TexasTerror

Actually, we'd all be happy if they left -- which is different from the present, of them being in the conference!

He didn't recruit many of the seniors that made the 2007 team's success happen including our pitching rotation (and our 'Stopper of the Year'). And even before that, with Rupp, I think we had some serious talent -- just the wrong coach to actually make it work. Johnson made a huge difference, but as I said -- we had the talent before hand. The facilities weren't there under the previous regime.

I think the talent was there, it just took Coach Johnson. Do not believe Coach Rupp was the man and Skeeters had been around a long time, the game was changing and he may not have been the right one in terms of keeping up with the changes... Having Coach Johnson did bring the $1M donation and his contacts have helped throw more $$$ into the program... Also think a change in coach upgraded our football program too. Randleman was class all the way, but we needed a change of pace...

Come on ABR, give me some love on point #2! Playing three FBS teams in a season as some of our schools have done...having no OOC games at home against Div I competition...this is not good and schedules our schools out of the playoffs (unless you can knock off an FBS and win on the road). Having eight games with just three OOC to plan is much easier than finding four...

ABR, Why'd you highlight Texas Tech? Going 1-19 in the Big 12 impress you? I know it's a big name, but they aren't as impressive a VB team as the name recognition. In fact, the home tournament you guys are hosting is rather weak. ULL was not strong last year at all (second to last in the Sun Belt, just ahead of Monroe) and just got a new coach. UT-Pan Am is never good at VB and Texas Tech, as noted above. Just being honest with you guys -- I watch my fair share of college volleyball, especially in this region. Your team should be a force in the SLC this year, though it will be a bit more challenging as the Texas schools are much stronger than what you guys are used to. SHSU is not going to be good, unfortunately. Sad for a program that was a Div II power...

The one that only fills when Grambling comes to town? Take out their home opener against Tulsa and the contest against Grambling (which was 30k strong), they averaged 10,377. Their big rivalry game in Lafayette only drew in 8,045 by the way. Big stadiums are nice, but if I can yell across the field of play to ask UNLV where he wants to go post-game to eat meat pies, that obviously doesn't do much.

Posted this on KatFans...no one even brought this up (or the fact the SLC tournament is staying in Katy, Texas) on this board, so thought I'd do both... Good news from the SLC. The men's and women's basketball coaches are looking at making things happen to improve the conference on the hardwood. Outside of reducing the amount of sub-Div I games from the current number of four (which is actually the NCAA max), what would you recommend? ------------------------ Both men’s and women’s basketball coaches groups approved the formation of duel task forces to address competitive, financial and academic issues in their sports, and it is expected that these groups will work through the 2008-09 academic year and propose initiatives to athletic administrators and presidents early next year. “The basketball coaches are concerned about the well-being of their sport, and it’s admirable that each side will take an active role in addressing the various issues,†Burnett added. “The men’s group just finished its best competitive year since the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) began with a 17th-best ranking among the 31 men’s conferences, and they want to ensure the increasing level of success they’ve had recently. The women’s coaches are actively planning to look at methods to improve the Conference’s competitive success and recapture the historical success the league has enjoyed in basketball.†[Hidden Content]

Basketball is part of the equation, but outside of the numbers in the stands, I can't say that Lamar has really established itself as a school to be reckoned with in basketball. SHSU isn't there either, so don't even bring up comparison. What's the marquee win? The conference as a whole needs to improve -- which is what the coaches are working on (I'll post that on here after this post) and the schools themselves need to push for more postseason berths, which will increase the chances of a school having the added fuel to add to football for an FBS move. Football is where it's all at. A successful football program, on the field and off of it, can really shape your image for FBS. The chance is there for Lamar. My concern is that after the year or few when the newness wears off, if Lamar can not produce Ws in what is truly a tough conference to compete in (and is only getting tougher with more schools from all over raiding Texas talent), what will be of the support?

