Conference realignment has exploded again....whooohoooo

[UNLV]

Nothing in stone yet...

Houston to MWC
Temple to CUSA
Utah st to MWC
BYU indy

[kingkat99]

[quote name="UNLV" post="830560" timestamp="1282747357"]
[quote author=tracker1012 link=topic=71805.msg830552#msg830552 date=1282746164]
We have not even snapped the ball in 20 years and we are an idiot school for not trying to join a larger conference. We want even play in the southland till next year. Lets just make sure we support this program through what is probably going to be a tough couple of years.
[/quote]UTSA never snapped the ball and is 1 year behind LU, yet they are ready to join a FBS conference.

Keep in mind change is coming to the SLC.

OUT
UTSA
Texas st
possible Nicholls
possible UTA
possible SHSU
possible SFA

IN
Tarleton st
Texas A&I
Central OK

Can you honestly see the stands full...
[/quote]

If you put a quality winning program on the field the stands will be full...SHSU only recently began studying the feasability of making that move but that ball isnt exactly rolling down hill.  UTA doesnt even field a team at all, SFA hasnt given any indication they are looking to move up.  UTSA is a year behind LU but they went a completly different route in starting their program so they may be a year behind in play on the field but they are light years ahead in every other category.  Nichols State well to be honest isnt much better than Tarleton State anyway, and remember Texas State and UTSA may be in a better position to make that move but they have not even been invited by anyone yet either...

[NorthoftheBorder]

Nobody even dreamed that LU could have had the success it had in Basketball back in the late 70's, yet for all his faults, JB Higgins hired Billy Tubbs whose philosophy was "your only limitation is your imagination", and he took the program to heights not seen before or since.  And to this day, I am still convinced that he left mainly because once he had acheived this unparralleled success for an LU athletic program, he wasn't receiving the support from the top brass to grow the program to the level he wanted to be at.  One thing is for sure, if you don't try it is guaranteed that you will not make it.  It is better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all.  I know that many of my brethren on this board don't hold to the beliefs stated above, but I am hoping that Dr. Simmons does and he has the vision and the fire in the gut to bring the University and its athletic program to new heights.  Again, I don't know the timing or the variables involved, but I pray that Dr. Simmons has his pulse on the situation and he is putting feelers out and exploring possiblilities and selling the University if an opportunity comes about to move the athletic programs forward.

[UNLV]

When I lived in Las Vegas and LU was in the Sunbelt, LU was on the big board of all the Casinos;Ceasars, Barbary Coast,
Boomtown, MGM, Luxor, Hilton...I would bet on LU a lot. Once LU was playing a top 25 team and the spread was +36 LU.
I bet LU would not win but not lose by 36 points. LU lost by 32, but I won big. LU stats was in the Las Vegas newspaper.
Even in the Sunbelt, LU was treated as a big name. In the SLC, you can't find LU on the casino boards anymore or getting
the same exposure.

[Javelina]

[quote name="UNLV" post="830560" timestamp="1282747357"]
Keep in mind change is coming to the SLC.

OUT
UTSA
Texas st
possible Nicholls
possible UTA
possible SHSU
possible SFA

IN
Tarleton st
Texas A&I
Central OK

Can you honestly see the stands full...
[/quote]


Texas A&I changed their name to Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 1993.  As a former student there I would know this.  And from a strictly football performance standpoint TAMUK would be a good thing.  Sure it would not put a whole lot of fans in the seats but it would help cause they are in the D-II top ten every year. 

[bigred360]

The thing that I think bothers most Lamar fan's who want to go FBS asap is the current SLC isn't the same as the "old" SLC. Several of the former SLC members are playing in FBS conferences.

1. La Tech
2. SW Louisiana (now ULL)
3. Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe)
4. North Texas
5. Arkansas State.

Honestly if Lamar hoisted any of these teams in a home game there would be a lot of people in the stands.

I'm not talking badly about the current SLC. Just stating a few facts about the SLC.

[Texantagonise]

[quote name="tracker1012" post="830552" timestamp="1282746164"]
Lets just make sure we support this program through what is probably going to be a tough couple of years.
[/quote]
I know its fun to pay WHAT IF.  I do it every time I buy a lottery ticket.  You should see all of things I'm going to do and buy.  Oh and the speech I have written for my boss.  :o  But my boss will never hear the speech until AFTER I cash the ticket.  My point is this. We as fans of Lamar need to do our job first.  Which is to get as many of our friends and family into the stadium and make sure they have a good time.  That is what will help to build a STRONG fan base which is important no matter what division we play in. All of the talk about we should be FBS only gives people an EXCUSE not to go to the games.  Competition is competition from coach pitch baseball up to the NFL. As long as you have an investment ( a team to root for) competition at any level is entertaining. Lets do our everyday job of getting fans in the stands until we hit the lottery.  Then we can give the Southland that speech we have been working on.

