while looking for news on the Sun Belt, came across this article from the Shreveport Times. Excerpt:

Quote:In line with his fans, Van De Velde doesn't think moving to the Sun Belt would be a smart move for Tech, despite the WAC's football teams often being rated at or below those in the Sun Belt.

"When you look at the conference we're competing in, it's not just about football "» it's also about academics and how things fit the vision of the institution "» graduation rates," Van De Velde said. "No one wants to compete in a league that takes short cuts academically and that faces a lot of APR problems. For the most part, we don't have that in the WAC."

He says Tech needs to be in a league that is national in scope but where the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters can be competitive.

I think its time, if latech administration officials recently made the rumored overtures to the Sun Belt, that the Sun Belt make those public, information on who and when made them, and make it clear to the bastards there's no room for these clowns.

Wow... what a moron. He clearly has no clue what he is talking about.

I was okay with La Tech coming to the Sun Belt if things worked out, but now that I know Van De Velde's opinion of the conference, they can stay in the WAC with their new, fresh-out-of-FCS rivals and high travel costs.

let them rot in the Wasteland that is the WAC.

(07-10-2011 09:27 AM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  let them rot in the Wasteland that is the WAC.

no matter how many times they've set fire and burned bridges, they keep pouring gasoline on the ashes and throwing a lit match on them.

Why do y'all care so much? LaTech is committed to their conference barring an invite from Conference USA... which can be said for every single Sun Belt team.

Get. Over. It.

It's easy to say that you won't join a particular conference, especially if you know the chances of getting an invite are abut as good as Arkansas calling Arkansas State and offering a football game.

(07-10-2011 06:44 AM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  while looking for news on the Sun Belt, came across this article from the Shreveport Times. Excerpt:

Quote:In line with his fans, Van De Velde doesn't think moving to the Sun Belt would be a smart move for Tech, despite the WAC's football teams often being rated at or below those in the Sun Belt.

"When you look at the conference we're competing in, it's not just about football "» it's also about academics and how things fit the vision of the institution "» graduation rates," Van De Velde said. "No one wants to compete in a league that takes short cuts academically and that faces a lot of APR problems. For the most part, we don't have that in the WAC."

He says Tech needs to be in a league that is national in scope but where the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters can be competitive.

I think its time, if latech administration officials recently made the rumored overtures to the Sun Belt, that the Sun Belt make those public, information on who and when made them, and make it clear to the bastards there's no room for these clowns.

I don't take conference realignment personally. It's business, not a popularity contest. If the administration at LA Tech is too stupid to see that remaining in the SLAC (remaining WAC +3 SLC members) is bad business, then let them suffer whatever future they have in that fugly, broke neck, patch work, bush league, excuse of a conference. Let the door to the Sun Belt forever be closed to LA Tech. If LA Tech thinks the Belt is still beneath them, all Sun Belt teams should refuse to schedule all LA Tech sports. I think it would be good business. LA Tech would have fewer options for regional non-conference games. Let them take long expensive road trips, or play lower division local teams. Either way, it will strain LA Tech's athletic budget. ULL should cancel their series with LA Tech.

Here is the problem with Tech, their admin., and fans in a Nutshell.

Tech has wanted to be a part of CUSA since the day they opened their doors in 1995. CUSA officals have stayed away from Tech and Ruston, LA like the plague. But Tech still thinks one day they will have the golden key.

Tech officals think they are next on the list to get in, when infact their is more than 1 program that is a head of Tech and a few programs come from the SunBelt.

Instead of swallowing their pride, saving travel expences and being very competitive in the SunBelt which will be ranked higher than the W(h)AC when Boise, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno are gone. They would rather spin things to look like they are doing the right thing by staying in a conf. that looks nothing like it did when they joined it 10 years ago.

Just to give a visual of what things looked like then and now lets take a look:

WAC 2001

Boise State (Joined 2001 with Tech)
SMU
Rice
Tulsa
UTEP
San Jose State
Fresno State
Nevada
Hawaii
LA Tech

Thats not a Bad set up for Tech and there are a few games driveable to. Respected conference in the media.

WAC 2005 (1st conf shake up)

Boisie State
San Jose State
Fresno State
Nevada
LA Tech
New Mexico State (Added)
Idaho (Added)
Utah State (Added)

Gone: SMU, Tulsa, UTEP and Rice. All moved to CUSA in the shake up.

This puts LA Tech on an Isaland but the conf as a whole still looks decent and is respected.

WAC (2012)

LA Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Idaho
Utah State
Texas State (Added)
Texas-San Antonio (Added)
Denver (Added, No Football)
Seattle (Added, No Football)

Texas-Arlington (Accepted Invite, Pending Approval) (No Football)

There will be some IAA conferences that are ranked higher than the new WAC. And the probems haven't even been all solved yet. The WAC only has 7 football playing members. The NCAA requires 8 members to have a football conference. They have 2 years to find one.

If you take a look at it, there is only 1 program that will be in the WAC in 2012 that was there in 01 when LA Tech joined, San Jose State.

