Guest NorthoftheBorder Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I have to be honest with you guys I have become a pro-FCS fan. Before this wonderful football season I wanted SHSU to go FBS at all costs but after this season I realized I would rather be an FCS power than a bottom feeder FBS. We had 3 games on ESPN and 3 football games on FSN. Most schools in the WAC can’t even boast that. Our AD has made it clear that we want to go FBS at some point but we are in NO rush. Coach Fritz had this to say in the Huntsville Item,“I told our guys many times that I want people to talk about Sam Houston the way they talk about Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, North Dakota State and Montana. That’s what we’re looking for. In order to do that, there’s some areas we’ve got to improve in and do better.” http://itemonline.com/sports/x1267393988/Sam-Houston-State-football-Gearing-up-for-2012 Plus we have plenty of work to do with facilities. We are finally breaking ground on the event center this year, expanding chair backs, and replacing the scoreboard. Bottom line: Fritz wants to be here, we have a young talented team and we want to be the Montana of the south. We expect record ticket sales next year too. The WAC is not stable so it’s best to stay put, and that means LU as well. This is the time for LU to win games and build that young football program. Once you guys start to win I can see LU and SHSU becoming the new hot twins that the FBS conferences want ala Montana twins. Bearkat 25, you seem to be a solid and even keeled SHSU fan and I appreciate you input on this board. I would say that LU has to make strides in the direction/coaching of the football program before we can move in that direction. SHSU appears to have made a great hire in Fritz. I hope you guys can keep him, but you know the drill. If he has another 2 years of this kind of success then larger schools with a bigger paycheck will come sniffing around and it is almost impossible for a human being to turn down the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePrisoner Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I read somewhere that UTA may announce this spring that they are bringing back football. Their current budget is pretty low at around $8 million, but they have a large student body so they could raise that pretty easily like Texas State and UTSA have. I think Lamar is still in the mix depending on how things shake out, and there's nothing wrong with staying FCS for another year or two. I'd hate for Lamar to join the WAC and then it falls apart. Lamar becoming the WAC's 8th football school would only add to the stability the conference needs to keep it from falling apart. If UTA adds football it would be a plus and create a really nice eastern voting block of six schools; NMSU, UTA, TxState, UTSA, La Tech and Lamar. This scenario is great for a six team division in terms of travel and rivalries. But, I think the remaining western schools, i.e., SJSU, Idaho, Utah State, are afraid of this massive shift in power and are dead-set against it until western schools are added first. There in lies the political problem, no new western schools are ready or financially able at this time and the western WAC teams won't budge from their position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crawfish Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I do not think the WAC will survive as a football conference, especially when (not if) La. Tech jumps ship. I have also heard rumors (from a normally reliable sources) that Benson, commissioner of the WAC, has applied and will be interviewed for the SBC commissioner position that will open up this summer with Wright Water's retirement. Bottom Line: I believe the WAC is a sinking ship football wise, but will survive as a non-football conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePrisoner Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I do not think the WAC will survive as a football conference, especially when (not if) La. Tech jumps ship. I have also heard rumors (from a normally reliable sources) that Thompson, commissioner of the WAC, has applied and will be interviewed for the SBC commissioner position that will open up this summer with Wright Water's retirement. Bottom Line: I believe the WAC is a sinking ship football wise, but will survive as a non-football conference. Thompson is commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, not the WAC. Check the accuracy of your sources again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crawfish Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 You are correct, I meant Benson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 http://sportsdeckblog.com/new-potential-wac-additions/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachacola Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 http://sportsdeckblog.com/new-potential-wac-additions/ That's similar to what others have proposed, but that article is 2 months old and with everything that's happening now, I doubt we'll see anything close to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigRed2010 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Everything that I have read is that the Montana's are happy where there at(FCS). Also, North Dakota State and Northern Iowa both have indoor stadiums. I'm thinking it would take alot of money to expand either stadium to seat 25,000-30,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I wonder how much longer until we start to hear WAC / SBC expansion rumors. I also wonder if the WAC even survives with everything going on right now. I don't think LU even accepts if offered a spot to the WAC. If offered the SBC we probably jump but I think the WAC might just be SOL now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I wonder what sort of stuff Jack has been hearing about WAC expansion. Probably nothing until they pick a new commissioner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachacola Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I wonder what sort of stuff Jack has been hearing about WAC expansion. Probably nothing until they pick a new commissioner. Jack at bobcatreport.com posted an article last week but their forum is no longer free so I don't know what he wrote. I think at this point Lamar waits to see if they can get invited to the Sun Belt when all is said and done. I think until the WAC completely falls apart it's still an option for Lamar, although that would be a risky move in this environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I still think if the WAC was smart they would jump out and invite SHSU and LU at the same time. I think both schools would accept this cause it would give the conference some semblance of stability. This way if the WAC loses a couple of schools the conference can still be at 7. This is probably the only real option for the WAC at this point. I dont think they are getting what they