Does Lamar have an open invite to join the WAC?

[coachacola]

I found this recent interview with Karl Benson, the commissioner of the WAC and here's what the last paragraph says:

[quote]Finally, what I considered to be the best part of our talk.  Benson acknowledged a 3 to 5 year plan to extend membership to some combination of Cal Poly, Sacramento State, UC-Davis, Montana, Montana State – plus “some Texas schools to join us whenever they are ready”.[/quote]

I'm assuming he's probably referring to some combination of Lamar, SHSU, and/or SFA, whoever wants to go FBS.

http://bobcatreport.com/news/?p=42

[coachacola]

The guy who did this interview posted some more info in a Texas State forum where he says this:

[quote]I've sat in on conference calls and read most of his interviews, but I haven't heard him specify certain targets with a plan and a time frame attached. "Whenever they are ready" = Lamar? I don't know but I heard that they made an informal appearance in DFW at the WAC presentation in October, which is more than I know about SFA or SHSU.[/quote]

Take this all with a grain of salt but it's fun to talk about.

http://bobcatreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35&p=180#p180

[GeauxLamar]

This is great to hear..I will keep my fingers crossed.

[UNLV]

The WAC is no longer a western conference. The travel excuse is no longer valid.

[Lazeek]

Patience is a virtue....... ;) ;) ;)

[geezer]

I have stayed out of the FCS vs BCS debate because I am not sure what the advantages for Lamar are in each.  If some of you are thinking that UT or A&M would ever come to play in BMT if LU was BCS, I doubt it would happen unless LU can support a program with a 70K seat stadium.  It is not a good business descision for either school and unforunately that is what college sports, particullarly football is.  It is a business and even winnng programs fire coaches today because they are not bringing in enough revenue.

[AJ25]

[quote name="geezer" post="939861" timestamp="1293736045"]
I have stayed out of the FCS vs BCS debate because I am not sure what the advantages for Lamar are in each.  If some of you are thinking that UT or A&M would ever come to play in BMT if LU was BCS, I doubt it would happen unless LU can support a program with a 70K seat stadium.  It is not a good business descision for either school and unforunately that is what college sports, particullarly football is.  It is a business and even winnng programs fire coaches today because they are not bringing in enough revenue.
[/quote]

Look at Maryland. And LU does not have the room for a 70K seat stadium right now. They would have to move locations, and let's face it.. They're not doing that. The set up with the Montagne and the new facility is perfect. I could see them decking both sides, with a small bowl in front of the Montagne.. MAYBE bringing it to 35-40K.

[bigred360]

I totally agree there is no way UT or A&M will EVER come to Beaumont. But, a second tier FBS school would come to Beaumont especially if they are in the same conference.

Having said that, I am in no rush to go FBS from FCS as I'm sure there is a lot of money to be raised for that to be possible.

[geezer]

I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.

[AJ25]

[quote name="geezer" post="939873" timestamp="1293738610"]
I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.
[/quote]

The biggest schools I could see coming to LU would be Rice, U of H, UTEP, and maybe Baylor. I'm not so sure that Rice or UTEP would draw much more than say McNeese or Sam Houston. But if they were able to pull a home and home with U of H or Baylor, that game would sell and then some. I could also see schools like La Tech, La Monroe, North Texas, La Lafayette, Tulane, etc.. Coming to LU. All of  those games would draw much larger crowds than say a McNeese or Sam. And plus, any in state school or Louisiana school is going to travel very well with their fans, which will sell even more tickets. One game that has to be on the schedule every year regardless of whether LU moves to FBS or not is McNeese. That game will always draw large crowds.

[coachacola]

[quote name="geezer" post="939873" timestamp="1293738610"]
I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.
[/quote]

I assume you mean FBS and not BCS because I doubt Lamar will be invited to that club anytime soon.  But according to the big article in the Beaumont Enterprise last month Lamar wants to be bowling by 2015.  That fits perfectly with what Karl Benson's 3 to 5 year plan.  The WAC may not be around or Lamar may have other options by then, who knows.  But outside of McNeese, SFA, and SHSU, what other FCS schools would draw well?  Most are either on the east coast or out west.  Does anyone even know who's playing the FCS championship that's coming up?

