UTSA and Texas State, will be leaving to join the Western Athletic Conference.

[puddin tane]

[quote name="coachacola" post="862380" timestamp="1285941284"]
There's also the fact that schools that participate in the FCS playoffs lose money.  Most FCS schools average less than 10K per game so it's not a money maker.  So for schools like UTSA and Texas State, if they have the money they'll make the jump to FBS.  There's a lot of FCS schools out there talking about going FBS.  I would not be surprised one bit if the NCAA gets rid of the FCS/FBS divisions.  What other D1 sport has divisions like that?
[/quote]

so, swtsu is going to magically, suddenly get fan support?  30k per game...playing utsa?...utah st?

[puddin tane]

for all you WAC pumpers...

[u]Team 2009 attendance[/u]
[i]Boise State 32,782 LEAVING[/i]
[i]Fresno State 33,578  LEAVING[/i]
Hawaii 36,725
Idaho 12,546
Louisiana Tech  18,562
[i]Nevada 17,500 LEAVING[/i]
New Mexico State 16,511 
San Jose State 15,344
Utah State 15,971 

The WAC lost an average of 1,700 in attendance from last year

[b]The WAC is dying[/b]....... and with the exception of Tech and possibly Hawaii, none of the remaining teams will put more fans in Cardinal stadium than a game with  Mcneese,Sam or SFA

[UNLV]

[quote name="puddin tane" post="863621" timestamp="1285995839"]
for all you WAC pumpers...

[u]Team 2009 attendance[/u]
[i]Boise State 32,782 LEAVING[/i]
[i]Fresno State 33,578  LEAVING[/i]
Hawaii 36,725
Idaho 12,546
Louisiana Tech  18,562
[i]Nevada 17,500 LEAVING[/i]
New Mexico State 16,511 
San Jose State 15,344
Utah State 15,971 

The WAC lost an average of 1,700 in attendance from last year

[b]The WAC is dying[/b]....... and with the exception of Tech and possibly Hawaii, none of the remaining teams will put more fans in Cardinal stadium than a game with  Mcneese,Sam or SFA
[/quote]Southland home attendance

UCA  11500
Mcneese  15,000
Lamar      16,000
Nicholls      5000
NWst        8000
SHSU        8000
SELA          4600
SFA          11000
TSU        13000

But lets all ignore these numbers.

[smith]

Just out of attendance curiosity found this webpage:  
http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2010/Attendance.pdf

Interesting:
1989  avg  1-A  41,970        1-AA  11,020
2009  avg  1-A  46,281        1-AA    8,654

The page has breakdown by conf's etc.  They slice and dice all the numbers....

[puddin tane]

[quote name="UNLV" post="863894" timestamp="1286032976"]
[quote author=puddin tane link=topic=73729.msg863621#msg863621 date=1285995839]
for all you WAC pumpers...

[u]Team 2009 attendance[/u]
[i]Boise State 32,782 LEAVING[/i]
[i]Fresno State 33,578  LEAVING[/i]
Hawaii 36,725
Idaho 12,546
Louisiana Tech  18,562
[i]Nevada 17,500 LEAVING[/i]
New Mexico State 16,511 
San Jose State 15,344
Utah State 15,971 

The WAC lost an average of 1,700 in attendance from last year

[b]The WAC is dying[/b]....... and with the exception of Tech and possibly Hawaii, none of the remaining teams will put more fans in Cardinal stadium than a game with  Mcneese,Sam or SFA
[/quote]Southland home attendance

UCA   11500
Mcneese   15,000
Lamar       16,000
Nicholls      5000
NWst         8000
SHSU         8000
SELA          4600
SFA          11000
TSU         13000

But lets all ignore these numbers.
[/quote]

not terrible for a lowly, dying fcs, 1-AA scrub conference...dang if we just switched to the mighty WAC...we could travel 1200 miles to play in front of 12k..heck, you're right ..big money to be made with that

[bigred360]

[quote name="westendfirst" post="862238" timestamp="1285905140"]
[quote author=NorthoftheBorder link=topic=73729.msg861511#msg861511 date=1285862430]
[quote author=puddin tane link=topic=73729.msg861501#msg861501 date=1285861935]
geez, we will miss them and their 8 fans
[/quote]

There is just so much I want to say about all this but it would be like water off a ducks back, so I will refrain.  That said, one day you will turn on the TV set and see Texas State playing a meaningful game against a big time opponent at home and wonder how that happened and why they are playing before a capacity crowd of 40k+.  But I doubt you would ever think and wonder how Lamar missed out on making the big stage.
[/quote]

You know as I think about it I'm beginning to agree with others on thise board.  We need to get out of the dumpy little SLC as fast as possible and move on to greener pastures.  I mean, lets look at some other schools.  Nearly every weekend you can tune in and watch ULM play a meaningful game.  And, it seems like almost every night there's ULL right there on ESPN beating up on Florida and UT and Alabama and USC.  (In case yall didn't know it, ULM stands for the University of Louisiana at Monroe and ULL stands for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).  ULL, ULM, Ark State, and La Tech all used to be members of the lowly Southland and they are all now national powers playing meaningful games every weekend.

Oh, and just think if we would have had the sense to get basketball out of the lowly Southland.  We could have built a state of the art basketball facility, and possibly even have canceled football to free up a ton of money to build a national power, and then we could join an up and coming powerhouse basketball conference like the American South or something.  If that didn't work we possibly could have moved to the Sun Belt!  Man, wouldn't that have been awesome!  We would be playing in countless meaningful games RIGHT now if we just would have done that.  Oh wait, we did do that......
[/quote]

You write some lengthy post, and are very articulate but I only new a few. With this topic you are in the minority. Most want Lamar to play in the SLC for a few years and leave our options open.

Here is a little information from an interview with AD Larry Tidwell from the Beaumont Enterprise.

Although Tidwell said no official talks have taken place with the WAC or any other conference, [b]he did say Lamar will work to align itself to be in position for a possible move to another conference[/b]