TexasTerror

UConn...the women and the men go back and forth pending on who is the top dog... Then you got a program like Western Kentucky where the women have outdrawn the men historically unless the men are having a good season...bet the same goes for La Tech and perhaps even Old Dominion...

With coaches polls, you are always wondering who is voting -- is it the SIDs? An assistant? 24 votes seems lower than last year. This poll isn't too bad by any stretch though surprised by the coaches bumping NDSU to #2 from #9.

Because this whole debate started from UTSA's facility getting a 'nod' as being 'sparkling'...well, it is! As far as FBS goes -- a sampling of schools with facilities smaller or equal of that of UTSA's from the lower-end of conferences...showing it can be done C-USA: Tulane, Rice MAC: Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Western Michigan Sun Belt: FAU, Troy and UALR (only holds 5,600 and that's one helluva beautiful facility -- bet UTSA could cram 5,600 in) WAC: San Jose State Keep in mind there are schools in the Big East among others that use smaller facilities for their women than UTSA uses...

That picture does not do it justice... The building just has a "new" feel to it -- something that no other building in the SLC can give you, unless you want to talk about the new scoreboards at different SLC facilities, the new horseflies flying around Burton Coliseum or the new obnoxious fans at SFA.

When were you last at the Convocation Center in San Antonio? I was there last November and can tell you that it's "sparkling". No questioning that Montagne is one of the best facilities in the SLC, if not the best -- but by no means does it have the "new", "fresh" and as noted in the ESPN article, "sparkling" look that the Convocation Center has. Just seems like the building is "alive".

Lamar doesn't have the "sparkle" of a UTSA or from what I am reading, the amazing popcorn of a SHSU.

You don't think UTSA's is the "most sparkling"...? I think so. Been to most every arena in the conference and it has the "cleanest look" by far...

ESPN's preview of all the conferences...they did the SLC today. Andy Katz talks about the subject of moving the SLC title game off of Selection Day... [Hidden Content]

I wonder if SHSU is on Jolivette -- we just signed Antaun Bootle from the same school. What's the info you got on Jolivette?

The above article stated 10,500 on campus and just under 14,000 overall (due to that program -- also mentioned above). Unless I read that wrong... SHSU's goal is 20,000 and it may be reached somewhere in the 2012-15 range. Each year, the school seems to experience a 3% increase in enrollment (which is what is budgeted for at the very least). Over the last few years, we've been the fastest growing school in the state. You guys may take the nod with the lift from that program

That campaign puts SHSU to shame. You guys benefited from some large donors and what seems like large support from other individuals. Has Lamar typically had strong alumni support? SHSU lacked in that area for way too long until recently. We are finally now making strides in the area, but as was the case with a lot of things -- we had to dig out of a huge hole. Hopefully, we can capitalize down the road...

Sarcasm has a way of not making the transition successfully to message boards or online chats, eh? Lamar actually did not have any votes...unless there was an error and they changed it. Apparently, Hofstra was admitted from the initial release according to a post on AGS. This is the official ORV: [Hidden Content]

I was making a sarcastic reference to Lamar's "appearance" in this year's poll...

Are you guys getting fees towards athletics from the 3,500 students (or however many -- says 14,000 students with a real campus enrollment of 10,500) in the HEH program? SHSU's President annual talk to the faculty and staff is August 28th. I'm glad Presidents do these and public relations offices cover them, because it gives us a pretty good recap of the year that was and the year that is going to be...

Bobcats place their whole starting lineup on the All-SLC teams. 2008 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason Teams First Team Name Class Pos. School/Hometown Adrianne Meengs* Jr. S Lamar/Friendswood, Texas Lauren Railey* Sr. OH Stephen F. Austin/McKinney, Texas Kaci Brewer* Jr. OH Lamar/Castroville, Texas Robyn Smith* Jr. S Central Arkansas/Lubbock, Texas Amy Weigle* Sr. MB Texas State/Arlington, Texas Chloe Smith* So. MB Central Arkansas/San Diego, Calif. Kendra Rowland* So. OH UTSA/Anitoch, Calif. Lawrencia Brown* Sr. OH Texas State/Austin, Texas Shelley Swendig Sr. RS Stephen F. Austin/Garland, Texas Melinda Cave So. MB/RS Texas State/Placenita, Calif. Yelena Enwere Jr. MB Northwestern State/Stafford, Texas Sarah Cartie Jr. S McNeese State/Meadows Place, Texas Second Team Name Class Pos. School/Hometown Brittany Collins Jr. S Texas State/Sugarland, Texas Shelbi Irvin So. S Texas State/Tomball, Texas AJ Watlington So. RS Texas State/Aledo, Texas Brittanie Wallace So. OH Sam Houston State/Round Rock, Texas Alyson Jones Sr. OH McNeese State/Houston, Texas Emily Jones Wilkes^ Sr. MB Texas State/Arlington, Texas Ashley Bailey^ Jr. MB Stephen F. Austin/Mesquite, Texas *2007 All Conference Selection ^Tied for final spot on 2nd team

Preseason Polls...Lamar surprisingly gets sent to third by the coaches. The SIDs keep them at second as they switch divisions. SFA the favorite out east... Coaches Poll West Division Texas State (8) 114 UT Arlington 75 Lamar (1) 73 UTSA 73 Sam Houston State 59 A&M-Corpus Christi 36 East Division Stephen F. Austin (3) 113 McNeese State 78 Central Arkansas 67 Northwestern State 46 Southeastern Louisiana 16 Nicholls State 15 SID Poll West Division Texas State (7) 111 Lamar (1) 101 UT Arlington 72 UTSA 69 Sam Houston State 56 A&M-Corpus Christi 31 East Division Stephen F. Austin (4) 111 Central Arkansas 78 McNeese State 71 Northwestern State 46 Nicholls State 17 Southeastern Louisiana 16

Told you guys not to schedule as tough a schedule or to hop into the SLC so quickly...look for Lamar to vanish pretty quickly. I know I did not vote for them and will continue not to do so...