Like I said "Spin it the way you want Tech"....

(07-10-2011 11:04 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(07-10-2011 06:44 AM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  while looking for news on the Sun Belt, came across this article from the Shreveport Times. Excerpt:

Quote:In line with his fans, Van De Velde doesn't think moving to the Sun Belt would be a smart move for Tech, despite the WAC's football teams often being rated at or below those in the Sun Belt.

"When you look at the conference we're competing in, it's not just about football "» it's also about academics and how things fit the vision of the institution "» graduation rates," Van De Velde said. "No one wants to compete in a league that takes short cuts academically and that faces a lot of APR problems. For the most part, we don't have that in the WAC."

He says Tech needs to be in a league that is national in scope but where the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters can be competitive.

I think its time, if latech administration officials recently made the rumored overtures to the Sun Belt, that the Sun Belt make those public, information on who and when made them, and make it clear to the bastards there's no room for these clowns.

I don't take conference realignment personally. It's business, not a popularity contest. If the administration at LA Tech is too stupid to see that remaining in the SLAC (remaining WAC +3 SLC members) is bad business, then let them suffer whatever future they have in that fugly, broke neck, patch work, bush league, excuse of a conference. Let the door to the Sun Belt forever be closed to LA Tech. If LA Tech thinks the Belt is still beneath them, all Sun Belt teams should refuse to schedule all LA Tech sports. I think it would be good business. LA Tech would have fewer options for regional non-conference games. Let them take long expensive road trips, or play lower division local teams. Either way, it will strain LA Tech's athletic budget. ULL should cancel their series with LA Tech.

While Tech’s minister of propaganda Van De Velde continues to be a PR nightmare, UL needs to do what is in our best financial interest. Tech has been our longest running rival in the state of Louisiana, despite their denials and playing a program that recruits in our backyard is the right thing to do. You can only change perception by defeating a team on the field. Playing them in other sports will help cut down playing games against SWAC teams or other lower division programs that hurt our RPI.

Thanks for the advice, but we will do what is in our programs best interest.

(07-10-2011 06:44 AM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  while looking for news on the Sun Belt, came across this article from the Shreveport Times. Excerpt:

Quote:In line with his fans, Van De Velde doesn't think moving to the Sun Belt would be a smart move for Tech, despite the WAC's football teams often being rated at or below those in the Sun Belt.

"When you look at the conference we're competing in, it's not just about football "» it's also about academics and how things fit the vision of the institution "» graduation rates," Van De Velde said. "No one wants to compete in a league that takes short cuts academically and that faces a lot of APR problems. For the most part, we don't have that in the WAC."

He says Tech needs to be in a league that is national in scope but where the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters can be competitive.

I think its time, if latech administration officials recently made the rumored overtures to the Sun Belt, that the Sun Belt make those public, information on who and when made them, and make it clear to the bastards there's no room for these clowns.

Wow.
I hope every President and Athletic Director in the Sun Belt sees this article and takes it to heart.
Loser Tech is not our best option....never has been, never will be.

We shouldn't be scheduling them either. You are enabling them to maintain their dreamlike existence.

Cajun T,

I think you make a bad argument. Every season you get to play ULM. they are located right by LA Tech and also recruit in your back yard. Tulane is not far from Lafayette either. You don't have to schedule SWAC teams. I don't see how easing travel costs for LA Tech is going to benefit ULL. In many sports, I feel C-USA programs would be less likely to schedule Tech now that they will be playing in a weak WAC conference. It would hurt their schedule strength. It would also mean regional C-USA teams would be more likely to schedule you. LA Tech would be the program forced to schedule more SWAC teams. I believe there are plenty of other regional scheduling options for you (Tulane, Southern Miss, Memphis, UAB, SMU, and Tulsa).

Also, in the long term, I feel not scheduling LA Tech would benefit both ULL and the Sun Belt. Tech will have a hard time recruiting in many prominent sports, with the diminished strength of the WAC, combined with lower level competition in many non-conference games (SWAC, and South Land). A weaker LA Tech will result in a weaker WAC. That will allow the Sun Belt teams to maintain an edge over the new WAC teams.

(07-10-2011 02:47 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Cajun T,

I think you make a bad argument. Every season you get to play ULM. they are located right by LA Tech and also recruit in your back yard. Tulane is not far from Lafayette either. You don't have to schedule SWAC teams. I don't see how easing travel costs for LA Tech is going to benefit ULL. In many sports, I feel C-USA programs would be less likely to schedule Tech now that they will be playing in a weak WAC conference. It would hurt their schedule strength. It would also mean regional C-USA teams would be more likely to schedule you. LA Tech would be the program forced to schedule more SWAC teams. I believe there are plenty of other regional scheduling options for you (Tulane, Southern Miss, Memphis, UAB, SMU, and Tulsa).

Also, in the long term, I feel not scheduling LA Tech would benefit both ULL and the Sun Belt. Tech will have a hard time recruiting in many prominent sports, with the diminished strength of the WAC, combined with lower level competition in many non-conference games (SWAC, and South Land). A weaker LA Tech will result in a weaker WAC. That will allow the Sun Belt teams to maintain an edge over the new WAC teams.

