TexGator

What it takes to be competitive in this world of NCAA Athletics: - Good leadership (O'Malley is a great leader... and has built the Athletic Department quickly since taking over for Born- honestly, had to google his name to make sure I remembered it correctly- my brain scrubbed that name as quickly as the university did) - Good coaching (Rossomando is that- this also includes good recruiting) - Committed alumni (we have that) - Campus culture (they're working on that- would love to see more competition among students and alumni groups for turnout at games across all sports) But it's a building process.

There are definitely some great opportunities this weekend and next to help the SOS. But the fact remains that, unless you're Northwestern State, you're in a position that 7-1 in conference probably gets you into postseason play.

UIW and HCU will have "bigger" budgets because they will be able to consider their tuition to be part of the budget (and their tuition/fees are significantly higher, so even if we included ours, it wouldn't add as much as they do). If we want to move up into the top tier of FCS, we're going to have to increase what we're paying players. I hate to tell people they need to give up more of their money, but to get into that top tier, Lamar's going to need to increase that amount to closer to $7M and stay there. (not talking about moving to FBS- I think we need to start averaging over 10K fans and winning playoff games before that sort of talk) Might this require the paycheck games to get bigger? Maybe. Texas State (last year) and UNT (this year) write big checks, but Big12 and SEC schools write bigger ones. I know that O'Malley and Rossomando don't want to hurt our chances in conference by getting beaten up by the bigger boys, but an extra $200K (for example) is a difference-making amount.

Glad that the Cardinals made the game was "getting late early" for the Tigers. Other than the one series where TSU scored, the defense really stepped up and made sure it was obvious we were the better team. Honestly, more than the final score (since the offense didn't need to do much in the 2nd half), I liked how they played like they knew they were the better team. We could have executed better but there was no reason to do too much. They knew they had 2 weeks to prep for UCA so there was no reason to do anything more than just get the win. We don't need style points against a team that had already lost to Prairie View.

If we need to "not feel good about Saturday" then I'll "not feel good" The team played a really good game, but they have to go 1-0 this week or it's all or naught.

The tune for the fight song isn't original. Other colleges also use it.

If it's 8-4, I'm guessing that's losses to: North Texas, South Dakota, Incarnate Word, and a split with SE Louisiana and SFA? I think 9-3 (if the losses are to UNT, USD, and UIW), I think they make it. But they definitely have to have "the look" of a playoff team. The Southland isn't seen as an automatic multi-bid league. Then again, if they beat USD, it'd be huge of their RPI.

The Cards were picked 4th in the Preseason Southland Poll. All the pundits are buying what Rosso is selling and are basically saying version of, "they have the highest ceiling of anyone in conference." While it hurt for them to point out the SE Louisiana loss kicked them out of the playoffs, it is encouraging to think "We were a missed FG from getting that win." What do you feel the 2025 football season will look like? Definitely going to catch more games this year. My life is less complicated in the fall... so I need to invest my time well.

We don't lose guys to mediocre programs. We lose them to CWS-caliber programs. I feel like we gained more than we lost. Sucks to lose what we lost but we still gained.

The impressive part of that, to me, is that McNeese did that with only 5 home football games. It's 100% campus culture. Revenue be damned (though they'd still make revenue off them with apparel and concession sales), get students into the building creating a home field/court advantage for Big Red. Those of us who are early-Millennials and Gen-X remember what the Montagne was like in the late-80s and early-90s. Make it fun and exciting to be at games for students and the community.

Hadn't gotten to look into our men's basketball signees until now. These young Cardinals are going to light up the scoreboard while playing Coach Brooks' brand of defense. Now, just have to keep them from flying the coop so they can fly high with into the postseason.

With their RPI where it is, they have to win every series here on out to be able to make it to the tournament as an at-large team. I think the Southland can get 2 teams in due to their strength, but those midweek games are imperative for RPI. I really think that we get an A-L bid if we: - win the midweek games against UAPB, SHSU, UH, PV and split with TAMU & Texas - go 12-3 the rest of the way in conference By my math that gets them to 41-12. The new format for the conference tournament starts this year, right? So, if we can get up to a top-2 seed, we host a pod... right?

While it's famously true that Lasorda worked off one-year contracts, you're talking about professional sports. In the professional ranks, the coach isn't also constructing the roster themselves, acting as a de facto Director of Player Personnel.

Yes, be more active with it. Drive traffic to the page via Facebook and Twitter.

