(01-22-2021 04:58 AM)Mav Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 01:41 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 12:00 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 10:13 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 09:49 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The 8-0 vote by the Southland left-behinds to boot out UCA and the Texas 4 a year early suggests that McNeese was not included in any of the plans. Although that unanimous vote may only have been a show, to provide some sense that there's unity among the Southland remnant. In theory, McNeese could be one of the two FB schools the WAC is still reportedly planning to add. If this is the case, perhaps the delay may have something to do with Louisiana politics, as you suggest.

The texans have been dissing everything Louisiana pretty hard, and acting with one shared brain between SFA, SH and Lamar in an attempt to punch above their weight. ACU is riding their coat tails for now, until the first 3 move on.

And just because the texas 3 don't want McNeese, doesn't mean a new conference wouldnt because their football teams put Lamar to shame, if a conference were looking for quality more than numbers. Probably better than SFA too, but I don't really follow that level enough to be sure.

Move on to what?

I don't believe the WAC is their end goal but I'm not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Where could they go? Surely not the Mountain West. CUSA is "full" and the Sun Belt has become a bit too big for those 3.

The only place I can think of is a newly founded conference. Perhaps just Texas schools. Excluding the FBS schools and Texas - Arlington, there are currently 11 Division I schools in Texas. Throw in West Texas A&M for a solid 12.

I think the WAC as a future “FBS league” is being greatly exaggerated. At least FBS as we know it. But that’s what this board does.

None of the recent Texas call-ups have had any real success at the FBS level. UNT has managed to parlay its 15 year head start on the rest into being a mid-tier CUSA program, UTSA has been so-so, and Texas State has been absolutely awful. I don't see why any of these programs, or even the conference would consider FBS at this point. They're better off trying to establish an MVC/CAA level power conference in the southwest.

Have any Aggie fans weighed in on what this means for their program? It's far easier to see NMSU dropping down than a WAC play for FBS any time soon, especially if they have FBS as a long-term goal.

UTSA got a P5 scalp.

Article on Nicholls financials, spring sports and Southland changes

https://www.dailycomet.com/story/sports/...635891002/

(01-22-2021 03:16 PM)Mav Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 05:38 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 05:29 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 04:58 AM)Mav Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 01:41 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  I think the WAC as a future “FBS league” is being greatly exaggerated. At least FBS as we know it. But that’s what this board does.

None of the recent Texas call-ups have had any real success at the FBS level. UNT has managed to parlay its 15 year head start on the rest into being a mid-tier CUSA program, UTSA has been so-so, and Texas State has been absolutely awful. I don't see why any of these programs, or even the conference would consider FBS at this point. They're better off trying to establish an MVC/CAA level power conference in the southwest.

Have any Aggie fans weighed in on what this means for their program? It's far easier to see NMSU dropping down than a WAC play for FBS any time soon, especially if they have FBS as a long-term goal.

What does that even mean?

In what world would it make any sense at all, to anyone, for NMSU to be FCS? Give up a profitable program at a higher level, to become a money loser at a lower level instead.... Explain what sense that idea makes as an option to even bring up.

He's saying it's easier to see NMSU drop to FCS than to see an FBS WAC, and I agree. However, the odds of NMSU dropping to FCS aren't great, which tells you how slim the odds of an FBS WAC are.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. NMSU is in the same situation Idaho was in, where they now have an FCS conference their Olympic sports are in, with a footprint they fit squarely in the middle of waiting to welcome them.

I poked around a little, and it looks like NMSU's AD refuses to even consider the thought, and instead wants to wait for the rest of the conference to join them where he feels they belong. Bold. I like it.

I chuckled when I read that. This is the phrase the university uses... BE BOLD. Shape the future.
https://nmsu.edu

(01-22-2021 03:16 PM)Mav Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 05:38 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 05:29 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(01-22-2021 04:58 AM)Mav Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 01:41 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  I think the WAC as a future “FBS league” is being greatly exaggerated. At least FBS as we know it. But that’s what this board does.

None of the recent Texas call-ups have had any real success at the FBS level. UNT has managed to parlay its 15 year head start on the rest into being a mid-tier CUSA program, UTSA has been so-so, and Texas State has been absolutely awful. I don't see why any of these programs, or even the conference would consider FBS at this point. They're better off trying to establish an MVC/CAA level power conference in the southwest.

Have any Aggie fans weighed in on what this means for their program? It's far easier to see NMSU dropping down than a WAC play for FBS any time soon, especially if they have FBS as a long-term goal.

What does that even mean?

In what world would it make any sense at all, to anyone, for NMSU to be FCS? Give up a profitable program at a higher level, to become a money loser at a lower level instead.... Explain what sense that idea makes as an option to even bring up.

He's saying it's easier to see NMSU drop to FCS than to see an FBS WAC, and I agree. However, the odds of NMSU dropping to FCS aren't great, which tells you how slim the odds of an FBS WAC are.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. NMSU is in the same situation Idaho was in, where they now have an FCS conference their Olympic sports are in, with a footprint they fit squarely in the middle of waiting to welcome them.

I poked around a little, and it looks like NMSU's AD refuses to even consider the thought, and instead wants to wait for the rest of the conference to join them where he feels they belong. Bold. I like it.

