thought UT, Baylor, Arkansas, or A&M would consider rejoining that league. However I do believe Conference USA will break up after a few key members leave. Those remaining members will want something better than the Sunbelt. LU needs to start up football to be considered for a conference upgrade in 2010. One website has UT and Aggies rejoining Arkansas in the SEC. This will leave 2 spots for Big 12 expansion. MWC wants to expand, they have their eye on the WAC and UH. iF UTEP can't get the big12 invite, they might rejoin the WAC. LA-tech is suffering from travel in the WAC. Anyway, I could post a 50 dozen scenarios, the point is a new conference could emerge from all this. UTSA LA-tech Rice LA-laf North Texas Tulsa Maybe UH Arkansas st TAMCC...depends on football Lamar...depends on football Tulane SMU maybe USM
UNLV Posted August 9, 2006 Report Posted August 9, 2006 The community would support LU football in this conference.
KFDM COOP Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Posted August 9, 2006 Can you imagine UT and A&M in the SEC.
lonestar Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 Hey Coop, I don't think it will happen now, but it almost happened several years ago when the SWC was breaking apart. There was an interesting article that I read not too long ago talking about it. There was also talk that A&M would go to the SEC and UT to the Pac-10, but as much as Aggies and Horns "hate" each other they wanted to stay in the same conference so that fell through too.
UNLV Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 PAC-10 is getting pressured by California to invite Fresno st and San Diego.
KFDM COOP Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Posted August 10, 2006 I've always been one who likes change. We'll see on down the road.
DenisGScott Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 assuming that for a football conference even that lineup of schools given their football talent level is lame, what bowl game would guarantee a spot for that lineup????? La tech may be suffering from travel in the WAC much like Rice, UT and a&m leave the big 12 for the SEC??? thats football suicide, if that happens you'll never see either school run the table undefeated ever again. not that it would ever happen in CS with fran there anyway. It would make a nice baseball conference Rice is always up there, Tulane made it to CWS recently and UH is no struggler themselves, but football or basketball no. Have to remember the bottom line is $$$, no bowl game or tv network is going to shell out serious money for one of those teams to compete in a bowl game, the best basketball team in the group is La-Laf and they're normally no better than a 13-14 seed in the NCAA as is, so there's no added credibility there. I hope coach Roc succeeds at LU but we cant win the SLC as it is and though none of those schools you listed are basketball powerhouses they're all better than the fare in the SLC. I just cant buy that conference lineup as a solution.
KFDM COOP Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Posted August 10, 2006 It just pisses me off that Schools like SE La. can have football and Lamar can't??????????
UNLV Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 Denis, would not the conference I mention be a better conference than SLC? Would not Houston, San Antonio, Tulsa, Corpus Christi, Denton-DFW, Lafayette, and New Orleans markets be a huge plius over the SLC small towns? And no, none of the teams are powerhouse basketball or football. However this doesn't have to be the case forever. LU, UH, Tulsa, LA-tech has ll been top 25 before in basketball, it could happen again. Look at Gonzago and Creighton. It's noit impossible. Coop, LU lost football through corruption. That year board members were doing bad things with LU money. Students having sex with Instructors for grades. A rape, a murder. LU was awful in those days.
KFDM COOP Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Posted August 10, 2006 Well i'm just ready to get it back. There's no excuse for a University not to have football.
WOS95 Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 yea, especially one with over 10,000 students.
KFDM COOP Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Posted August 10, 2006 :twisted: It's really ridicilous! No excuse.
UNLV Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 I believe it's coming. I know it will be I-AA. The question is will LU invest in a I-A team after a couple of years as I-AA.
DenisGScott Posted August 10, 2006 Report Posted August 10, 2006 Maybe for a basketball conference, there are some TV markets there yes...but..... if you look at each of those big markets that you name what schools are predominate coverage in those markets. The major markets you mentioned are Hou, SA, DFW and New Orleans, the other do not qualify as major media markets. Beaumont used to be when I was in radio I think market #126 nationally, Coop may know if this has changed or not. But even in Hou/SA/DFW schools like UT or a&m get the publicity when it comes to college sports, and being born in New Orleans, everything college there is about LSU. Tulane and/or UNO are afterthoughts. Also remember Gonzaga and Crieghton are basketball only as well just like LU. LU was the original Gonzaga I remember LU being in the top 20 for a long time growing up when they had Olliver, Kea, Davis, Lewis and Bellard. It would be a step up media wise both for LU and for Beaumont instead of having cities like Huntsville or Nacogdoches. Look at the schools in the other conferences though, UH is used to playing Memphis/Louisville/Cincinnati/UAB... those are big markets where that school is the top dog, not North Texas where they realisticllay play 5th fiddle in that media market to UT, a&m, TCU, SMU then you get to UNT. Look at UH's football schedule this year...Rice is a rivalry, then Tulane, Grambling, Ok. St, Miami, La-Laf, So. Miss, UTEP, Cent. Fla, Tulsa, SMU, Memphis UH joining a league like the one you suggested while it would be an up the ladder move for LU, its down the ladder for UH, so why would they do it?? Yea it sounds great on our end, but why would those schools go for it? I'm not trying to be negative but sell me on why the other schools would want in on that
Champion Posted August 11, 2006 Report Posted August 11, 2006 I believe it's coming. I know it will be I-AA. The question is will LU invest in a I-A team after a couple of years as I-AA. Why I-A and not stay I-AA great football played and LU might could compete year in and year out!
Guest emonarch777 Posted August 11, 2006 Report Posted August 11, 2006 Before they get a football team they need to get a law changed Collegiate football is banned at Lamar University. (Beaumont) I found this and other stupid laws for Texas http://www.bitoffun.com/stupid_laws_Texas.htm
UNLV Posted August 11, 2006 Report Posted August 11, 2006 Why I-A and not stay I-AA great football played and LU might could compete year in and year out! I dont see this area getting excited about playing SFA, SHSU, or powerhouse McNeese. I-A is a proven winner here, I-AA is a proven loser here.
WOS95 Posted August 11, 2006 Report Posted August 11, 2006 I dont see this area getting excited about playing SFA' date=' SHSU, or powerhouse McNeese. I-A is a proven winner here, I-AA is a proven loser here.[/quote'] i don't believe lamar's opponents will make that much of a difference. it's all about post season play and championships. mcneese has good crowds every game and it's because they win, not because of the opponents there playing. the fans in lake charles are proud to be a part of that football tradition.
UNLV Posted August 11, 2006 Report Posted August 11, 2006 Lake Charles and Beaumont have 2 different type fans. When was the last time LU football packed the house? When Baylor came to Beaumont. Its all about oppinents and quality of the team.
KFDM COOP Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Posted August 11, 2006 Your right about that. The fans are so much different here than alot of places.
Recommended Posts