(05-02-2017 12:35 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  I picked OBU because Shawnee is growing big time. Last time I went by there was in 2007, and I am amazed how it have grown. Since I am a Norman High School grad of 1987, I have a thing for states that I lived in for the small schools to reach the big time. If it is Washington, Idaho, Colorado, California, Arizona, Oklahoma and Arkansas, plus schools from states that I loved to visit like Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico and Missouri. That is why I like to see schools like College of Idaho and Arizona Christian to move up beCAUSE of football.

Shawnee has picked up a lot of commercial growth along the interstate. And OBU football has been supported well for a start-up NAIA/D-II program. The move from NAIA to D-II has been enough of a stretch. D-I would be a pipe dream. But I get it, because, for example, I see small programs qualify for the Big Dance and think, "could we do that?" If you're from a small school, that's natural. You think about the prestige of D-I, and want to see your school's name on places such as ESPN's ticker (for example). For most of us, it's not realistic, and D-I is not a good fit. And that's ok.

All we can expect is for a program is to be the best it can be with its available resources, while remaining true to the school's mission and core values (often easier said than done). If that's in D-I, great. If that's in D-II, D-III, NAIA, great.