I get what you mean about being in a geographic conference but its not the same.

NMSUs biggest rivals are UNM and UTEP. Right now they are FBS peers. If they move down, they signal that they gave up on being equal and will not have home games with these teams ever again.

(01-21-2021 12:00 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Excluding the FBS schools and Texas - Arlington, there are currently 11 Division I schools in Texas. Throw in West Texas A&M for a solid 12.

I-A/FBS
1. Texas A&M
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Baylor
5. TCU
6. Houston
7. SMU
8. Rice
9. UTEP
10. North Texas
11. UTSA
12. Texas State

I-AA/FCS with Football
13. Sam Houston
14. SFA
15. Prairie View A&M
16. Texas Southern
17. Lamar
18. Houston Baptist
19. UIW
20. Abilene Christian
21. Tarleton St.

I-AA/FCS without Football
22. UT-Arlington
23. Texas A&M -Corpus Christi
24. UTRGV (adding football)

(01-22-2021 11:03 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(01-21-2021 12:00 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Excluding the FBS schools and Texas - Arlington, there are currently 11 Division I schools in Texas. Throw in West Texas A&M for a solid 12.

I-A/FBS
1. Texas A&M
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Baylor
5. TCU
6. Houston
7. SMU
8. Rice
9. UTEP
10. North Texas
11. UTSA
12. Texas State

I-AA/FCS with Football
13. Sam Houston
14. SFA
15. Prairie View A&M
16. Texas Southern
17. Lamar
18. Houston Baptist
19. UIW
20. Abilene Christian
21. Tarleton St.

I-AA/FCS without Football
22. UT-Arlington
23. Texas A&M -Corpus Christi
24. UTRGV (adding football)

Right. There are 11 Division 1 schools in Texas if you exclude the FBS schools and Texas - Arlington. Add in West Texas A&M and you have 12 schools for an FCS-level Texas-only conference.

(01-22-2021 11:03 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  I-AA/FCS without Football
22. UT-Arlington
23. Texas A&M -Corpus Christi
24. UTRGV (adding football)

You can't be FCS without football.

(01-21-2021 05:42 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Texas Southern and Prairie View do have the same concerns like the Texas 4. Those 2 schools have been out spending the other SWAC schools to upgrade facilities. I think they wanted to upgrade their teams to be better. They are usually the top 2 teams in men's basketball with Texas Southern beat a top 25 team in Michigan State who the Spartans went on to the final four. The issue with those two schools are the other SWAC schools are poor to even upgrade to be more competitive in D1. The landscape change in D1, and the SWAC and MEAC are usually the bottom feeders in D1 for men's basketball.

PV and Texas Southern has been spending money because prior their facilities were amongst the worst in the conference. Prairie has improved tremendously in the facility race since 2014, Texas Southern still has a ways to go. Prairie is in the top 5 in facilities in the SWAC, Texas Southern not so much. Not sure what you mean when you say the other schools are too poor to upgrade when literally half of the SWAC is currently upgrading facilities right now whether it's Alabama State (my alma mater) who just recently upgraded all facilities and now has some of the top facilities in the country outside of the P5, Alabama A&M who's building a new basketball arena and athletic facility, UAPB who just gave their football stadium a major face-lift, Jackson State who's currently improving their basketball facilities, Southern who just announced a huge renovation project to Mumford Stadium and the softball stadium, and so forth. Your analysis seem to be way off and full of stuff you're just pulling out of your arse.

Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett was interviewed by Mike Prince on Prairie View Radio Network and talked about Conference Realignment Via @OBN_Radio

youtu.be/cnTfaZZKyRo

The above is from NSUdemonsfans on Twitter (having issues posting the tweet for proper retribution)

Comments from McNeese AD on league expansion, branding. Reiterates desire to have current D1 schools join up

https://www.kltv.com/2021/02/03/mcneeses...ur-league/

McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Maybe some Division 2 or NAIA schools????

TAMU-Commerce??
TAMU-Kingsville??
Dallas Baptist???

(02-03-2021 11:55 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Maybe some Division 2 or NAIA schools????

Supposedly he said D1 schools. I don’t buy it, but he must be referring to Prairie View & Texas Southern.

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Agree. I do not see any HBCUs leaving the SWAC. So that points to D-2 schools. I'm imagining that their target list is TAMU-Commerce, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, West Florida, Midwestern State, and maybe this forum's favorites, Arkansas Tech.

I tend to think that if UWF goes D1, they will go to the A-Sun. Not sure how realistic the others are based on budgets, but that's really the only institutions that a quick perusal gives that are reasonably within the existing footprint with enrollments that seem realistic for D1. I guess some school like West Alabama might try to pull it off given their in-state peers have done so, but I'm not seeing a ton of options for them.

Then again, we didn't think the WAC or A-Sun could raid anyone else, so who knows how this might play out.

(02-03-2021 11:55 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Maybe some Division 2 or NAIA schools????

TAMU-Commerce??
TAMU-Kingsville??
Dallas Baptist???