Note to self...facilities win championships (per MFFL). This must explain why Lamar with the best basketball facilities in the conference have yet to win an SLC title, eh? I don't buy into it. Helps, but as we've learned in the past, just having "top ranked recruits" do not win titles. As I noted in my post above, SHSU has the edge over Lamar in baseball and softball, as well as track and field. Lamar is one of the few institutions in the state of Texas that lacks a track and field facility that meets even the SLC's standards for hosting a conference meet. Our basketball facility is not that bad and has undergone improvements as well in recent years (i.e scoreboards). I've been around a few arenas in the area and again, it's comparable to all the not so new facilities. If SHSU were to improve Bowers and we have plenty of space to do so, it wouldn't be hard to get up to FBS standards. We have room to grow without even building a second desk. We've already improved our press box in recent years, though another level or two of suites would be nice. We were ahead of the game with a video board and other enhancements that our rivals just put in this last year or this coming year. Not too concerned...

Monroe was already a football-playing member of the Sun Belt and the SBC refused to have a school be an affiliate member of a major sport, so ULM upgraded their programs and moved in the time frame established. Monroe's last football season in the SLC was 1995. ULM finished 11th of 13 schools in the Sun Belt's All-Conference championship (similar to our Commish Cup). In fact, they only had one sport finish higher than fourth place in a SBC sport and that was baseball (which won the regular season title). They are struggling in the conference...

The SWAC just added two more OOC games and got rid of their nine-game mandate (which forced them to play every other school in the conference). This is going to open up some more games for our the SWAC to play the SLC. Already seeing a few of those... UCA is going to kick all of our tails soon enough! They are doing all sorts of things and look what they've done in football!

Tarleton State would be next in line...but Northern Alabama? They are going to the Ohio Valley Conference. It makes too much sense for them. They were mentioned for the SLC, but seriously? The SLC would not want that at all. Harding in Arkansas has been mentioned as a Div I candidate, though I doubt we go that direction (or I doubt they go Div I)...

Spoken like someone who knows nothing about FCS football or the Southland. I'll slowly teach you all. Katrina and Rita really set back this conference. A few schools, in particular all the schools in Louisiana, have had to change their scheduling to bring in more pay dates to recover money lost due to the storm. I believe SLU and NWST even had three FBS games in a year since the storm-filled year. That's not going to benefit the conference. McNeese lost two of their All-Americans down the stretch. Steven Whitehead, the most explosive player in all of FCS was out all of last year. He returns this year. Going undefeated in the SLC is a tough task and the Pokes pulled it off. I do not think that the conference was down and could probably continue on with what would be a length description, but you would not know the personnel I am referring to or some of the issues surrounding it as you do not follow SLC football at this point. SHSU would not have has hard a time as you think with moving towards FBS. Outside of the football stadium that needs continued upgrades, much of the infrastructure that Lamar lacks (i.e strong track and field facility, complimentary baseball/softball fields) is already in place. It would not be hard to upgrade the football stadium as we can put more seats on the grassy areas. The press box/suite area could easily be expanded another level or few (as it was recently) and a second level could be put on the visiting side of the stands. It would not be hard based on how the stadium is constructed. Throw in the fact that we got a $1M donation to baseball (Don Sanders) and are in the process of establishing a $1.5M donation for basketball (already $750k is committed from an individual, who already bankrolled our strength and conditioning facility). Unlike some of the numbers thrown around here, these are all spot on... Again, the Board of Regents is watching the San Marcos situation. If they bomb their move, they will force higher standards from the other schools in the system as it relates to a move-up. The BoR already has the pecking order in mind and across the board, Lamar is #3. The BoR would question why SHSU was not moving up if Lamar and San Marcos both made a move, forcing SHSU's hand -- though our inner circle is already hard at work on a potential FBS move. The 'environment' at the FBS level would have to be right for our move and all of our pieces of the puzzle would have to be in place prior to we announce it. We're not like the San Marcos institution.

I honestly believe that this happened for three reasons... 1) Billy Tubbs And more importantly... 2) The SLC is having some serious schedule issues in the last few years, especially for schools not named McNeese and UCA, in which most schools are scheduled out of the playoffs (due to the improbability of winning 7 Div I games). Burnett wanted to help out. 3) The conference knows the "rumors" of a certain San Marcos school wanting to move out and by SLC by-laws, they could be gone by 2011, so they needed to keep things on an even keel.

Is that the same Coach Foreman who was at Huntsville HS a few years back?