IMO we should forget the WAC and be in line when the SEC expands to 16.  ;D

[coachacola]

There are a few drawbacks going FBS that cannot be taken lightly:

1.  The Sunbelt, MAC and WAC conferences have TV games on Thursday and Friday nights.  That sucks and I would hate for Lamar to have to play games on those nights.  It kills attendance and when I see Sunbelt teams play on those nights they don't look like FBS teams.  College football was not meant for weeknights!

2.  Lamar could do quite well playing games against top-notch FCS schools such as Appy State and Montana.  McNeese has scheduled a home game against Appy State, and if Lamar did the same it would probably be a sellout.  If they do the scheduling right and don't bring a lot of no-name D2 or NAIA teams to the stadium then I can see great crowds every Saturday.

3.  Lamar's athletic budget has to been driven by donations and ticket sales, not student fees like UTSA, Texas State, North Texas and others.  Keep Lamar affordable with a great athletic program along with ever improving academics (another engineering PhD program is on it's way) and Lamar will keep growing with a reasonable student fee for athletics.  (Texas Sate will soon be charging $20 per semester hour for athletics.  I don't want to see Lamar going FBS this way.)

4.  Lamar is picking up a lot of FBS transfers because they want to play at home and don't have to sit out a year.  Once Lamar goes FBS they'll be recruiting against the big boys and will lose most of those battles.  And when some of these players want to transfer out, they may not pick Lamar but go to McNeese or SFA instead because they won't have to see out a year.

What are the advantages of going FBS that outweigh these drawbacks?

[talkcougar]

[quote name="bigred360" post="830672" timestamp="1282761780"]
The thing that I think bothers most Lamar fan's who want to go FBS asap is the current SLC isn't the same as the "old" SLC. Several of the former SLC members are playing in FBS conferences.

1. La Tech
2. SW Louisiana (now ULL)
3. Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe)
4. North Texas
5. Arkansas State.

Honestly if Lamar hoisted any of these teams in a home game there would be a lot of people in the stands.

I'm not talking badly about the current SLC. Just stating a few facts about the SLC.
[/quote]

Bingo. Arkansas state was independent in football (Amer South Conference) the same time Lamar was.  They had a full page article on their plan to go Div1a in their program guide in 1988 when we played them there.  Other than going independent  and trying to put together a tougher schedule, LU was busy promoting cutting its feet off.  That being said, A state had a rough transition years that I'm not sure bmt fans would withstand.

[NorthoftheBorder]

[quote name="coachacola" post="830699" timestamp="1282764558"]
There are a few drawbacks going FBS that cannot be taken lightly:

1.   The Sunbelt, MAC and WAC conferences have TV games on Thursday and Friday nights.  That sucks and I would hate for Lamar to have to play games on those nights.  It kills attendance and when I see Sunbelt teams play on those nights they don't look like FBS teams.  College football was not meant for weeknights!

2.  Lamar could do quite well playing games against top-notch FCS schools such as Appy State and Montana.  McNeese has scheduled a home game against Appy State, and if Lamar did the same it would probably be a sellout.  If they do the scheduling right and don't bring a lot of no-name D2 or NAIA teams to the stadium then I can see great crowds every Saturday.

3.  Lamar's athletic budget has to been driven by donations and ticket sales, not student fees like UTSA, Texas State, North Texas and others.  Keep Lamar affordable with a great athletic program along with ever improving academics (another engineering PhD program is on it's way) and Lamar will keep growing with a reasonable student fee for athletics.  (Texas Sate will soon be charging $20 per semester hour for athletics.  I don't want to see Lamar going FBS this way.)

4.  Lamar is picking up a lot of FBS transfers because they want to play at home and don't have to sit out a year.  Once Lamar goes FBS they'll be recruiting against the big boys and will lose most of those battles.  And when some of these players want to transfer out, they may not pick Lamar but go to McNeese or SFA instead because they won't have to see out a year.

What are the advantages of going FBS that outweigh these drawbacks?
[/quote]



Coachacola you are always well spoken.  However, as with anything, we either see the glass as half full or half empty.  We can always find reasons to not do something or we can find reasons to actually give it a try. I personally have spent too much of my life finding reasons not to do what I really wanted to do and consequently have missed out on opportunities for fear of failure.  I refer back to my earlier post and the mindset of Billy Tubbs when he took the Head Coaching position at LU back in 75.  I don't advocate blind faith and reckless abandon in pursuit of going FBS, but I also dont wont to see the mindset that, "Oh well, we are little ole Lamar and we have no hope to be anything better than we are now" that will become a self fulfilling prophecy.

