UTSA Football Article

[Guest coachacola]

UTSA has no intentions of staying in the SLC with football.  They have their eyes on CUSA.

UTSA is on the verge of announcing the start of football, a new $80 million athletic complex and a move toward a top level NCAA conference.

UTSA athletic officials are awaiting permission from The University of Texas (UT) System to announce an athletic fundraising initiative to help establish a football program and move all 17 sports toward a Football Bowl Subdivision (Division 1A) conference.

The university needs at least a $10 million budget to operate a football program as well as the other 16 sports in its current conference, the Southland Conference. But that's approximately half as much as the budgets of Conference USA, a next level conference of metropolitan area universities of similar size and academic stature as UTSA.

Lamar currently has a $5 million budget without football and it'll probably grow to about $8 million in 2010.  Can Lamar keep growing it's athletic budget to $15 or $20 million over the next 5 to 10 years?

Out of the 12 universities currently in Conference USA, the University of Southern Mississippi has an enrollment under 15,000, half the size of UTSA, and ranks last in total annual operations budget at $15 million. Ten of the Conference USA schools have operating budgets greater than $20 million. The University of Central Florida ranks first with an annual budget of $30 million.

A master plan has been developed for a new UTSA athletic complex to be built on land UTSA recently acquired between Hausman Road and Loop 1604 near Kyle Seale Parkway.

The 125 acres will be the home for new baseball and softball stadiums, tennis courts, a football practice facility and initially a combination of a soccer and track stadium. Space has been allocated to eventually hold a stand-alone soccer stadium and football stadium, as well as a new Convocation Center.

These are long term plans.  Lamar is already ahead of UTSA in a lot of facilities?  How long can Lamar keep that lead and not get left behind?

Link: Football influences upgrades in athletic program

[UNLV]

As long as Lamar can grow its student population, local economy stays hot, and fan support, let Lamar

can keep ahead of UTSA. If that is Lamar plans. If Lamar plans are small time Nicholl st, then Lamar

is doing ok.

[Guest coachacola]

As long as Lamar can grow its student population, local economy stays hot, and fan support, let Lamar can keep ahead of UTSA. If that is Lamar plans. If Lamar plans are small time Nicholl st, then Lamar is doing ok.

I agree with you on that.  Look at these figures from last night:

East Central Oklahoma @ SHSU        12,095

Henderson State @ Central Arkansas  12,198

Not impressive at all.  I can see why UTSA doesn't want to play football in the SLC.  If Lamar stays 1-AA and plays those types of teams then they won't have much larger crowds either.

[TexasTerror]

East Central Oklahoma @ SHSU         12,095

Henderson State @ Central Arkansas  12,198

Worth noting that the ECU-SHSU figure was top 10 (I believe #7 or #8) in school history for attendance while HSU-UCA figure was #2 in school history. Both against sub-Div I foes on a Thursday night...

SHSU attendance got off to the right foot and with our top three SLC draws - McNeese, SFA and San Marcos -- coming to town plus PV, we may have a new attendance record for a season this year.

Not impressive at all.  I can see why UTSA doesn't want to play football in the SLC.  If Lamar stays 1-AA and plays those types of teams then they won't have much larger crowds either.

UTSA doesn't have great fan support for basketball, which is their bread and butter despite having a very large enrollment. Same goes for UT-Arlington.

Wonder what Lamar will draw in football if your program does not win right away after the excitement wears off...