TexasTerror

Every team in the league outside of Northwestern State. I know you were trying to make a remark about SHSU, but you came up a little short considering Lamar is in the same group of those who have yet to win since the field expanded to 64.

I know Lamar is one of them. Considering the tournament switched to 64 teams in 1985 and Lamar's last SLC title before 2000 came in 1984, I do not believe they have.

He was the last assistant at UNT. Is he going to be the top assistant to Roc?

Correct. Next question? Which school has the most last place finishes (when you give 1 point for sole possession, .5 for tied for last or .33 for three-way tie for last)? The answer is Lamar, which has twice as many last place finish points (10) than the next closest, SFA (5). Didn't realize this, but wanted to do a quick look to see if Southwest Texas/Texas St-San Marcos really was the most consistent finisher in the bottom of the conference. A look... Lamar 10 Stephen F Austin 5 Nicholls 4.33 UT-Arlington 3.33 Southwest Texas 3.33 Abilene Christian 3.16 La-Lafayette 2.66 SHSU 2.66 McNeese 2.3 Arkansas State 2 Jacksonville St 1.5 Southeastern La 1 North Texas .83 Northwestern State .5 La Tech .3

It's gone again... Got a tie ball game in the third game of the day. SHSU will have a chance for the Texas sweep of opening day later today (then again, just two Louisiana schools).

If that's the case, Lamar is committing quite a pretty penny for their football program. How much is Woodward making? SLC Football Trivia Time - Name the program that currently spends the most on their football program and has been a consistent presence in the cellar of the conference, with just four winning seasons during 21 in the SLC?

Billy Tubbs always will do what is best for Lamar without much care if his decision(s) benefits the rest of the conference. For whatever reason and anyone affiliated with every other school will acknowledge such, he seems to have a great deal of pull as it relates to conference decisions. We'll see. The best examples to learn from are models of what other schools going through a similar situation have done. Lamar needs to look at these schools and see what they have done. What is worked. What has not. According to articles, Woodward talked to a few people at schools in the same process. This is a learning experience for Tubbs and Simmons. Prior to this, they probably did not know much about football. Would like to know what Tom Burnett has to say about Lamar in the SLC in 2011. On further thought... I think there are benefits of Lamar joining the SLC on a full schedule in 2011, if the schools can manage it (scheduling-wise). Many of the Southland faithful (myself included) have felt that our teams have been scheduling themselves out of the playoffs. Was it this past year when the league as a whole had practically eliminated each other (outside of McNeese) from the playoffs by week two of the league slate? Unfortunately, we are in a tough situation based on our location and until this year, the lack of SWAC out of conference games (it went from two to four this year, and that's tough to break into considering they have these rivalry games OOC). With Lamar in the SLC, you are looking at eight SLC games (four home/four away). This will make it tougher to have six home games in this set-up because most SLC schools will have one (if not two) FBS games to make in the $$$. And while you can buy sub-Div I games, it's going to be hard to buy Division I games (to avoid home-and-homes), as even the SWAC schools want that (and it makes sense). However, it does help the efforts of getting the conference in a better position to win the seven Div I games necessary to make the playoffs (outside of a team winning the automatic qualifier). I'm not a proponent of Lamar playing a full SLC slate -- I think it will stunt the growth of the program because year three of actually playing football will be a better time for Lamar, instead of the tougher than heck rigors of SLC games week in and week out -- but it may benefit everyone in the conference outside of Lamar, which is something that Billy Tubbs typically stays away from.

HouTexan, All divisions of the NCAA are currently under a moratorium. A large part of this has to do with two factors. 1) The issue of membership numbers in Division III 2) Too many teams trying to move into Division I You can throw out the attendance numbers for now. The NCAA is going to be re-doing their requirements as it relates to membership and I think the attendance numbers could come into play. No telling what else, but this is why Texas State-San Marcos does not announce a move now, because they have to wait for the moratorium to be lifted. This is what UNLV and I have referenced in numerous posts on this board...

Lamar can compete for the title the second they get into the conference. In fact, in year one, if they did what they needed to do (seven Div I wins), they could be eligible for playoff selection as there's not a transition period as there would be if you came up from Division II. You guys are already Division I. As it relates to schedules, I have created a page on KatFans.com which lists future scheduling as much as we know them. It's not a great list, but is the only list of it's kind amongst the SLC fan sites. Once Lamar announces games and I am sure they'll do what they can in announcing them as they come together, we'll add them. Here's the link: [Hidden Content] Another factor I am interested in -- will McNeese and Lamar hook up in the final week of the season? If they do, does this mean that Central Arkansas will have a BYE week in the final week of the regular season? Probably would. Wonder if they'd try to schedule someone that week or do what Gateway teams do and try to get a BYE before the playoffs. 2012, if I am not mistaken, is a 12-game year (extra week in the calendar as far as football goes).

2012 means you are only an independent for two years. 2009, the non-football year, does not count IMO. It would be consistent with other schools. Southeastern Louisiana played as an independent for two years before entering the SLC in 2005. Old Dominion is playing as an independent in 2009 and 2010 before joining the CAA. The SLC would more than likely enter an agreement with Lamar that they will do what they can to help with schedule. Lamar would probably play a nice chunk of Southland schools in 2011 with a minimal amount in 2010 (you'll want to play sub-Div Is that year for the most part). I'm adamantly against Lamar joining the SLC in 2010 and just as adamant about them not joining in 2011. That is just how things are run appropriately. If Lamar wants to do the "right thing", they'll join in 2012.