Big decision for student-athletes that go the Junior College route. It was just decided that junior college years do not count against athletes' 4 years of NCAA eligibility. Given that they're just making up classification and years of eligibility on the NCAA level (oh, you stubbed your toe in practice in 1994 but didn't miss a game, we're giving you an extra year!), this makes sense. It also means these young men and women are going to get more coaching, a better chance to develop skills, and will hopefully improve the quality of product on the coach/field. It also means the 97% who don't go pro will have more education and are exposed to more opportunities before being sent off into the world. Yes, I understand it also means some 18/19 year-olds are going to be playing against 24- and 25-year-olds but it will breathe extra life into the junior college game while pushing those young men and women to find ways to improve themselves... that's a big jump going, in 8 months, from playing 15- and 16-year-olds to competing against some athletes who are 5 years older than you.

Create a fan page that includes teasers of the hot topics of the week. Not to sing my praises, but the big news today is Rosso's extension and the win over Southern Mississippi. A teaser with link to the threads about those gets eyeballs.

I guess I was right that O'Malley would be working on an extension for Rosso. No, I don't have any inside information; just knew that, if you have a couple of good seasons that change the trajectory, you invest the money to extend the guy. Even in this era where the portal and cash are kings, players want the stability of knowing, ceteris peribus, that's your coach for the duration of your time with the school. If you're an employee, you feel uneasy if the leadership isn't stable; they're kids- they need it more than we do.

The additional love he's getting after showing out is exactly why he decommitted. He still is considering Lamar but is waiting to sign.

I really like the guys they brought in. Would have preferred a bigger class but this fills some holes and now, with the big boys having signed their classes, there will be a lot of really talented guys out there who were hoping for a last-minute offer from an FBS program who will jump at an offer from a school like Lamar.

Not sure where you've gone in Delaware, but to get to Newark (learned the hard way, it's "New-ark" and not pronounced like the NY city), you fly into Philly and drive about 30-40 minutes. It's like going from IAH to Conroe or Hobby to Galveston. This is a "going home" situation... with a tinge of "doubling (if not tripling) his compensation"- Drayton made $1.8M last year... Keeler's extension came out to $812,500 for this year- albeit that he probably hit some bonuses.

I don't disagree that it's not as the bar-none top priority it used to be but I've talked with plenty of guys coming out the last couple of years and they've all said it's still something that want- they want a "home"... even if it's only for a couple of years because they're seeing the numbers and FCS guys who enter the portal usually don't end up with a better stiuation. The classes of '26 and '27 don't want to have to re-start their recruitment. It's exciting to be wanted and the money is nice, but they also know this world of open, unrestricted transfers could end any day and the NCAA announces the rules are different w/o any grandfather clause. Adding even 1 year onto his contract can be a deal-maker for guys.

They had 42 combined penalties (for 365 yards) in the Texas State, MVSU, and Texas Southern games. ... while their opponents had 36 (for 304 yards). That sounds, as much as anything, that those refs just called the game really tightly- especially in the MVSU game. We went 2-1 in those games. (and, unless I typed something in wrong, it was 99 penalties for 869 yards) But, getting this thread back on the rails, while I'd like the penalties to decrease, I don't think "number of penalties in non-conference" is a decision-maker in an extension for Rosso, when it's a subjective stat- if a team makes good plays, they don't accept as many penalties. While it's not the be all, end all in this transfer portal era we've created, recruits aren't keen on committing to a school and coach that aren't committed to being there through the end of that student's eligibility. If memory serves, he got a 5-year deal... which means the guys Rosso's recruiting in the Classes of '26 and '27 only have an assurance he's going to be there for their first year or two.

Turns out that we're not one of the most penalized teams.

People that think they know better than a coach are idiots. You are spot on that, if the Southeastern game went the Cards way and they made the playoffs, there would still be skeptics of the system.

Given the culture change and better results on the field, is it time for O'Malley to start talking to Rossomando about an extension- one that will keep him from wanting to interview for other jobs? I'm not saying another school will pluck him up after going 13-10 the first 2 years, the trajectory of the program makes it where an opening somewhere next year might get some tougher calls for his agent to return with "Coach Rossomando is grateful you appreciated his work enough to extend an offer to interview, but he's very happy at Lamar." Don't worry- I think Rice is going to first look at Clint Killough or K. C. Keeler, but Rosso has definitely earned, in my opinion, a little additional job security (But I'm not writing the whole check for the additional money- I'm not that well off).