SHSU would have to notify in 2009 if we were leaving on June 30, 2011. Doubt SHSU would do that unless you know something I do not. You think Texas and A&M are going to go to the SEC or something, opening up some Big XII real estate?

Think you couldn't want...? Challenge for SLC supremacy? If it's anything like your last time playing football, it will be tough. You guys never succeeded at the Division I level, whether it Division I, Division I-AA or Division I-A. Outside of your big win over Baylor, not much going for that last Cardinals run. That aside (as it must be, as this is a new time), you guys have McNeese to look to just a few miles down the road to see what it takes to have a strong program...that's the goal you want to achieve, that is where you start. Cards must tame Pokes Move to FBS? It's a fact that if Texas State-San Marcos fumbles their move up, which they already did once around the turn of the century when they announced a move and did not move up, it will impact the chance of SHSU and Lamar moving up. As noted before, in the TSUS pecking order, Lamar is third behind the two larger institutions in Huntsville and San Marcos. There was a reason that Lamar's name was not mentioned in the flagship fight that took place in the last five years. SHSU was the only school with an argument that could hold any weight against you know who. Fact is -- we need to see how this moratorium shapes up. Lamar, especially if football is not a hit, may not have a chance. Southwest Conference? Apparently an alum from San Marcos holds those rights. They weren't even mentioned in the post. Go figure! Not sure why Baylor would leave the Big XII. Sure, they stink at football, but they are at their height in the basketballs and have pretty strong programs throughout their department. UH and Rice already learned their lesson from their last time in the SWC. Wouldn't you guys know about UH and their constant push for the SEC anyways, since most of you are 'Closet Coogs'...? UNLV, can I get an amen?

Glad to see Lamar fan getting involved in the SLC football discussion on the Houston Chronicle blog. Very humorous post... [Hidden Content]

SHSU alum Robert Gwin finished 3rd and is an alternate for the US Open...tied with Steve Elkington, at the same sectional.

WKU would not leave the Sun Belt for the MAC... It's a load of hogwash and even many WKU fans would prefer not to leave. Outside of the SBC not having two bowl tie-ins, which they are working on, WKU is in a better league across the board. WKU actually won 50% of the league's 18 titles. Andy Katz is stirring the pot. Nothing leaves me to believe WKU is going to the MAC... And that would not open a spot for Texas St-San Marcos. The SBC does not want a medicore school and the schools in the SBC want nothing to do with the SLC schools. They left those schools once and many of them originally blocked the Gulf Star schools (TxSt and SHSU included) from moving into the SLC the first time they sought to do that. In fact, most of the main SLC schools got in only when those schools left, forcing the remaining school's hands...

That's true, recruits will be more interested in competing for a SLC title and playoff opportunities earlier. Having eight games guaranteed for year two helps with scheduling. Thing is, you can schedule quite a few games in year one against non-SLC foes and have your OOC pretty much set for year two and year three (maybe even year four) by spreading out the 'returns' (whether home or away) amongst those years.

Lamar is in for a tough 2011. I believe this was a bit early for their inclusion and is a different path than any other recent school to start football as a new program. One thing to go from Division II to Division I, but this is going to put the pressure on Lamar to find a nice balance of transfers (JUCO and otherwise) plus freshmen if they want to have the experience and depth to contend with the rest of the conference. Each team in the conference will have four home and four away games beginning in 2011 under this format. Currently, it's four home and three away and vice-versa on a rotating basis. [Hidden Content]

Killing the discussion like that? What happened to speculation on this board? You guys are no fun! This is going to be a long off-season unless official news comes out, eh?

SHSU is already gearing up to discuss some football and still looking back at the baseball season that was. We even have an athlete participating in the NCAA championships in track and field -- though, we won't get much talk there (as much as I try). For Lamar, you guys have anything and everything Cardinal football to discuss. So many subjects, coaching staffs, possible opponents, upgrades to Cardinal Stadium, etc. Figured you'd talk about that left and right. The MLB draft this week with some possible Lamar Cards. 2008-09 Basketball Schedule thoughts and hopes

Tougher road through the west, but are you really going to put stock in these recruiting rankings? Fun to look at, critique, etc...but seriously? You Lamar guys put too much stock into them -- whether you are ranked top 3 or 100+...