(05-08-2014 03:09 PM)asupatch Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 02:59 PM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 02:32 PM)asupatch Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 02:30 PM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 02:11 PM)asupatch Wrote:  Cause they did it with winning seasons. You have yet to experience a winning season. You had high averages when it was new and shiney, so does everyone else. Check what UNCC's attendance does over the next couple years if they continue to lose like you guys. MSU also brings good basketball. EKU has 2 national titles. All things Lamar does not have.

We've been to the NCAA tournament two times since MSU's last time. Our last appearance was in 2012. We've won 5 NCAA tournament games vs MSU's 3. We've both been to the NCAA tournament 6 times. We both made the Sweet 16.

In football, a national title didn't exist when we played football before, but we do have a win over a top 20 D-1A (FBS) in our history. Before we went independent D-1AA (FCS), we were consistently drawing 16,000-17,000 in attendance (in a 17,500 seat stadium). Attendance dropped off during the independent period. That's what killed the program.

8k and 4 consecutive losing seasons is all I need to see. Nothing to see here people, move on.

The 4 consecutive losing seasons were during our first four seasons back. Being a start up is heck! Ask Georgia State who is starting the program with an FBS schedule. At least last year we were more competitive than we had been in previous seasons. We lost to one 10-2 playoff team by 4 points. We lost to another 9-5 playoff team by 11 points. Those type of games had been blowouts in their favor in the other three seasons. The year before we lost to those same playoff teams 35-0 and 56-7 respectively. Next, we need to turn those close losses into wins.

I am no Georgia State support either, I prefer teams to earn their way in, like Troy, App, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State. I get the Georgia State gets the Atlanta market argument even though they are obviously behind GT and UGA in ATL, but Lamar would be 8th in the pecking order, Texas,TT,TCU, SMU, Rice, TAMU, Houston, Texas State.

RE Earning their way: I agree with you there. I was not in favor of dropping the program in 1989, but I didn't get to make the decisions. It took me awhile to get over that. I always wondered how things would have turned out if the Lamar administrators had waited at least one more year before pulling the plug.

We have had some success in other sports. Baseball has been relatively consistent over the years with numerous NCAA appearances, the last one in 2010. I think it is up to 13 NCAA appearances now. In basketball, if the university can avoid train wrecks like the last couple of years, basketball is supported. It has been a very good money sport for us in the past. We have a way to go to get back to the 6,000 - 7,000 average attendance that I have experienced, but if we get a decent run, I think we could get to the 5,000 range and build from there. The Montagne Center capacity was originally increased to 10,080 because of the demand. Like other programs, the demand has dropped in recent years, but the program has been in a lull.

In the non-revenue sports, women's basketball is on the rise making one of the tournaments 4 of the last 5 years (NCAA-1, NIT-2, WBI-1). We even made it to the Elite 8 in 1990. Golf has consistently been a good sport for us. The men had a disappointing end this year, but the women start NCAA regional play tomorrow after winning the conference tournament. Men's Tennis had its best season since 1987 this year making it to the conference championship match. Cross country and distance running (both indoor and outdoor) have had some success also.

RE Market Share: I'm not sure what validity market share based on teams in the market has. It always seemed a little like voodoo to me except for the very large programs, but exposure helps. I never watched teams like Central Florida, South Florida, or East Carolina until those programs moved up. I think that is one of the benefits of moving up. I knew about the Sun Belt teams because I've followed the conference since it first began. Interest increased in the conference with the American South/Sun Belt merger. Also, four of the universities playing football in the conference were former conference members with us. The two non-football universities were also in the same conference with us at one time. Other than those exceptions, I have to confess over the years, I concentrated on SWC, Big 8, Big 12, and SEC with a little PAC 8, PAC 10, PAC 12, Big 10, B1G, and ACC thrown in. I got interested in the WAC during the "Wacky" football years and kept up with that conference until it dropped football. I also liked to watch certain teams out of my area.