Lamar does not fit WAC expansion profile, commish says

[coachacola]

The Western Athletic Conference still needs to add two football-playing schools, and Lamar does not fit the preferred profile for conference expansion, WAC commissioner Karl Benson said Saturday.

 

Benson, who attended Lamar's game Saturday at Texas State, said the league prefers to add current Football Bowl Subdivision members instead of a current Football Championship Subdivision member such as Lamar.

 

That does not mean the WAC has eliminated Lamar from consideration.

 

Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/lamar/article/Lamar-does-not-fit-WAC-expansion-profile-commish-2220643.php#ixzz1auEkh3rN

[Guest CardAmbassador]

I laughed when I read this.

[coachacola]

Benson really didn't say anything new in that article. The WAC will take Lamar if they can't get anybody else to join. But the way things are going there's no telling what the conference landscape will look like 6 months from now.

[LUSportsFan]

I'm beginning to think that the WAC doesn't fit Lamar's expansion profile.

 

I look at the most recent WAC adds and wonder why would I want to be a part of that? The only reason is that it now looks like the conference of last resort, just as I'm sure that the WAC leadership may view a program like Lamar as a program of last resort.

 

I don't know of any program currently in the WAC that is actually excited about being part of the WAC except for maybe the Texas programs.

 

This summer, I viewed Lamar to the WAC as a win/win. I'm not so sure now. I don't see any kind of stability in the conference. My preference would be going back to the Sunbelt conference if the opportunity came up.

 

I have no doubts we could be just as good of an FBS program as current FBS programs. I think we could exceed several current programs based on facilities, fan support, tradition, and area. I just don't want to go somewhere that I am not wanted and I don't want my university to do something like that.

[geezer]

Why would the SBC want Lamar? Lamar left the SBC because of travel costs or because it couldn't compete, which was it or was it something else?

[LUSportsFan]

Why would the SBC want Lamar? Lamar left the SBC because of travel costs or because it couldn't compete, which was it or was it something else?

 

Different time, different conditions, different leadership and a bad decision all the way around in my opinion.

 

Same thing as the decision to drop football in '89. Bad decision then. It's back now.

 

I think leaving the Sunbelt was a money thing at the time.

 

I don't recall Lamar leaving the Sunbelt as ever being because it couldn't compete. Lamar was in the conference from 1991 - 1998. The university didn't play football, but that's a non issue since the Sunbelt didn't sponsor football until 2001, a few years after Lamar left. Women's basketball had a championship in 1992. Lamar Men's basketball didn't set the world on fire in basketball, but was in the middle of the pack. The basketball record was better than other programs still in the conference. In baseball, Lamar won two championships during the period and represented the conference in the NCAA playoffs. Women's Golf saw four conference championships during the period. Volleyball saw two championships.

[Guest NorthoftheBorder]

So what's the difference between UTSA, TxSt or UTA? All FCS moveups. The only difference is the TV market. They are all in major tv markets. Lamar brings way more to the table than UTA, except tv market. So be honest with us Benson.

[LUSportsFan]

So what's the difference between UTSA, TxSt or UTA? All FCS moveups. The only difference is the TV market. They are all in major tv markets. Lamar brings way more to the table than UTA, except tv market. So be honest with us Benson.

 

My thoughts exactly.

[Guest CardAmbassador]

I spoke to Justin of BobcatReport who continues to say LU has a good shot of being invited. Apparently there has been talk of inviting Lamar recently but its still the western schools who are against the idea.

 

The WAC is actually more stable now that the CUSA and MWC are merging. But, that does not mean the WAC has any hope of even grabbing a Sun Belt team. It will not happen IMO.

 

If the WAC gets a football school it will be from FCS.

[coachacola]

From what I can gather the WAC invited UTA because they are a basketball school in a big market, and that's what they needed to have 9 football schools and 12 total schools. Since they are two football schools short, the western schools want at least one more western school to keep a good east/west balance.

 

I don't think they'll get two western schools to join, especially if the MWC is unstable and SJSU and/or Utah State get invited. I think Lamar will get invited this spring, but there's so much uncertainty that who knows what will happen.

[geezer]

Looking at the numbers as they stand now what do you think the Confernces will look like by 2015?

Where could Lamar fit in? Minimum number for a conference to stay in the FBS world.

 

From what is known

2011 2013 Potential

Changes

ACC 12 14

Big East 8 6

Big Ten 12 12

Big 12 10 10

Merged CUSA/MWC 20 22

Mid-America 13

Pac 12 12 12

SEC 12 13

Sunbelt 9

WAC 8 8