(07-25-2018 10:25 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 02:04 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 12:07 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:38 AM)HighlandsApp Wrote:  Why is UALR so tiny? It is the school in the state capital. I would think that they would have lots of older full time students like Charlotte and Ga State.

Too small and therefore not enough $$$ for FBS football and probably even not enough student fees to pull off a startup and permanent FCS team.

My own perspective, its the perception of UALR being an urban, non traditional commuter school (especially when I was fixing to graduate from high school and was considering colleges, Little Rock didn't even seem to be a viable option. Did I know people that attended UALR? Yes but they were VERY few and far between. At the time, the perception was you went to UALR for law school after getting your undergrad or you wanted to stay with your parents).

Other problem, location of the campus. The area became stagnate in terms of businesses and other attractions as economic development really shifted away from the university (not to mention the area still has a pretty high crime/violence rate)-definitely won't attract a ton of potential students. My grandfather lived on Fair Park Blvd for years (which literally borders UALR's campus) and he never wanted me to visit him unless it was during the day and certainly was afraid of me possibly attending UALR).

Even when that was a really nice neighborhood the school struggled to draw enrollment.

Local students have several residential state schools close by. That makes UALR's most attractive strength the ability to do degree completion, offer professional post-grad work, and be a good non-traditional student option.

Problem is online and local extension campuses have cut into those.

The law school is the one area where in-state students compete to get in and it is well removed from the campus.

If you are north of the river driving back and forth to UCA isn't much different than driving back and forth to UALR, especially if you have an 8:00 am class.

That gets understated a lot. The Little Rock metro area is large, but its also very spread out. With White flight in full effect, large communities have sprung up outside the city. Much of that has moved North across the Arkansas River to places like Maumelle and Cabot. There are enough roads built now that its essentially easier to get to Conway from both of those cities than it is to get on I30, I430, and I630 every morning to try and get to the South part of Little Rock. Simple traffic patterns provides a significant benefit to a more established traditional campus like UCA, which has actually managed outgrow its available land space right now.

Part of the resistance to the Little Rock rebrand from UALR was because parents in Lonoke County and Saline County who white flighted don't care much for "Little Rock" well they know where UALR is they as a group are unreasonably fearful of the neighborhood. Football at WMS isn't changing their mind.

As for the motives of the study.

Little bit of column A and little bit of column B.

The city wants that parking lot around WMS to produce income. The state wants WMS to produce income. So their motivation was all about their bottom line. The university knew they couldn't afford football and the study lets the current administration kick the can well past the time when they leave the school, and probably past when their replacements leave.

If it were some place else, the city would be stepping up trying to help fund football. Birmingham has made a significant investment in UAB football on an annual basis for nearly as long as there has been UAB football. Mobile is willing to partner in a new stadium.

Little Rock is willing to collect parking revenue.

(07-25-2018 09:25 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  The little bit that I've read from the study seems to suggest much the opposite of adding FBS football in the Sun Belt. It seems to suggest that LR would be better off in the Southland or OVC; that those leagues would be a better "fit."

Am I reading too much into this, or do others draw the same conclusion?

I read it that way as well.

(07-26-2018 01:10 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 09:25 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  The little bit that I've read from the study seems to suggest much the opposite of adding FBS football in the Sun Belt. It seems to suggest that LR would be better off in the Southland or OVC; that those leagues would be a better "fit."

Am I reading too much into this, or do others draw the same conclusion?

I read it that way as well.

I've mentioned before that UALR needs to consider the Southland, especially if they want football. They could accomplish just as much in other sports, consider football, and cut down on their travel in the Southland. The only opponent that draws fan interest for basketball is ASU. That would still occur and they could add UCA to that mix as well.

I would like to know UCA's athletic budget for comparison to UALRs with and w/o football

(07-26-2018 10:26 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  If it were some place else, the city would be stepping up trying to help fund football. Birmingham has made a significant investment in UAB football on an annual basis for nearly as long as there has been UAB football. Mobile is willing to partner in a new stadium.

Little Rock is willing to collect parking revenue.

I don't know about the Mobile is willing to be a partner part. Getting a stadium for south has gotten tangled into that trap of what are we going to Ladd Stadium. We have a city council person basically calling it a "divorce". People around the Ladd don't want it tore down/ and don't want to give USA money. But writing is on the wall that we are going to get an on campus stadium one day, and the senior bowl and dollar general bowl will follow us to West Mobile. With a partnership, the city and the area will get use of the stadium. The city and county vote keeps pushing this vote back and back. I think the citizens are skeptical of the mayor because they didn't present an illustration of what could be done with Ladd.

The problem with Ladd and War Memorial is that they've outlived their time. I know people hate to see something with some much history and tradition be torn down but neither provides a pleasurable fan experience. Both leave folks hoping they never have to go back just to support their team. We had the same conundrum with our minor league ball park. The old Ray Winder field was ancient and full of stories. But it was torn down and I doubt I could walk in to the new Dickey-Stephens ball park and convince a single soul to go back to the old ball park. It's head and shoulders better for everyone concerned.