[JJWooten]

[quote name="coachacola" post="939911" timestamp="1293743911"]
[quote author=geezer link=topic=78052.msg939873#msg939873 date=1293738610]
I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.
[/quote]

I assume you mean FBS and not BCS because I doubt Lamar will be invited to that club anytime soon.  But according to the big article in the Beaumont Enterprise last month Lamar wants to be bowling by 2015.  That fits perfectly with what Karl Benson's 3 to 5 year plan.  The WAC may not be around or Lamar may have other options by then, who knows.  But outside of McNeese, SFA, and SHSU, what other FCS schools would draw well?  Most are either on the east coast or out west.  Does anyone even know who's playing the FCS championship that's coming up?
[/quote]

Technically, all FBS schools are BCS schools. The media mixes up the terms to mean that BCS schools are the AQ conference schools, when in fact, ALL FBS schools are BCS schools.

[ForeverADog]

This would probably never happen but Texas just finished a home and home with Wyoming and their 30000 seat stadium. If we have the money I think we should. If not then stay put.

[coachacola]

[quote name="JJWooten" post="939930" timestamp="1293745982"]
[quote author=coachacola link=topic=78052.msg939911#msg939911 date=1293743911]
[quote author=geezer link=topic=78052.msg939873#msg939873 date=1293738610]
I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.
[/quote]

I assume you mean FBS and not BCS because I doubt Lamar will be invited to that club anytime soon.  But according to the big article in the Beaumont Enterprise last month Lamar wants to be bowling by 2015.  That fits perfectly with what Karl Benson's 3 to 5 year plan.  The WAC may not be around or Lamar may have other options by then, who knows.  But outside of McNeese, SFA, and SHSU, what other FCS schools would draw well?  Most are either on the east coast or out west.  Does anyone even know who's playing the FCS championship that's coming up?
[/quote]

Technically, all FBS schools are BCS schools. The media mixes up the terms to mean that BCS schools are the AQ conference schools, when in fact, ALL FBS schools are BCS schools.
[/quote]

I was thinking of the BCS conferences and how they get the majority of the BCS money.  The WAC gets a few million a year of that money now, but that could all change when the contract expires in a few years.

[JJWooten]

[quote name="coachacola" post="939962" timestamp="1293750890"]
[quote author=JJWooten link=topic=78052.msg939930#msg939930 date=1293745982]
[quote author=coachacola link=topic=78052.msg939911#msg939911 date=1293743911]
[quote author=geezer link=topic=78052.msg939873#msg939873 date=1293738610]
I agree with the concept of 2nd tier schools coming to LU but the question for those who really want to move to BCS is who do you want to see coming to BMT and why?  Outside of the Southland Conference there are some very good FCS schools that might be an equal draw.
[/quote]

I assume you mean FBS and not BCS because I doubt Lamar will be invited to that club anytime soon.  But according to the big article in the Beaumont Enterprise last month Lamar wants to be bowling by 2015.  That fits perfectly with what Karl Benson's 3 to 5 year plan.  The WAC may not be around or Lamar may have other options by then, who knows.  But outside of McNeese, SFA, and SHSU, what other FCS schools would draw well?  Most are either on the east coast or out west.  Does anyone even know who's playing the FCS championship that's coming up?
[/quote]

Technically, all FBS schools are BCS schools. The media mixes up the terms to mean that BCS schools are the AQ conference schools, when in fact, ALL FBS schools are BCS schools.
[/quote]

I was thinking of the BCS conferences and how they get the majority of the BCS money.  The WAC gets a few million a year of that money now, but that could all change when the contract expires in a few years.
[/quote]

Again, they are all BCS conferences at the FBS level. Some conferences are AQ conferences ans some are not. The amount of revenue sharing is done within each conference and vary across conferences AQ and non-AQ. It's just the nature of the beast that the AQ Conferences get to go to the BCS bowls that pay the largerst amount.

