coachacola

They must be playing TCU for the money.  The South Dakota was an away game so instead of losing money (or making a little money) Lamar will now make a lot of money.  It'll also give Lamar at lot more publicity!

[quote name="EagleFan01" post="955833" timestamp="1296154255"] Lamar kept South Alabama on the schedule dropped Texas State and yes they can do that because Texas State is not able to compete for a SLC championship next season since they are going to the WAC. So it will be Langson first then Incarnate Word instead of South Dakota then go to South Alabama and to Fort Worth [/quote] If that's true then they'll have two "warm-up" games before getting to the meat of the schedule.

I don't know about this year's FCS championship game, but last year's game between Villanova and Appy State with a 1.52 rating.  That puts it near the bottom of bowl games.  This year's game probably had a lower rating than that. [quote]The most-watched game in Football Championship Subdivision history – nearly 2 million households – was last year’s playoff semifinal between Montana and Appalachian State. The momentum from that produced a television rating of 1.52 a week later when Villanova beat the Grizzlies on ESPN for the national title – the biggest Nielsen number since the game moved from CBS to cable in 1994. [/quote] [Hidden Content]

In a way I'm glad LU lost this game because I don't see how they can justify keeping Roc as head coach anymore.  If Roc is back next year then it will mean they don't care about winning.

[quote name="HoopInsider_Cooper" post="955478" timestamp="1296098767"] And TCU cries about respect? LOL.... [/quote] Texas Tech backed out of the game at the last minute so TCU is scrambling to find someone. [Hidden Content]

Post-teleconference update from San Antonio blog: [Hidden Content] Not much news.

8-5 LU early.

Feb 2nd!

[quote name="JJWooten" post="955242" timestamp="1296076144"] [quote author=coachacola link=topic=78804.msg955224#msg955224 date=1296074082] If there were an actual "Toilet Bowl" it would get better TV ratings than the FCS championship game! [/quote] I bet a of people turned in during the halftime of TAMU-LSU to watch one of the best FCS comebacks of the decade. Can you name any of the teams that played in the early December games? I know I can't and they were on Primetime ESPN. [/quote] If the NCAA was serious about FCS-level football then they wouldn't have the championship game at the same time as a bowl game.  Also, having the championship game 3 weeks or whatever after the semi-finals didn't help matters.  It's not the Super Bowl, the hype doesn't build while waiting for the game.  If the NCAA made FCS-level football more relevant it could probably get a lot more attention than an all these low-level bowls and schools wouldn't be jumping at the opportunity to go FBS.

From the San Antonio paper, a WAC teleconference is scheduled for this afternoon: [quote]Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson will hold a state-of-the-union teleconference this afternoon with his eight remaining athletic directors to discuss the league’s prospects following yesterday’s news that, despite numerous reports to the contrary, the Mountain West Conference will not raid its already-depleted ranks yet again.[/quote] Looks like they may have an update around 5 or 6 tonight. [Hidden Content]

If there were an actual "Toilet Bowl" it would get better TV ratings than the FCS championship game!

Another article discussing the MWC and the WAC. [quote]WAC commissioner Karl Benson said he was told by MWC commissioner Craig Thompson that the MWC will be a 10-member conference for the "foreseeable future."[/quote] [quote]The MWC's stance opened the way for the WAC to secure its future with current members Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and San Jose State and upcoming additions Texas State, Texas-San Antonio and Denver (basketball only) plus some yet-to-be-named future members. Benson said, "the WAC will begin to implement" an expansion plan based upon "the options open to the WAC." [b]Benson said he expects that to be done by April 1. A nine-member football, 12-member basketball structure is believed to be the goal.[/b][/quote] [Hidden Content]

Dropping football then leaving the Sun Belt were two of the biggest blunders Lamar made before Simmons and Tubbs took over.  They've brought back football, now they need to join the WAC since a Sun Belt invite won't happen if Lamar stays FCS.  Lamar should already be playing FBS football like former SLC members La Tech, UL-L, Ark State, North Texas and UL-M.  I think going FBS has been Simmons' and Tubbs' plan from day 1.

LU picked 3rd in coaches' poll, 4th in SID poll: [Hidden Content]

From the Idaho Statesman: [quote]"This now allows us to get serious about exploring our options and we do have options," Benson said. "Now that San Jose State (and) Utah State are going to be part of the WAC's future, we can move forward and complete the plan that we have started." The league scheduled a conference call for Wednesday to discuss its next steps — in light of the Mountain West meetings. Membership will be a topic, but Benson does not expect any decisions to be made on the call. The WAC will have seven football-playing members and one non-football school (Denver) in 2012. Benson said the priority is finding football members. "We have to be realistic that the pool of football candidates more than likely doesn't exist in the West," Benson said. That could mean more attention in Texas.[/quote] Read more: [Hidden Content]

The Mountain West isn't expanding so Utah State and San Jose State are staying in the WAC for now.  This adds stability to the WAC so it's time for Lamar to join.

The ex-SLC schools in the Sun Belt look down on Lamar and the rest of the SLC.  They think they are better than Lamar.  This is Texas where there's high school football and D1A football, nothing else really matters.

Pomeroy predicts a 93-83 LU win.  I'll go with that.

