SLC DI-AA in basketball?

[UNLV]

Huggins Calls for NCAA Basketball Division 1 Split


Looks like Huggins thinks it's time for the for the NCAA basketball schools to follow the lead on the football side and split-up Division 1 (ala FCS and FBS football).

"We ought to do what football does and go to a Division I-A and I-AA," Huggins said, according to the Times West Virginian.
Huggins says cutting the number of team's in the sport's premier level would force schools to make a decision about their dedication to a basketball program.


http://news.collegesportsinfo.com/2010/02/huggins-calls-for-ncaa-basketball.html

[Bruce]

I've heard this one before, and it's one of the biggest concerns I have for LU's future in athletics.  I'm admittedly skeptical of the talk that Lamar is looking to go FBS in football (can we really draw 20,000+ a game in Beaumont?)... but I'm not worried about playing at the 1-AA level in football, as it is reasonably competitive, and I just can't see how there will be the resources at LU to be legitimately competitive with the proverbial "big boys" in 1-A football.

In basketball, though, the potential for a mid-to-low major to put together teams that are legitimately competitive at the highest level is much higher.  Sometimes, these periods are very short because of one or two exceptional players (Davidson, George Mason); other times, they can go on for some time (Gonzaga).  This is what low- and mid-major fans live for: the chance to line up with a big-time school in the tournament, and the possibility of knocking off a giant. 

But if the Big East and their ilk have their way and kick the bottom half of Division to the Children's Table, I think it has devastating effects on the schools that end up in the "1-AA Basketball" tier.  There is no way their championship gets a lick of media attention in the midst of "March Madness" (the reason 1-AA football gets at least a little love from the media is that they have a legitimate playoff versus the hideously extended bowl season of 1-A).  Right now, an LU or SHSU or SFA has at least a fighting chance of landing a player who might otherwise go to a "higher profile" school (not a top major, mind you, but a low major or mid-major) based on the promise of additional playing time and the chance to play in the Big Dance.  Take that away, and it will be hell to recruit kids to come to 1-AA schools.  I also think you'll see a bunch of schools drop athletics altogether (or at least drop to D3) if this happens.  I can't see a Nicholls State that draws 300 people a game (a number which might drop even more if they were forced into 1-AA) continuing at the D1 level in anything without the slim chance of a March Madness payout.

From an LU perspective, I think we'd lose half our basketball season ticket holders if we were forced to a 1-AA.  And that might be an understatement.

[TexasTerror]

If this happens, perhaps there will actually be a recognized BCS championship!

Lamar, you could actually contend for the [b]BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION[/B] title and claim something that Texas did at one point - a 'BCS national championship'. Though, unlike theirs...yours would be recognized by the NCAA!

[UNLV]

[quote name="TexasTerror" post="764400" timestamp="1266891232"]
If this happens, perhaps there will actually be a recognized BCS championship!

Lamar, you could actually contend for the [b]BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION[/B] title and claim something that Texas did at one point - a 'BCS national championship'. Though, unlike theirs...yours would be recognized by the NCAA!

[/quote]I knew you would love this.

[TexasTerror]

[quote name="UNLV" post="764439" timestamp="1266893265"]I knew you would love this.
[/quote]

Not a fan, actually. I mean - where would it stop? Football it makes sense, but where would it stop?

I was just poking fun at it all...

[UNLV]

Bruce,
Lamar is bigger than La-Monroe, BPT MSA is much bigger than Monroe MSA, Yet LA-monroe plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than La-Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Ruston or equal to Shreveport MSA, Yet LA-Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is smaller than Texas Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Lubbock MSA, Yet Texas Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Marshall, BPT MSA is bigger than Huntington MSA, Yet Marshall plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Southern Mississippi, BPT MSA is much bigger than Hattiesburg, Yet USM plays FBS.

I could go on...

It's all about the conference.

[UNLV]

I was looking at Conference USA numbers. Lamar is also bigger than UAB.
And if Lamar was in CUSA, the Montagne would be 4th biggest. Less than 30 seats from being 3rd.
And a 35k football stadium would fit nicely among CUSA.

[Guest mffl]

An "FCS Basketball" subdivision is not happening.

[badndn]

[quote name="UNLV" post="764450" timestamp="1266893993"]
Bruce,
Lamar is bigger than La-Monroe, BPT MSA is much bigger than Monroe MSA, Yet LA-monroe plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than La-Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Ruston or equal to Shreveport MSA, Yet LA-Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is smaller than Texas Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Lubbock MSA, Yet Texas Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Marshall, BPT MSA is bigger than Huntington MSA, Yet Marshall plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Southern Mississippi, BPT MSA is much bigger than Hattiesburg, Yet USM plays FBS.

I could go on...

It's all about the conference.
[/quote]

All that is great and all, but Lamar/BPT is also an easy 1.5 hour jont down I-10 from major entertainment in Houston!
Monroe is not, LT is not, TT is not, Marshall is not, USM is not.

[Guest coachacola]

Huggins is a douchebag.  West Virginia fans don't have any class.  They were caught throwing water bottles and a quarter hit an opposing coach in the head a few weeks ago.  He's like a slimy politician so he fits right at home in West Virginia.