And your argument is based upon complete animosity towards Louisiana Tech and their fan base, neither of which is our concern. What you feel or what any other SBC fan feels towards our decision to schedule Tech in any sport is completely irrelevant. You have no argument!

Our decision to play Tech is what our fan base wants and once again, they are our oldest rival in Louisiana. If you were basing your argument upon fact, then you would also know that Tulane has refused to schedule UL in football and baseball with a return visit to Lafayette. Until that is resolved, they will not be on our schedule in either sport. We have recently completed a home and home against the Wave in basketball. Playing Tech makes perfect financial sense and opens the door to playing the Bulldogs in other sports as well.

ULM is a conference member, we play them already in every sport and it makes no sense in making the comparison because Tech is a non-conference opponent. And for the record, ULM hasn’t recruited anyone out of the Lafayette area that we offered in the last three years.

(07-10-2011 09:24 AM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Wow... what a moron. He clearly has no clue what he is talking about.

I was okay with La Tech coming to the Sun Belt if things worked out, but now that I know Van De Velde's opinion of the conference, they can stay in the WAC with their new, fresh-out-of-FCS rivals and high travel costs.

Loser Tech was never a good conference mate . . never would be a good conference mate . . never want to be in the same conference with Loser Tech again !!

(07-10-2011 10:25 AM)YouCanUseaMint Wrote:  Why do y'all care so much? LaTech is committed to their conference barring an invite from Conference USA... which can be said for every single Sun Belt team.

Get. Over. It.

When people are so stupid they thinking being in the rehashed Southland/Big West is a step down, they earn every bit of bit of derision heaped upon them.

(07-10-2011 03:43 PM)CajunT Wrote:  Our decision to play Tech is what our fan base wants and once again, they are our oldest rival in Louisiana. If you were basing your argument upon fact, then you would also know that Tulane has refused to schedule UL in football and baseball with a return visit to Lafayette.

Is the basketball series going to be renewed? I hope so. I believe the baseball series has been renewed h/h.

(07-10-2011 03:43 PM)CajunT Wrote:  And for the record, ULM hasn’t recruited anyone out of the Lafayette area that we offered in the last three years.

That doesn't really mean a whole lot (I'm sure you could make that same claim regarding a number of other schools in the SBC). Most of our current coaches come from the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas and the recruiting has been headed in that direction with quite a bit of success. This year there are already a number of recruits with offers from both the Warhawks and the Cajuns but you can only sign so many a year. The 2011 ULM class looked like this:

Louisiana - 7 (three of them from south of Alexandria)
Oklahoma - 3
Arkansas - 6
Texas - 5

(This doesn't count transfers or walk-on's who received scholarships this year.)

(07-10-2011 04:48 PM)SOT1977 Wrote:  

(07-10-2011 03:43 PM)CajunT Wrote:  And for the record, ULM hasn’t recruited anyone out of the Lafayette area that we offered in the last three years.

That doesn't really mean a whole lot (I'm sure you could make that same claim regarding a number of other schools in the SBC). Most of our current coaches come from the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas and the recruiting has been headed in that direction with quite a bit of success. This year there are already a number of recruits with offers from both the Warhawks and the Cajuns but you can only sign so many a year. The 2011 ULM class looked like this:

Louisiana - 7 (three of them from south of Alexandria)
Oklahoma - 3
Arkansas - 6
Texas - 5

(This doesn't count transfers or walk-on's who received scholarships this year.)

Thanks for making my point. Its not about playing Tech, rather than ULM. Playing ULM is a forgone conclusion because you are a conference member. Scheduling Tech is simply a matter of rotating in state programs on our non-conference schedule. The added incentive is we get them at home first, before traveling to Ruston.

(07-10-2011 04:44 PM)DrBox Wrote:  

(07-10-2011 03:43 PM)CajunT Wrote:  Our decision to play Tech is what our fan base wants and once again, they are our oldest rival in Louisiana. If you were basing your argument upon fact, then you would also know that Tulane has refused to schedule UL in football and baseball with a return visit to Lafayette.

Is the basketball series going to be renewed? I hope so. I believe the baseball series has been renewed h/h.

I've heard that it might happen, but I don't know if any contract has been signed. Jones has refused to play in Lafayette since the last game Tulane played at the Tigue.

Apparently Mr. Van De Velde is trying to be elected "King of the Idiots".

.

(07-10-2011 10:25 AM)YouCanUseaMint Wrote:  Why do y'all care so much? LaTech is committed to their conference barring an invite from Conference USA... which can be said for every single Sun Belt team.

Get. Over. It.

Tell you what...since you feel like your conference-mates and your teams, as a whole, are far superior than that of the SBC, let's get some games going and we'll put those WHACK theories to the test. Honestly, I care far less than one crap about the politics of it all...what I do care about is an up-start in a dying conference coming to the defense of a moron that doesn't even have a clue as to why tech is doing anything they're doing...