LAMAR needs football ASAP

[UNLV]

Look at this website. Look how unstable the CUSA, WAC, and Sunbelt.

http://www.collegesportsinfo.com/conference-realignment-grid/index.html

If LU wants to move up, it needs to bring back football within next 2 years.

[KFDM COOP]

That's what i'm saying as well..ASAP!!

[NedDog]

It can't happen too soon for me. I'll go on record right now & say I'll buy 4 season tickets the day they go on sale, no matter what division or conference they are in.

[Guest Techsan]

After talking to a current member of the board of regents heres what I was told. This fellow said that the goal was to have football back up and running at LU within 5 years time. He said they would more than likely go D-1AA since there was no way they could build a suitable D-1 stadium anywhere near the university unless they bought out the neighborhoods along MLK and behind the university and that wasnt in the budget any time soon. He told me that Tubbs has said that there will be a football program there before he retires so we will see.

[KFDM COOP]

I hope he's right!!

[UNLV]

Excellent. I-AA should be the beginning goal. I-A should be the final goal.

[JohnnyT60]

The fact that women's soccer was added, tells me that they are getting closer.

[KFDM COOP]

Should have never left if things were done right the first time..

[JohnnyT60]

If I remember right, there was a stipulation, that if they sold 4000 season tickets, they would keep football. I believe over 4700 were sold but Mclaughlin and Franklin killed football anyway. McLaughlin obviously hated football. Later I remeber he spent over $100,000 decorating the president's house, even though they used the excuse of a tight budget to get rid of football. That year Alborn almost had Lamar over the hump. The lost 4-5 games by less than 6 points. One more year, and they would have had trouble killing the program.

[UNLV]

They also said if LU beats Mcneese in the final game, Football stays. Final score LU won. Crooks ran LU at the time.

Lets imagine what could have happened if LU kept football. LU and LA-tech was like buddy buddy rival. They left the SLC conference together just like ole pals. LU dropped football, Tech went I-A. Had LU not had crooked regents, LU would have gone I-A. LU would be in the WAC right now. Fresno St in Beaumont anyone? Hawaii?

[DenisGScott]

wasn't/isn't there a stipulation about what you have to average attendance wise to remain in I-A, i could swear I remember hearing about that as well when the decision was made to drop football. As far as the stadium issue goes, i know Entergy has a substation next to Vincent Beck, I wonder if they could get Entergy to move that and use the tract of land behind and adjacent to Vincent Beck where the old Cardinal Driving Range used to be and all the way to Cardinal Drive if that land would be large enough to build a new facility

[UNLV]

wasn't/isn't there a stipulation about what you have to average attendance wise to remain in I-A' date=' i could swear I remember hearing about that as well when the decision was made to drop football. As far as the stadium issue goes, i know Entergy has a substation next to Vincent Beck, I wonder if they could get Entergy to move that and use the tract of land behind and adjacent to Vincent Beck where the old Cardinal Driving Range used to be and all the way to Cardinal Drive if that land would be large enough to build a new facility[/quote']

An excellent idea. No, there was no attendance requirment. Recently that rule has been talked. 15,000 is the number. If so, a lot of teams would lose I-A standing. BTW, I think McNeese is averaging 16,000. I wonder if McNeese ever look to go I-A?

[KFDM COOP]

Possible.

[lucy]

needs the backing of local buisness to have any kind of a chance

[morr]

what's wrong with the stadium they have by the montagne? :shock:

[UNLV]

Great stadium for I-AA, bad stadium for I-A.

[DenisGScott]

1. it's too small

2. that stadium was out of date even when they had a football team,if youre going to bring the program back do it in a new stadium get students and the public excited

[piratefan]

I would but some tickets..if they bought thme houses along it would probably cost around $900.00 for all of them..

They can find room around here some where if they wanted to.I would buy season tickets..High school on friday nights and Lamar football on Saturdays..

[KFDM COOP]

Big If.

[JohnnyT60]

Alright,

There is nothing wrong with 1-AA. In fact I would love to see games with SFA, SHSU, Texas State, and McNeese come back to Beaumont. No One is going to buil a domed stadium, you guys actually talked as if that were going to happen. Matter of fact, I don't believe anyone in Texas plays in a domed stadium. McNeese plays 1-AA and game days over there are something to see. Let's worry about getting football, period. What they are going to need is:

1. A very good SID(to drum up interest BEFORE game day.)

2. Media Support ( Front Page & Lead Story)

3. Corporate Support ($$$$$$$$)

4. Fan Support (Fill the Stands)

5. Players (Local kids staying to play.)

6. Alumni (To rally around Lamar.)

Football would:

1. Create the University environment, and add to campus life.

2. Be a source of community pride.

3. Give Lamar a reason to have a band, drill team, etc.

4. Give LU a Homecoming worth coming to.

5. And be a rallying point for the University.

6. Attract Students

Just my opinion.

[NedDog]

I agree with you 110% JohnnyT!

[UNLV]

No large number of fans in SETX will support I-AA football. Nobody was interested in SFA or any other SLC football. LU should bring back football at I-AA level with the promise of I-A in 2-3 years.

You can't just say fans must support. You saying saying fan must support is just as out there as the doom stadium. What fans? LU no longer has football fans. LU must earn/win it fans. Getting those fans by playing SFA will not happen. I do agree LU must have a minimum of 1/3 the players being from SETX.

[JohnnyT60]

You can't say Lamar won't support 1-AA. Lamar did nothing to nurture the program before. You must go at it full tilt, leaving nothing to chance. If Lake Charles can support McNeese the way they do, there is no reason Beaumont and the Golden Triangle cannot support Lamar in the same style. A lot has changed in the 17 years or so since Billy Franklin and George McLaughlin killed the program. I WISH THOSE TWO ONLY THE WORST!!!

[KFDM COOP]

AMEN!

[UNLV]

You can't say Lamar won't support 1-AA. Lamar did nothing to nurture the program before. You must go at it full tilt' date=' leaving nothing to chance. If Lake Charles can support McNeese the way they do, there is no reason Beaumont and the Golden Triangle cannot support Lamar in the same style. A lot has changed in the 17 years or so since Billy Franklin and George McLaughlin killed the program. I WISH THOSE TWO ONLY THE WORST!!![/quote']

Apple and Oranges. Why does Mcneese football attract 16,000 per game while Mcneese basketball barely gets 1,000. Why does LU basketball attracts nearly 4,000 yet Mcneese can't. We maybe seperated by 50 miles but we are worlds apart when it comes to fans. LU should not make the same mistakes of the past. When LU played I-A football, Cardinal stadium was packed. When LU dropped to I-AA, fan support dropped to under 1,500 per game.