[sleepy]

[quote name="NorthoftheBorder" post="830720" timestamp="1282767282"]
[quote author=coachacola link=topic=71805.msg830699#msg830699 date=1282764558]
There are a few drawbacks going FBS that cannot be taken lightly:

1.   The Sunbelt, MAC and WAC conferences have TV games on Thursday and Friday nights.  That sucks and I would hate for Lamar to have to play games on those nights.  It kills attendance and when I see Sunbelt teams play on those nights they don't look like FBS teams.  College football was not meant for weeknights!

2.  Lamar could do quite well playing games against top-notch FCS schools such as Appy State and Montana.  McNeese has scheduled a home game against Appy State, and if Lamar did the same it would probably be a sellout.  If they do the scheduling right and don't bring a lot of no-name D2 or NAIA teams to the stadium then I can see great crowds every Saturday.

3.  Lamar's athletic budget has to been driven by donations and ticket sales, not student fees like UTSA, Texas State, North Texas and others.  Keep Lamar affordable with a great athletic program along with ever improving academics (another engineering PhD program is on it's way) and Lamar will keep growing with a reasonable student fee for athletics.  (Texas Sate will soon be charging $20 per semester hour for athletics.  I don't want to see Lamar going FBS this way.)

4.  Lamar is picking up a lot of FBS transfers because they want to play at home and don't have to sit out a year.  Once Lamar goes FBS they'll be recruiting against the big boys and will lose most of those battles.  And when some of these players want to transfer out, they may not pick Lamar but go to McNeese or SFA instead because they won't have to see out a year.

What are the advantages of going FBS that outweigh these drawbacks?
[/quote]



Coachacola you are always well spoken.  However, as with anything, we either see the glass as half full or half empty.  We can always find reasons to not do something or we can find reasons to actually give it a try. I personally have spent too much of my life finding reasons not to do what I really wanted to do and consequently have missed out on opportunities for fear of failure.  I refer back to my earlier post and the mindset of Billy Tubbs when he took the Head Coaching position at LU back in 75.  I don't advocate blind faith and reckless abandon in pursuit of going FBS, but I also dont wont to see the mindset that, "Oh well, we are little ole Lamar and we have no hope to be anything better than we are now" that will become a self fulfilling prophecy.
[/quote]

I don't believe that we should as you say "Oh well, we are little ole Lamar and we have no hope to be anything better than we are now".  But at the same time we shouldn't set the expectation that if we don't we are a failure.  That should be our ultimate goal but at the same time lets set goals that WE CAN CONTROL and be the best team and school we can be right now and if those things come our way we will deal with them.

[UNLV]

[quote name="sleepy" post="831097" timestamp="1282826912"]
[quote author=NorthoftheBorder link=topic=71805.msg830720#msg830720 date=1282767282]
[quote author=coachacola link=topic=71805.msg830699#msg830699 date=1282764558]
There are a few drawbacks going FBS that cannot be taken lightly:

1.   The Sunbelt, MAC and WAC conferences have TV games on Thursday and Friday nights.  That sucks and I would hate for Lamar to have to play games on those nights.  It kills attendance and when I see Sunbelt teams play on those nights they don't look like FBS teams.  College football was not meant for weeknights!

2.  Lamar could do quite well playing games against top-notch FCS schools such as Appy State and Montana.  McNeese has scheduled a home game against Appy State, and if Lamar did the same it would probably be a sellout.  If they do the scheduling right and don't bring a lot of no-name D2 or NAIA teams to the stadium then I can see great crowds every Saturday.

3.  Lamar's athletic budget has to been driven by donations and ticket sales, not student fees like UTSA, Texas State, North Texas and others.  Keep Lamar affordable with a great athletic program along with ever improving academics (another engineering PhD program is on it's way) and Lamar will keep growing with a reasonable student fee for athletics.  (Texas Sate will soon be charging $20 per semester hour for athletics.  I don't want to see Lamar going FBS this way.)

4.  Lamar is picking up a lot of FBS transfers because they want to play at home and don't have to sit out a year.  Once Lamar goes FBS they'll be recruiting against the big boys and will lose most of those battles.  And when some of these players want to transfer out, they may not pick Lamar but go to McNeese or SFA instead because they won't have to see out a year.

What are the advantages of going FBS that outweigh these drawbacks?
[/quote]



Coachacola you are always well spoken.  However, as with anything, we either see the glass as half full or half empty.  We can always find reasons to not do something or we can find reasons to actually give it a try. I personally have spent too much of my life finding reasons not to do what I really wanted to do and consequently have missed out on opportunities for fear of failure.  I refer back to my earlier post and the mindset of Billy Tubbs when he took the Head Coaching position at LU back in 75.  I don't advocate blind faith and reckless abandon in pursuit of going FBS, but I also dont wont to see the mindset that, "Oh well, we are little ole Lamar and we have no hope to be anything better than we are now" that will become a self fulfilling prophecy.
[/quote]

I don't believe that we should as you say "Oh well, we are little ole Lamar and we have no hope to be anything better than we are now".   But at the same time we shouldn't set the expectation that if we don't we are a failure.  That should be our ultimate goal but at the same time lets set goals that WE CAN CONTROL and be the best team and school we can be right now and if those things come our way we will deal with them.
[/quote]We can't control when to get the FBS invite. There is a good chance LU gets a WAC invite soon. Either LU take it or reject it and risk never getting another invite.