DBU would be a great get for them from a baseball perspective, but they don't play football. I'm assuming these additions will be for FB. Is that a bad assumption on my part?

(02-03-2021 12:11 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Agree. I do not see any HBCUs leaving the SWAC. So that points to D-2 schools. I'm imagining that their target list is TAMU-Commerce, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, West Florida, Midwestern State, and maybe this forum's favorites, Arkansas Tech.

I tend to think that if UWF goes D1, they will go to the A-Sun. Not sure how realistic the others are based on budgets, but that's really the only institutions that a quick perusal gives that are reasonably within the existing footprint with enrollments that seem realistic for D1. I guess some school like West Alabama might try to pull it off given their in-state peers have done so, but I'm not seeing a ton of options for them.

Then again, we didn't think the WAC or A-Sun could raid anyone else, so who knows how this might play out.

Very, very doubtful UWA would try to join. I could see UWF though. If you are looking at candidates out of the Gulf South, Valdosta State is right there with UWF.

Non-GSC candidates would have to include Dallas Baptist (they have been a Division I baseball team in the past) and the lone Arkansas private school, Harding University. I would probably look at Arkansas Tech before looking at Harding U., but stranger things have happened.

(02-03-2021 12:12 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:55 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Maybe some Division 2 or NAIA schools????

TAMU-Commerce??
TAMU-Kingsville??
Dallas Baptist???

DBU would be a great get for them from a baseball perspective, but they don't play football. I'm assuming these additions will be for FB. Is that a bad assumption on my part?

Not a bad assumption. The AD specified football schools. He also said current D-I but I’m not sure that’s realistic.

(02-03-2021 12:11 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Agree. I do not see any HBCUs leaving the SWAC. So that points to D-2 schools. I'm imagining that their target list is TAMU-Commerce, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, West Florida, Midwestern State, and maybe this forum's favorites, Arkansas Tech.

I tend to think that if UWF goes D1, they will go to the A-Sun. Not sure how realistic the others are based on budgets, but that's really the only institutions that a quick perusal gives that are reasonably within the existing footprint with enrollments that seem realistic for D1. I guess some school like West Alabama might try to pull it off given their in-state peers have done so, but I'm not seeing a ton of options for them.

Then again, we didn't think the WAC or A-Sun could raid anyone else, so who knows how this might play out.

That seems like a realistic list. I don’t see the the Southland getting existing DI school unless the OVC implodes or scraps football, sending their existing schools looking for a place to affiliate their football teams.

(02-03-2021 12:54 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 12:11 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Agree. I do not see any HBCUs leaving the SWAC. So that points to D-2 schools. I'm imagining that their target list is TAMU-Commerce, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, West Florida, Midwestern State, and maybe this forum's favorites, Arkansas Tech.

I tend to think that if UWF goes D1, they will go to the A-Sun. Not sure how realistic the others are based on budgets, but that's really the only institutions that a quick perusal gives that are reasonably within the existing footprint with enrollments that seem realistic for D1. I guess some school like West Alabama might try to pull it off given their in-state peers have done so, but I'm not seeing a ton of options for them.

Then again, we didn't think the WAC or A-Sun could raid anyone else, so who knows how this might play out.

That seems like a realistic list. I don’t see the the Southland getting existing DI school unless the OVC implodes or scraps football, sending their existing schools looking for a place to affiliate their football teams.

If the OVC loses more schools (Belmont, Murray St, and 1 or 2 others), I could see the Southland adding from the OVC.

(02-03-2021 01:10 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 12:54 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 12:11 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(02-03-2021 11:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  McNeese AD said there are football schools within their footprint they would like to target. Who? The only ones I can see (other than those who have already left, are non-football, or are FBS) are SWAC schools. If that's the case, there are 2 in Texas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Arkansas, and 3 in Mississippi. I don't see those schools leaving the SWAC for the Southland.

Agree. I do not see any HBCUs leaving the SWAC. So that points to D-2 schools. I'm imagining that their target list is TAMU-Commerce, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, West Florida, Midwestern State, and maybe this forum's favorites, Arkansas Tech.

I tend to think that if UWF goes D1, they will go to the A-Sun. Not sure how realistic the others are based on budgets, but that's really the only institutions that a quick perusal gives that are reasonably within the existing footprint with enrollments that seem realistic for D1. I guess some school like West Alabama might try to pull it off given their in-state peers have done so, but I'm not seeing a ton of options for them.

Then again, we didn't think the WAC or A-Sun could raid anyone else, so who knows how this might play out.

That seems like a realistic list. I don’t see the the Southland getting existing DI school unless the OVC implodes or scraps football, sending their existing schools looking for a place to affiliate their football teams.

If the OVC loses more schools (Belmont, Murray St, and 1 or 2 others), I could see the Southland adding from the OVC.

Outside of their footprint.

Angelo State
Midwestern State
UTPB
Commerce
Kingsville
Central Oklahoma
Arkansas Tech
Harding
NE Oklahoma tate
Missouri Southern
Missouri S&T
Delta State
Mississippi College

Those are the D2 schools in the region.

Texas Southern
Prairie View
Grambling
Southern

UAPB is below 3000 students. They are the Chicago State of the SWAC right now.