We all kinda knew this study was just lip service. Now that it's out it's obvious Little Rock will not be getting a football team.

Don't most of these studies follow what the school wants. If football is wanted by the school the study is favorable. In this case I doubt Little Rock wants a football team so the study pretty well nails that own.

(07-27-2018 10:18 AM)OsageJ Wrote:  Don't most of these studies follow what the school wants. If football is wanted by the school the study is favorable. In this case I doubt Little Rock wants a football team so the study pretty well nails that own.

My recollection is Little Rock paid 1/3rd of the cost with the city and state picking up the other 2/3rds. If that is correct then it is probably pretty balanced.

(07-26-2018 10:13 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 09:31 PM)eh9198 Wrote:  Lol I swear the only people more anti-Trojan (in all things) than the Hogs are ASU fans. Spinning and cherry-picking without context. The TRUTH is this: a vast majority of alumni and students want football, but donors need to step up to help pay for it.

Hey I was on here BEFORE the study came out and gave you an estimate of what football would cost. I lowballed as backed up by the study. Man I'm so mean.

The vast majority of students polled want football. Ok. Take the student athletic fee and triple it to around $60-$65 per hour and the students can just about pay for it. Let them borrow $1800 to $2100 a year to have football.

The alumni surveyed didn't really indicate a significant interest in donating or buying tickets when football was an abstraction rather than something requiring a cash outlay in real life.

The donors don't want football. Well unless you get the students to pay for football, you don't have a way to pay for football.

Guess what?
I want Audi S8 but my budget doesn't permit to purchase one. My wanting an S8 don't do jack for Audi unless I have a way to pay and take one home.

The students want football, get a student vote to triple the student-activity fee and let's see if they are wildly in favor of football still. If they are UALR can have football.

Like usual, you make too much sense arkstfan. Very easy to get 1000 students to sign a petition (Of course that means over 90% of students didn't sign it). I doubt half of those signees would support a 10% increase in student fees (already the highest in the state), let alone a 300% increase. I actually think doing the study was a "good" thing. Now our administration can focus on improving the sports we do have.

(07-24-2018 12:43 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:26 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  "UA Little Rock currently has a base of approximately 57,000 living alumni, which ranks seventh in the Southland
Conference and eighth in the Ohio Valley and is one of the smallest alumni bases among comparable FBS
conferences. The UA Little Rock alumni base (57,000) is approximately 10 percent below the Southland
Conference average (63,482), 19 percent below the Ohio Valley Conference average (70,300), 41 percent below
the Sun Belt conference average (97,300), and 54 percent below the Conference USA average (124,000)."

I've always thought Little Rock would be a good fit for the OVC or Southland.

When are they going to let you guys in? Always thought Missouri State and Chattanooga would perfectly complete the Sun Belt. I'm still iffy on Coastal's inclusion, but whatever.

Are there more football stadium improvements to come up in Springfield?

Will they ever hire a good coach too?

(07-29-2018 11:12 AM)Coach Bonez89 Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 12:43 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:26 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  "UA Little Rock currently has a base of approximately 57,000 living alumni, which ranks seventh in the Southland
Conference and eighth in the Ohio Valley and is one of the smallest alumni bases among comparable FBS
conferences. The UA Little Rock alumni base (57,000) is approximately 10 percent below the Southland
Conference average (63,482), 19 percent below the Ohio Valley Conference average (70,300), 41 percent below
the Sun Belt conference average (97,300), and 54 percent below the Conference USA average (124,000)."

I've always thought Little Rock would be a good fit for the OVC or Southland.

When are they going to let you guys in? Always thought Missouri State and Chattanooga would perfectly complete the Sun Belt. I'm still iffy on Coastal's inclusion, but whatever.

Are there more football stadium improvements to come up in Springfield?

Will they ever hire a good coach too?

Chattanooga had a chance back in 2012 but passed on it and i doubt they'll get another look again unless conference realignment 2.0 kicks into gear someday

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/21813635/utc...n-fbs-move

(07-29-2018 11:12 AM)Coach Bonez89 Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 12:43 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:26 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  "UA Little Rock currently has a base of approximately 57,000 living alumni, which ranks seventh in the Southland
Conference and eighth in the Ohio Valley and is one of the smallest alumni bases among comparable FBS
conferences. The UA Little Rock alumni base (57,000) is approximately 10 percent below the Southland
Conference average (63,482), 19 percent below the Ohio Valley Conference average (70,300), 41 percent below
the Sun Belt conference average (97,300), and 54 percent below the Conference USA average (124,000)."

I've always thought Little Rock would be a good fit for the OVC or Southland.

When are they going to let you guys in? Always thought Missouri State and Chattanooga would perfectly complete the Sun Belt. I'm still iffy on Coastal's inclusion, but whatever.