[coachacola]

I'm not saying Lamar should turn down an invite to a FBS conference.  In fact, I'd be disappointed if they did turn down an invite and stayed in the SLC.  I think we have to set our expectations appropriately if Lamar does go FBS.  But if they don't start winning soon and keep winning a lot of games it won't really matter what level they end up at.

[sleepy]

[quote name="coachacola" post="831113" timestamp="1282829255"]
I'm not saying Lamar should turn down an invite to a FBS conference.  In fact, I'd be disappointed if they did turn down an invite and stayed in the SLC.  I think we have to set our expectations appropriately if Lamar does go FBS.  But if they don't start winning soon and keep winning a lot of games it won't really matter what level they end up at.
[/quote]

Exactly.  Winning brings support and that is what Lamar has to have.  Let's win first and move second!

[UNLV]

[quote name="AggiesAreWe" post="830046" timestamp="1282678779"]
[quote author=sleepy link=topic=71805.msg830035#msg830035 date=1282678038]
Does anyone remember how we got POUNDED in basketball in the Sunbelt?  We were a Southland power.........moved to the Sunbelt and look at where we are today.  Let's try to master the worst conference in all of college sports and then try to move from there.  You know...........[b]crawl before we walk.[/b]
[/quote]

UNLV doesn't understand that concept. ;)
[/quote]
Someone will be eating crow in 5 weeks.

[UNLV]

[quote name="sleepy" post="830512" timestamp="1282740346"]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=71805.msg830146#msg830146 date=1282695278]
[quote author=AggiesAreWe link=topic=71805.msg830046#msg830046 date=1282678779]
[quote author=sleepy link=topic=71805.msg830035#msg830035 date=1282678038]
Does anyone remember how we got POUNDED in basketball in the Sunbelt?  We were a Southland power.........moved to the Sunbelt and look at where we are today.  Let's try to master the worst conference in all of college sports and then try to move from there.  You know...........[b]crawl before we walk.[/b]
[/quote]

UNLV doesn't understand that concept. ;)
[/quote]So far 12 years in the SLC, we haven't mastered anything yet. Should we move to DII?
I'm just using your logic.

No other school uses such insane logic to keep itself down and out. Yet flourish in so many minds here and in SETX.
Texas st and UTSA fans must be laughing TAO at the mindset on this forum.
[/quote]

They are laughing alright..............it is just at you.  Trust me when I say this that Lamar is not going anywhere for quite some time!!!!
A. Because they will not have a chance to.
B. Because they want to be succesful in at least one of the two major sports before making the jump.
[/quote]trust you?

[UNLV]

[quote name="CardAmbassador" post="829826" timestamp="1282620172"]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=71805.msg829384#msg829384 date=1282570419]
I said on this forum before, Dr Simmons does think small and limited like most SETX leaders. Your kind of thinking would keep LU growth dead.
[/quote]

This is where you are wrong. Let me tell you the fundamental problem in this area. No one can get behind anything in SeTx unless it is the biggest and best. Well sorry you don't get to that point immediately you have to build to it, that is how all the other schools have done it and that is how Lamar WILL do it, with or without you. So you are the small minded one, if you honestly think Lamar has a shot at being FBS in 2 or 3 years you are very ignorant of the situation. It's not only that we don't have the dough at the moment it's that no conference has us on even a top 10 list. The mentality that LU has to go FBS or everyone will be disillusioned and quit caring is the small mindedness I speak of, people with that attitude are what keep this area from real growth.

I will keep supporting LU to the end I will be at every game, I will buy the merchandise, I will tell everyone about the truly great things that are happening daily at my university. After graduation when I'm making the big bucks I will donate hundreds or a thousand each year to support the athletics and academics of Lamar. Why would I do these things? Because I love the school and the area and I'm committed to it's continuous growth. Anyone who will abandon LU just because they CAN'T AFFORD FBS in a 2 to 3 year timeline is the small minded dim wit that keeps this area from growth. Stop saying I'm the small minded one, I have supported this area with everything I have, that is what it takes.

Do you have the guts to do the same?  
[/quote]me small mind and ignorant of the situation?

[coachacola]

Do you have some inside info UNLV?

[UNLV]

[quote name="coachacola" post="1003360" timestamp="1304043074"]
Do you have some inside info UNLV?
[/quote]No, the clues are there. My concern is it will happen for 2013, not 2012. I hope it is 2012, lets move on.