want from CALI and the montana's are a no go. I am not even sure that LU would go unless something like a SHSU and LU deal are done. But I am not sure if the western schools will allow this. In the end the western schools could end up being the demise of the conference. This is all opinion. And I am not even sure if I completely agree with everything I am typing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Also, I hate SHSU. Was looking forward to not being in their conference. But it does make sense to have them move up with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I wonder what sort of stuff Jack has been hearing about WAC expansion. Probably nothing until they pick a new commissioner. Jack at bobcatreport.com posted an article last week but their forum is no longer free so I don't know what he wrote. I think at this point Lamar waits to see if they can get invited to the Sun Belt when all is said and done. I think until the WAC completely falls apart it's still an option for Lamar, although that would be a risky move in this environment. I think Tommy might still have his email. It used to be jack@bobcatreport.com but I am not sure if that is still what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Per WacBoard: Credible sources here tell us that Temple and FIU are the top priorities on the east side right now.La Tech has been in contact and expressed a desire to be part of the new conference on the east side. There dosen't seem to be anything going on with the west side at this time.While this new conference talked about possible expansion to 18-24 teams don't expect that happen over night.Presently 18 seems to be the immediate goal. This seems to make sense from everything I am reading. I think the Alliance makes a small grab this year looking for possible larger expansions in the future. If this is the case, LU might have an opportunity to move up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachacola Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Here's some tweets from Jack at bobcatreport about the WAC and the Sun Belt: I can live with games in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. And New Mexico, maybe. I always advocated the WAC over the Belt, but not when some behemoth conference is forming and our buddy is next door. Realistically the Belt can add Texas teams and maybe even NM State looks possible. KB had that job for 18 years and the WAC doesn't pay him into his retirement. They're right next door and very, very weak. I'm just going to throw this out there - what do you think a mad Karl Benson might be thinking about doing come April 1st? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachacola Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Latest from Jack at bobcatreport.com: Texas State, UTSA, North Texas, Arkansas State, 'Louisiana', 'Monroe', and New Mexico State. Malzahn and McCarney, Fran and Coker. Not bad. That would lock Lamar out of the Sun Belt, but I say replace Monroe with LU! Guess all of this is just speculation at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McneeseKilla Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachacola Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself Dr. Simmons was talking to the WAC last year so it's not that far-fetched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McneeseKilla Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself Dr. Simmons was talking to the WAC last year so it's not that far-fetched. That maybe, but talkin is a whole lot more different than discussin things. When we start only havin standing room seating every game then we can start lookin into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBonesLU Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself What makes you think that? Don't kid yourself, we are a lot closer to moving up than you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CardAmbassador Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself What makes you think that? Don't kid yourself, we are a lot closer to moving up than you think. I don't think a WAC or SBC invite is impossible, but there is a reason I've stayed relatively quiet on this issue the past few months. I don't think LU is really that interested in the WAC (nor the WAC in LU anymore) and I think Sun Belt circumstances are not where they would need to be for them to be considering a LU invite. Just my opinion but last summer we were much closer to a potential FBS invite than we are right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McneeseKilla Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself What makes you think that? Don't kid yourself, we are a lot closer to moving up than you think. Trust me I dont kid. If we can get a big name coach to get us there with a sub .500 record then I might actually go along with yall, but until then I'm gonna stay in the southland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBonesLU Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We are a long way from movin up anywhere boys so don't kid yourself What makes you think that? Don't kid yourself, we are a lot closer to moving up than you think. I don't think a WAC or SBC invite is impossible, but there is a reason I've stayed relatively quiet on this issue the past few months. I don't think LU is really that interested in the WAC (nor the WAC in LU anymore) and I think Sun Belt circumstances are not where they would need to be for them to be considering a LU invite. Just my opinion but last summer we were much closer to a potential FBS invite than we are right now. I actually hope we don't go to the WAC as it looks as though it is very unstable. However, he didn't provide any evidence behind his claim, so I was merely challenging what he said. Plus, I was interested in his thinking. I don't think us moving up is as far-fetched as one may think, though it will prove to be very challenging. UL-Monroe is one of those schools which Lamar could overtake. I'm sure there are others. We just have to keep our eyes open for the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcurran235 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If the SBC came calling, which is unlikely as of now, LU is gone. The WAC is a different story. If the WAC comes to LU as a last resort, I am with TBones, I would rather stay in the southland due to the stability of the WAC. Now if the WAC asked us along with another four (including another Texas / Louisiana school) or five schools to strengthen the membership of the conference, I am all for LU going. I would not want to be in TxSt position right now with the conference in so much trouble. If I was the WAC schools I would be calling emergency meetings right now to send out invites to 5 or more schools to strengthen the membership. Even if it is for football only inclusion with schools out east. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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