Georgia st going FBS in the Sunbelt

[UNLV]

Lamar sits around going duh duh duhhhh....

[coachacola]

[quote name="UNLV" post="1206530" timestamp="1333587432"]
Lamar sits around going duh duh duhhhh....
[/quote]
It's been quiet on the Lamar front regarding going FBS, but that might be due to them waiting to see what happens.  Not getting invited to the WAC looks like a good thing right now so being patient isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Benson, the Sun Belt commish, has said they are still considering FCS schools from Texas to Florida, so even with them adding Georgia State, the Sun Belt may still have 3 or 4 spots open this summer.

[puddin tane]

[i] Not getting invited to the WAC looks like a good thing[/i]

welcome back from the dark side

[UNLV]

Waiting until the FBS door close. The WAC needs just 1 football school. The WAC owns a FBS ticket. The WAC dies, that ticket dies.
Lamar and Texas schools can take control of the WAC and that FBS ticket. Then rebuild it as a FBS regional conference.

[coachacola]

Lamar tried to get into the WAC but the western WAC schools said no, now the WAC is falling apart.  The CUSA/MWC alliance will probably take a few WAC schools, maybe even UTSA, who was visited by those two conference last week.

These days it's about market size and the Beaumont DMA is ranked 140 so FBS conferences are not begging Lamar to join them.  It's naive to think that Lamar could have joined the WAC last year or the Sun Belt today, they are just not at the top of the list.

[Titletown2]

Lamar is a loonngg way from even thinking about going FBS.

[AshlyHasBeen]

While at the SLC Basketball tournament the guys from UTA said they were very concerned about what's going on in the WAC. A lot of talk that the WAC will dissolve. The SLC said they won't take any of the Texas schools bolting for the WAC back. In the end the Mavs could be part of the Great West!!!! All this conference shake up is a headache. At this point Sun Belt would be a better route if Lamar ever leaves the SLC.

[Guest basketball25]

How about conference usa!!!

[ForeverADog]

The southland should take them back. They are the best schools in the conference. Much better than HBU. It would be stupid for the SLC to be so stubborn and not take them back. Don't blame for trying to get into a better conference.

[AshlyHasBeen]

Well that's the way the most conferences are. If you choose to leave you're not welcome back. Now if they get rid of you they can welcome you back....aka Temple Big East. It's all about power.

[UNLV]

Cola stop buying into what you read on other forums. Lamar needs to go FBS now because the current realignment will fall apart in a few years. The new conferences won't have any interest in FCS schools.

[coachacola]

[quote name="UNLV" post="1208266" timestamp="1334022846"]
Cola stop buying into what you read on other forums. Lamar needs to go FBS now because the current realignment will fall apart in a few years. The new conferences won't have any interest in FCS schools.
[/quote]
All I'm saying is that conferences are going after schools in big markets, not matter how good or bad they are.  East Carolina averages close to 50K per football game in a nice BCS sized stadium, but the Big East invited Memphis, SMU and Houston instead.  They not even close the the east coast, but they have large markets.

UTA was invited to the WAC because they are in DFW, and now they might go to the Sun Belt to balance out UALR in basketball.  They are in a big market so they get the invite.  Georgia State only won 3 games last year in football but they are now in the Sun Belt because of Atlanta.

I'm just being realistic about Lamar's chances of going FBS.

[UNLV]

And I am saying it is a fail formula. Atlanta won't care about Georgia st while they have the Falcons. The same for UTA, Seattle, etc etc. These realignments happening now won't work and we will see some major realignments in a few years among FBS. FCS will not be invited. If Lamar joins the WAC, Lamar will be FBS for next round of realignments. The WAC won't dissolve as a conference. It might end football however an Independent FBS Lamar is better than a FCS Lamar i the SLC. Lamar would only be Independent in football for 2-3 years at most. Finding games won't be  as hard now then in the past. And we can keep the rivalry with Mcneese.