Are there more football stadium improvements to come up in Springfield?

Will they ever hire a good coach too?

Chatanooga said no about the same time App and Georgia Southern were added. Missouri State is our most common flirt-mance. However they were in a committed long term relationship with a girl out of Wichita, and even though she bolted for a more attractive guy out of Cincinnati, they can't seem to get her out of their head and have become obsessed with pumping iron and trying to look attractive enough she'll realize the err of her ways and come back to confess her true love.

While that happened, their best friend out of Chicago (Sweet girl, named Loyola) whose been begging for their attention for years while they flirted with Whichita won the Lottery by sheer accident this past year and has gotten all sort of National Attention, and all the guys she could want.

Missouri State lives a tough life.

(07-29-2018 04:14 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-29-2018 11:12 AM)Coach Bonez89 Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 12:43 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:26 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  "UA Little Rock currently has a base of approximately 57,000 living alumni, which ranks seventh in the Southland
Conference and eighth in the Ohio Valley and is one of the smallest alumni bases among comparable FBS
conferences. The UA Little Rock alumni base (57,000) is approximately 10 percent below the Southland
Conference average (63,482), 19 percent below the Ohio Valley Conference average (70,300), 41 percent below
the Sun Belt conference average (97,300), and 54 percent below the Conference USA average (124,000)."

I've always thought Little Rock would be a good fit for the OVC or Southland.

When are they going to let you guys in? Always thought Missouri State and Chattanooga would perfectly complete the Sun Belt. I'm still iffy on Coastal's inclusion, but whatever.

Are there more football stadium improvements to come up in Springfield?

Will they ever hire a good coach too?

Chatanooga said no about the same time App and Georgia Southern were added. Missouri State is our most common flirt-mance. However they were in a committed long term relationship with a girl out of Wichita, and even though she bolted for a more attractive guy out of Cincinnati, they can't seem to get her out of their head and have become obsessed with pumping iron and trying to look attractive enough she'll realize the err of her ways and come back to confess her true love.

While that happened, their best friend out of Chicago (Sweet girl, named Loyola) whose been begging for their attention for years while they flirted with Whichita won the Lottery by sheer accident this past year and has gotten all sort of National Attention, and all the guys she could want.

Missouri State lives a tough life.

Hahaha! Always enjoy a good laugh on a day of rest.

I'm aware of the whole VALLEY image they were trying to protect. It does seem that they should have done it when they had the chance. Especially now that the VALLEY will be a one bid league without the Shockers and Creighton in the league.

(07-29-2018 11:50 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(07-29-2018 11:12 AM)Coach Bonez89 Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 12:43 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-24-2018 11:26 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  "UA Little Rock currently has a base of approximately 57,000 living alumni, which ranks seventh in the Southland
Conference and eighth in the Ohio Valley and is one of the smallest alumni bases among comparable FBS
conferences. The UA Little Rock alumni base (57,000) is approximately 10 percent below the Southland
Conference average (63,482), 19 percent below the Ohio Valley Conference average (70,300), 41 percent below
the Sun Belt conference average (97,300), and 54 percent below the Conference USA average (124,000)."

I've always thought Little Rock would be a good fit for the OVC or Southland.

When are they going to let you guys in? Always thought Missouri State and Chattanooga would perfectly complete the Sun Belt. I'm still iffy on Coastal's inclusion, but whatever.

Are there more football stadium improvements to come up in Springfield?

Will they ever hire a good coach too?

Chattanooga had a chance back in 2012 but passed on it and i doubt they'll get another look again unless conference realignment 2.0 kicks into gear someday

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/21813635/utc...n-fbs-move

Chattanooga actually called and expressed interest in 2004 but the whole "we want you to play FBS football" thing torched that.

Missouri State's disinterest in FBS cuts the Bears off as well.

Crappy football + being a basketball school in a basketball conference = purgatory

(07-30-2018 10:14 AM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Crappy football + being a basketball school in a basketball conference = purgatory

On the Bright side...it sure beats Hell

(07-30-2018 10:30 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-30-2018 10:14 AM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Crappy football + being a basketball school in a basketball conference = purgatory

On the Bright side...it sure beats Hell

True it does.

The MVC is a great conference overall and they really do things right for the most part. Just no FBS football is the killer.

(07-30-2018 12:46 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(07-30-2018 10:30 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-30-2018 10:14 AM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Crappy football + being a basketball school in a basketball conference = purgatory

On the Bright side...it sure beats Hell

True it does.

The MVC is a great conference overall and they really do things right for the most part. Just no FBS football is the killer.

Missouri State's prospects to move up to FBS are not dead. With Little Rock now a lock not to move up if UTA ever gets its act together and adds football I suspect we will again be looking for a 12th Football school to even out divisions.

Having spent a few years of my young life in Southern Missouri I'd love to see the Bears join the rest of us in the Sun Belt.