I want to say there was an article out a few weeks ago about how UConn, a team from an AQ conference, was going to lose money, because the Big East doesn't buy tickets that UConn can't sell, unlike the Big 12.

[geezer]

Yes I was thinking FBS and not necessarilly BCS

[UNLV]

Playing FBS, Lamar should be able to get home games with such teams as Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma st, Baylor, Tulsa,
Memphis, Louisville, Kansas st...etc

[Javelina]

[quote name="UNLV" post="939989" timestamp="1293755164"]
Playing FBS, Lamar should be able to get home games with such teams as Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma st, Baylor, Tulsa,
Memphis, Louisville, Kansas st...etc
[/quote]

In my opinion I dont think Alabama would come to Beaumont.  Arkansas is a coin flip I think, it would depend on where their program was at the time, but could see the rest of em making trips down

[JJWooten]

[quote name="UNLV" post="939989" timestamp="1293755164"]
Playing FBS, Lamar should be able to get home games with such teams as Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma st, Baylor, Tulsa,
Memphis, Louisville, Kansas st...etc
[/quote]

Absolutely no way.

The reason a lot of schools (like Texas) make away trips to certain places (like Wyoming) is to recruit. Most of those teams you listed up there would not travel to Beaumont for recruiting. Going FBS would get you games against teams like Middle Tennessee State, LA-Tech, La-Monroe, North Texas (maybe), Western Kentucky, Akron, Ohio, and whatever schools are in the conference. The idea that top 25 teams will come to Beaumont are highly unlikely

[bigred360]

I agree with you JJ, but please name one player Texas recruited from Wyoming.  :D :D

[coachacola]

La Tech hosted Ole Miss a few years ago and I saw Okie State play at Troy a few years ago on ESPN.  With a 30K stadium Lamar could get those types of teams.  But even a lower level FBS team should generate more interest than most FCS schools.

[RS73]

Oklahoma State also played at UL-Lafayette this year. Rutgers at FIU, Minnesota at MTSU this year. I think Texas A&M played at ULL in 2009. Texas State has Wyoming(2013) and Navy(2015) coming to San Marcos in future seasons. If Lamar goes FBS, with an enlarged Provost-Umphrey to 30,000, we will see some bigger names than the Sunbelt schools.

[UNLV]

I took those schools from Sunbelt teams. Arkansas and Alabama went to UL-Monroe. Ofcourse Lamar could never be a Monroe.
Oklahoma st to ULL, Louisville to Ark st, and Kansas st to North Texas. But Lamar could never be as magical as ULL or Ark st.

Arrrrrgh, biting my wrist. It is that type of mentality for Lamar dropping football and dropping down to the Southland.
Whoa is Lamar, we can never bring in anyone except Rice.... >:(

[geezer]

A few years ago.  I know that some of these schools have traveled to smaller FBS sites usually as a part of a multiyear deal where the small school comes to the big school, but I believe even that will become a rare event.  I think you are more likely to see four major conferences with up to 16 members and everyone else pushed out.  These schools will be locked into eight to nine conference games and will be pushed by the ranking systems to play teams from the other major conferences because of ranking purposes.

[UNLV]

[quote name="geezer" post="940090" timestamp="1293765201"]
A few years ago.  I know that some of these schools have traveled to smaller FBS sites usually as a part of a multiyear deal where the small school comes to the big school, but I believe even that will become a rare event.  I think you are more likely to see four major conferences with up to 16 members and everyone else pushed out.  These schools will be locked into eight to nine conference games and will be pushed by the ranking systems to play teams from the other major conferences because of ranking purposes.
[/quote]Good point but I disagree with the results. A loss to a high rating school is not better than whipping a low level FBS.
TCU and Boise st played scrubs for a top 3 and 4 ranking at one point. Had TCU played a SEC schedule, then TCU would not be undefeated. So a big conference school will not risk a non conference loss to play another big conference school. A loss could end any hope for a NC early in the season.