[Titletown2]

If Lamar was to go FBS they would have to double the size of Umphrey Stadium. All the FBS conferences want your stadium to have at least 30,000 - 35,000 capacity. You will also have hire more coaches and substantially increase the coaching salaries. I don't think Lamar is willing to do that. I do think think the Montagne Center and Vincent-Beck would be good enough facilities for the WAC or Sun Belt.

[UNLV]

With Lamar's mentality, we could only dream about playing with the big boys like UL-Monroe, ULL, La Tech, Troy or a Texas st. Little Lamar can only dream.

[coachacola]

[quote name="UNLV" post="1208513" timestamp="1334074035"]
With Lamar's mentality, we could only dream about playing with the big boys like UL-Monroe, ULL, La Tech, Troy or a Texas st. Little Lamar can only dream.
[/quote]
You keep saying Lamar's mentality is the problem.  Did you already forget that Lamar tried to get into the WAC last year and was denied?  How is that Lamar's fault?  And how is it Lamar's fault that the Beaumont DMA is only ranked 140th?  You keep saying over and over that it's Lamar's fault while ignoring all the other factors.

BTW, going independent would kill the football program.  No big-name opponents will come play in a 16K stadium in Beaumont.  UTSA has a big domed stadium in a major market, they can pull that off, Lamar cannot.

[coachacola]

[quote name="Titletown2" post="1208481" timestamp="1334071878"]
If Lamar was to go FBS they would have to double the size of Umphrey Stadium. All the FBS conferences want your stadium to have at least 30,000 - 35,000 capacity. You will also have hire more coaches and substantially increase the coaching salaries. I don't think Lamar is willing to do that. I do think think the Montagne Center and Vincent-Beck would be good enough facilities for the WAC or Sun Belt.
[/quote]
The Sun Belt has a couple of stadiums that only hold about 25K.  Here's what I think Provost Umphrey Stadium would look like if expanded to 30K.  It would be one nice stadium if the do expand it.

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/6890167022_b26325286e_n.jpg[/img]

[UNLV]

LALA Land Cola

1. Lamar made the most passive unsure of itself attempt at the WAC.
2. Independence at FBS would not kill the program if the WAC stopped football. There would leave at least 8 FBS independent FBS nation wide and plenty of FCS to have 11 games. FCS is what killed Lamar football.
3. Lamar and Eastern WAC schools has an opportunity to take control of the WAC FBS yet Lamar does nothing. Lamar and eastern schools could then shape the WAC to fit Lamar and eastern school  needs. Sitting back and waiting is stupid on Lamar's part. Letting the WAC FBS ticket die is more stupid.

[Titletown2]

[quote name="coachacola" post="1208675" timestamp="1334087887"]
[quote author=Titletown2 link=topic=98567.msg1208481#msg1208481 date=1334071878]
If Lamar was to go FBS they would have to double the size of Umphrey Stadium. All the FBS conferences want your stadium to have at least 30,000 - 35,000 capacity. You will also have hire more coaches and substantially increase the coaching salaries. I don't think Lamar is willing to do that. I do think think the Montagne Center and Vincent-Beck would be good enough facilities for the WAC or Sun Belt.
[/quote]
The Sun Belt has a couple of stadiums that only hold about 25K.  Here's what I think Provost Umphrey Stadium would look like if expanded to 30K.  It would be one nice stadium if the do expand it.

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/6890167022_b26325286e_n.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

You're right, it would be nice. However, I don't think Lamar would or could spend the money it would take to be successfull at the FBS level.

[coachacola]

Georgia State, UTSA, and Texas State all have enrollments over 30K so they are financing their move to FBS with student fees.  Lamar doesn't have that luxury so it would be more of a challenge, but it can be done.  If La Tech, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette can compete in the Sun Belt then Lamar could too, but it won't happen overnight.  I think at a minimum Dr. Simmons would need to have some big donors step up to help fund the move to FBS.  If UNT, FIU, and possibly a few more Sun Belt schools leaving for the Alliance, we'll see if Lamar rolls the dice and tries to get into the Sun Belt.