First preseason poll? That's the second of the 'big three'. I actually vote in two of the three. We'll teach you Coop! Any Given Saturday Poll, Coaches Poll and Sports Network. The SME Broadcasting poll is relatively new -- we'll see how well that does. Yes, the AGS poll is considered one of the top three and actually has had more teams in the playoffs from their preseason poll than the other two the last few years, plus more in the preseason as in the final poll as well. They're probably the most educated bunch. AGS POLL PRE-SEASON 5/26/2008 (First place votes in parenthesis) 1. Appalachian St. (76) 2. James Madison (2) 3. Richmond (1) 4. North Dakota St. (2) 5. Northern Iowa 6. Massachusetts 7. Montana 8. McNeese St. 9. Eastern Washington 10. Wofford 11. Delaware 12. Southern Illinois 13. Cal Poly (1) 14. Youngstown St. 15. Elon 16. Georgia Southern 17. Villanova 18. South Dakota St. 19. Eastern Illinois 20. New Hampshire 21. The Citadel 22. Eastern Kentucky 23. Fordham 24. Yale 25. Furman Others receiving votes (minimum of 5 votes): Harvard (33), Sam Houston St. (31), Delaware St. (29), Northern Arizona (27), Central Arkansas (24), Montana St. (24), Jackson St. (23), South Carolina St. (22), Jacksonville St. (18), Grambling St. (16), Liberty (16), Holy Cross (14), Western Illinois (13), Albany (12), Hofstra (12), Dayton (10), Hampton (10), Nicholls St. (7), Coastal Carolina (5), Colgate (5), Norfolk St. (5) TEAM MOST ON THE RISE: Cal Poly TEAM FALLING THE MOST: Delaware

Nice article...it's when Perryn injects some opinion or throws in facts that are a bit incorrect where I dislike his writing...

Congrats to the Cards on their first non-loss in school history. Seems I recall they lost their exhibitions last year...? Or did they beat a SWAC school in one of them?

The SLC goofed -- they had already released that one FIRST! In fact, they announced it on July 25, 2008 with a mirror announcement on the McNeese web site... [Hidden Content] They announced two more stations (Tyler and Alexandria) and then they announced the Lake Charles station again? I'd expect more from the SLC.

SLC TV in Alexandria, La. That was a nice pick-up -- keep'em coming SLC!

Preseason Polls... Coaches Poll McNeese State (5) 74 Stephen F. Austin (5) 73 UTSA 66 Northwestern State 59 Southeastern Louisiana 48 Texas State 41 Central Arkansas 35 Sam Houston State 26 Nicholls State 17 Lamar 11 SID Poll Stephen F. Austin (5) 76 UTSA (1) 66 McNeese State (3) 63 Northwestern State 54 Southeastern Louisiana 49 Texas State (1) 48 Central Arkansas 37 Sam Houston State 26 Nicholls State 16 Lamar 10 All-SLC preseason team... FIRST TEAM Name Class Pos. University Kamryn Koch* Sr. F McNeese State Alli Dillon* So. F UTSA Kristin McDonald* Sr. F Southeastern La. Kelli Wilson* Jr. MF Stephen F. Austin Amanda Lackey* Sr. MF Stephen F. Austin Chelsea Zimmerman* Jr. MF UTSA Jessica Cotton* Sr. D Stephen F. Austin Ezinne Okpo* Jr. D UTSA Megan Cash* Jr. D Stephen F. Austin Shelby Money* Sr. GK McNeese State Veronica Najera* Jr. F UTSA SECOND TEAM Name Class Pos. University Amanda Alders* Sr. F Stephen F. Austin Justeen Lords* Sr. F McNeese State Brittney Curry* So. F Texas State Sarah Sadler So. MF Northwestern State Kim Selman Jr. MF UTSA Alana Clark So. MF McNeese State Sarah Cheung* Sr. D Southeastern La. Chelsea Brozgold Sr. D Northwestern State Celeste Carruth Jr. D UTSA Crystin Pactor* Jr. GK Stephen F. Austin Raquel Bueno Sr. F Sam Houston State *2007 All-Conference Selections

I ate crow there. I thought Lamar was not going to play until 2012 and I was wrong. Apparently, Lamar is not following the same footsteps as all the other new full scholarship programs. How was I supposed to know they would be different? Even about the Louisiana schools? You could not even counter argue that one. Perhaps, because you know I am right. Having moved to Louisiana, I've learned quite a bit about the plight of the Louisiana schools and lots of information on said subject that those in Texas turn the other way on. SHSU would leave too. I do not think Lamar would leave ahead of SHSU. If anything, at the same time. Of course, with the "nickel and dime" thinking as you put it -- perhaps Lamar will be around the SLC when it becomes the FCS version of the Lonestar Conference -- ready to renew rivalries with A&M-Commerce, Tarleton State and company?

Coach's first game. It was an exhibition. Your team was awful last year, even UNLV who knows nothing about soccer knows what 0 wins means. I'm convinced your coach will turn it around, but it may not be this season. How much influence did he even have over the roster? Next year, he'll have to bring in a nice mix of transfers and fish and the team will be back in the swing of things.