[quote name="puddin tane" post="954093" timestamp="1295937014"] [quote author=coachacola link=topic=78804.msg953858#msg953858 date=1295894312] They need to get rid of the FBS/FCS distinction.  Not sure what makes football different than the other sports.  If you want to have football, then have football.  Like all the other D1 sports, the major conferences dominate and nobody else gets much attention.  Let it be the same for football.  Why even bother with the stupid attendance rule?  If nobody goes to a schools football games, then they probably suck and the school can finance the team through other means like student fees or donations. The people who complain most about teams going FBS are the fans of other FBS schools in conferences that suck, like the Sun Belt, because more FBS schools just drains away the little talent they are getting now.  It makes it easier for them to win when they have less competition.  The fans of other FCS schools also don't like schools moving up because they get left in media vacuum that is FCS football.  The FCS championship games draws about the same amount of viewers as the worst FBS bowl game. Hopefully Lamar announces their move to the WAC soon because being even being a bottom of the barrel FBS school like UL-Monroe beats staying in the SLC any day of the week. [/quote] i'm sick of fbs/fcs...so i'm reverting back to how it should be I'd rather be good 1-AA than a "ULM" of 1A..they suck [/quote] There's not much difference between between a good 1-AA team and a bad 1A team, except the good 1-AA team gets less money, less tv exposure and worse schedules than the bad 1-A team.  But hey, if that's your dream for Lamar then more power to you.

[quote name="puddin tane" post="954024" timestamp="1295923647"] [quote author=Green Menace link=topic=78804.msg953948#msg953948 date=1295907589] Lamar better start looking again for an FBS conference to join.  Word on the MWC board is that Utah State and San Jose State are the newest MWC members.  This move would pretty much eliminate the WAC.  San Jose had 8K fans for their last home game.  Go figure. [/quote] The WAC  is a  who's who of teams that have left it [/quote] ...and moved up to better conferences.  Lamar needs to join Texas State and UTSA and old rival La Tech in the WAC.  It's a better basketball conference than the SLC and it will remain a FBS conference.

[quote name="1KatKiller" post="953926" timestamp="1295904983"] "Hopefully Lamar announces their move to the WAC soon because being even being a bottom of the barrel FBS school like UL-Monroe beats staying in the SLC any day of the week. " [b]Even if you can't beat those teams?[/b] [/quote] Lamar certainly can't beat them if they stay FCS.

[quote name="Green Menace" post="953904" timestamp="1295901297"] [quote author=coachacola link=topic=78804.msg953858#msg953858 date=1295894312] They need to get rid of the FBS/FCS distinction.  Not sure what makes football different than the other sports.  If you want to have football, then have football.  Like all the other D1 sports, the major conferences dominate and nobody else gets much attention.  Let it be the same for football.  Why even bother with the stupid attendance rule?  If nobody goes to a schools football games, then they probably suck and the school can finance the team through other means like student fees or donations. [b]The people who complain most about teams going FBS are the fans of other FBS schools in conferences that suck, like the Sun Belt[/b], because more FBS schools just drains away the little talent they are getting now.  It makes it easier for them to win when they have less competition.  The fans of other FCS schools also don't like schools moving up because they get left in media vacuum that is FCS football.  The FCS championship games draws about the same amount of viewers as the worst FBS bowl game. Hopefully Lamar announces their move to the WAC soon because being even being a bottom of the barrel FBS school like UL-Monroe beats staying in the SLC any day of the week. [/quote] And Lamar would welcome an invite to the "sucky" Sun Belt or the soon-to-be "super sucky" Wacy conference.  Remember this Coachocola, the Sun Belt is only ten years old. [/quote] I agree.  But on the Sun Belt board lots of posters are hoping the WAC folds.  My point is that Lamar needs to get it's foot in the FBS door, no matter what conference it is or how bad it is because hardly anyone considers FCS football D1-level football.  I'm not putting down the Sun Belt, I'm just saying that an heirarchy exists in the college sports world and Lamar needs to move up, even though there's a lot of voices out there that doesn't want that to happen.

[quote name="bigred360" post="952352" timestamp="1295640152"] See there are more people than just me upset with your comments. The NFL and other Pro sports teams comparison is a little lame.   I'm done with this debate as I have more important things to do. Have a nice day! BTW, I listened to the Coach Tidwell show last night and he said there are more conferences than just the WAC looking at Lamar. He said he expected a big shakeup in the WAC, Sun Belt and C-USA in the next 6-8 weeks. He mentioned no conference has talked to him directly but he knows of a couple that are looking at Lamar. [/quote] The Coach Tidwell show is now on the Lamar website.  Go to the 19 minute mark to hear him talk about conference realignment. [Hidden Content]

They need to get rid of the FBS/FCS distinction.  Not sure what makes football different than the other sports.  If you want to have football, then have football.  Like all the other D1 sports, the major conferences dominate and nobody else gets much attention.  Let it be the same for football.  Why even bother with the stupid attendance rule?  If nobody goes to a schools football games, then they probably suck and the school can finance the team through other means like student fees or donations. The people who complain most about teams going FBS are the fans of other FBS schools in conferences that suck, like the Sun Belt, because more FBS schools just drains away the little talent they are getting now.  It makes it easier for them to win when they have less competition.  The fans of other FCS schools also don't like schools moving up because they get left in media vacuum that is FCS football.  The FCS championship games draws about the same amount of viewers as the worst FBS bowl game. Hopefully Lamar announces their move to the WAC soon because being even being a bottom of the barrel FBS school like UL-Monroe beats staying in the SLC any day of the week.

107-72 LU wins.  Is UCA an actual D1 team?