Lamar will join the SLC in football in 2012. I do believe at the current time that SHSU and Texas St-San Marcos will be there as well. As far as UTSA goes, the Commish won't let them into the SLC if they announce officially they are going FBS and will use the SLC for a year or two to help them fill the slate. The moratorium has yet to be lifted. There's no proof that FBS will have a playoff when the contract comes up again. I'm just not convinced and the moratorium is the ultimate curveball.

SHSU will only move if one of the two following occurs: 1) SHSU's rivals, particularly SFA and Texas State-San Marcos make the move up. 2) The landscape of college football puts more seats at the table for other conferences to participate in the FBS (i.e playoffs)

Because there are schools that actually want to compete for a national championship in football (see FCS) while there are schools that want to stick to the bowl format that they feel generates more $$$ (and is not always the case) and do not care about a true national championship (see FBS). More cost-efficient way to have football (see non-scholarship FCS) without all the heavy costs associated with it.

Thanks HouTexan. Lamar's athletic department won't use the terminology of I-AA. If they do, they are not doing the "right thing". The media needs to fall in the fold. Sure, call it Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) for awhile until the locals get on the right page, but by calling it I-AA, the media is doing no favors to the Cards, especially if coaches are able to confuse kids into thinkings that Gillgan coaches I-AA baseball and that Roc is the I-AA basketball coach. As much as you and I (and maybe ABR3) know the proper names, there are a lot of parents and potential student-athletes that do not. FYI Perryn, if you are reading this, Lamar plays Division I football and plays Division I in all other sports offered.

According to the Beaumont Enterprise and it seems the Port Arthur News, both newspapers will call Lamar's sub-division of participation as I-AA. This is a shame for a program will need to educate their fans on the proper subdivision of play and what can happen for a successful team at this subdivision. With all this 'I-AA' rubbish out there in the Southeast Texas community, the media has officially opened themselves to being recruited against in other sports as I-AA program (one of the major reasons behind the name change) while other programs have media and athletic department officials working to promote the proper playing level of the school. Sure, I may be taking it "too far", but this is one of my biggest pet peeves.

AP Article... Lamar hires junior college coach to lead football's return Associated Press BEAUMONT — Lamar has hired junior college coach Ray Woodard to lead the football program's return from a 21-year hiatus in 2010. Navarro College went 9-3 last year and made its first postseason appearance in six years in Woodard's only season as head coach. Woodard, who was hired Monday, was Navarro's defensive coordinator the previous two seasons. The 46-year-old former Texas Longhorn was the head coach at Burton High School in 2004-05 and spent time as an assistant in the NFL's European league. He was drafted by San Diego in 1984 and had other NFL stops in Kansas City and Denver. He played in the 1987 Super Bowl with the Broncos. Texas State University System regents in February approved an athletics fee designed to fund football's return to Lamar. The program has been dormant since 1989. [Hidden Content]

Bet this is the article that stirred this pot again... Local Colleges: UTSA seeks 'green light' for football Web Posted: 05/17/2008 10:54 PM CDT By John Whisler [email protected] UTSA president Ricardo Romo expects approval of a business plan that could lead to the kickoff of Division I football at the school as early as 2011. If the plan is approved by University of Texas System Board of Regents next month, Romo said UTSA could start interviewing coaching candidates by this fall. “We could find someone who can't start right away,†Romo said. “Or, we may find a coach who says, ‘I'm there in September.'†[Hidden Content]

If the SLC announces it, I'll believe it. If it does occur, I can say that Lamar has made a bad move, one that I won't have to wait several years to claim (as those in the anti-Woodward camp have to).

I will wait to hear it from Burnett's mouth. 2012 is the earliest. That is the way it should be done. 2010 is out of the question. 2011 has a better chance than 2010, but 2012 makes the most sense, for the league and for the Cards.

Any word if Tom Burnett from the Southland will be there?

That's incorrect. Texas Southern, Tarleton State and Texas State - San Marcos are all behind UT-San Antonio when it comes to a move up. If UTSA gets football and does the upgrades through all the $$$ they are working on the city with and lord knows they have a better basketball facility, they will be ahead of all three TSUs.

No South Alabama? They are one that gets mentioned a lot as does Western Kentucky and Troy. Troy is fixing to get a new basketball arena. There was an article I read today about how WKU has dominated their rivalry against Middle Tennessee (including wins in the SBC basketball finals in both MBB and WBB). I'd be interested in if the Sun Belt needs teams, where do they look? SoCon? SLC?

C-USA board have a thread about UTSA and their "green light" forthcoming on football in June. Some of the other things they mentioned are nothing I've heard...many believe that Texas State - San Marcos is rushing as much as they are with getting their programs to the 'next level' so they can jump with UTSA wherever they go or at least don't get left in a lurch if UTSA goes FBS and forever overshadows their program. [Hidden Content]

Hey now, I was banned from the last board. This board is run much more smoothly and there's some meaningful discussion. Sure, LU fans on here think I can be a pain in the tail, but every now and then, I provide some vital information that they may think is worth some value.

Wonder who keeps putting this out there. Lamar will not compete officially in the SLC in fall 2010. It's out of the question due to scheduling that has already taken place. 2012 is the most likely year.