[UNLV]

[quote name="badndn" post="764629" timestamp="1266934870"]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=66404.msg764450#msg764450 date=1266893993]
Bruce,
Lamar is bigger than La-Monroe, BPT MSA is much bigger than Monroe MSA, Yet LA-monroe plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than La-Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Ruston or equal to Shreveport MSA, Yet LA-Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is smaller than Texas Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Lubbock MSA, Yet Texas Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Marshall, BPT MSA is bigger than Huntington MSA, Yet Marshall plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Southern Mississippi, BPT MSA is much bigger than Hattiesburg, Yet USM plays FBS.

I could go on...

It's all about the conference.
[/quote]

All that is great and all, but Lamar/BPT is also an easy 1.5 hour jont down I-10 from major entertainment in Houston!
Monroe is not, LT is not, TT is not, Marshall is not, USM is not.
[/quote]Please with the sorry weak excuse. Everyone here don't run to Houston for a fix. Lamar would not lose
fans in the stadium, 6 times per year, just to visit Houston. A place we all been to a million times.

[ForeverADog]

What mffl said.....

[badndn]

[quote name="UNLV" post="764646" timestamp="1266937053"]
[quote author=badndn link=topic=66404.msg764629#msg764629 date=1266934870]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=66404.msg764450#msg764450 date=1266893993]
Bruce,
Lamar is bigger than La-Monroe, BPT MSA is much bigger than Monroe MSA, Yet LA-monroe plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than La-Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Ruston or equal to Shreveport MSA, Yet LA-Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is smaller than Texas Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Lubbock MSA, Yet Texas Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Marshall, BPT MSA is bigger than Huntington MSA, Yet Marshall plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Southern Mississippi, BPT MSA is much bigger than Hattiesburg, Yet USM plays FBS.

I could go on...

It's all about the conference.
[/quote]

All that is great and all, but Lamar/BPT is also an easy 1.5 hour jont down I-10 from major entertainment in Houston!
Monroe is not, LT is not, TT is not, Marshall is not, USM is not.
[/quote]Please with the sorry weak excuse. Everyone here don't run to Houston for a fix. Lamar would not lose
fans in the stadium, 6 times per year, just to visit Houston. A place we all been to a million times.
[/quote]
While I know that you are NEVER EVER wrong, everyone here does not have to run to Houston for a fix, only a portion have to to draw away from the LU crowds on Saturday.
You ever been to Lubbock? or Monroe? I have. If I as part of that BPT MSA want to go to watch an NFL game I can do so at a moments notice. If you live in Lubbock it is a weekend affair! Therefore TT football is what they have. It ain't an excuse, like it or not it's a fact.
For all his goffiness, the SETX Mavericks owner said it best recently when he said that "the people of SETX want $100 entertainment value out of a $15 ticket!" It sucks for us die hard Cardinal fans, but it is true!

[Guest coachacola]

The SETX Mavericks is a good example of why sports have failed in the area.  They are in a league that's one step above an amateur semi-pro league.  Just like the indoor football teams that have played here.  The ice hockey team probably would have survived if it weren't for the hurricane wiping out a full season and if they would have been an actual minor league team for a NHL team.  Here in Austin the Ice Bats maybe averaged 1K or 2K a game, but now they have a minor league team of the Dallas Stars and they average over 5K.  If teams are perceived as insignificant then nobody will support them.

Lamar could easily be averaging 6K+ in basketball like they were in the 1980s when they had good teams and were regarded as a legitimate mid-major team.  The SLC had Karl Malone at La Tech that did just as well in the NCAA tourney as LU did.  McNeese had Joe Dumars.  Schools like USL (UL-Laf now) and Arkansas State had good teams and actual college-caliber arenas (unlike a lot of the high school size arenas in the SLC now).

LU football did begin to pull in the crowds in the last 1970s and early 1980s when they did win and/or brought in some decent opponents.  Once they de-emphasized football, went 1-AA independent and basically let football die on the vine, nobody bothered to show up.  Lamar needs to be perceived as a legitimate sports school or nobody will care.  Any so-called basketball 1-AA division would definitely forever kill Lamar basketball.

Lamar must expand their football stadium soon and move to a FBS conference or they'll be like the rest of the FCS and draw high school sized crowds.  They also need to figure out a way to win again in basketball or they might as well be in a so-called 1-AA basketball conference.  I think these next 5 years will be determine the fate of Lamar athletics for a long time.

[UNLV]

[quote name="badndn" post="764796" timestamp="1266951265"]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=66404.msg764646#msg764646 date=1266937053]
[quote author=badndn link=topic=66404.msg764629#msg764629 date=1266934870]
[quote author=UNLV link=topic=66404.msg764450#msg764450 date=1266893993]
Bruce,
Lamar is bigger than La-Monroe, BPT MSA is much bigger than Monroe MSA, Yet LA-monroe plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than La-Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Ruston or equal to Shreveport MSA, Yet LA-Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is smaller than Texas Tech, BPT MSA is bigger than Lubbock MSA, Yet Texas Tech plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Marshall, BPT MSA is bigger than Huntington MSA, Yet Marshall plays FBS.
Lamar is bigger than Southern Mississippi, BPT MSA is much bigger than Hattiesburg, Yet USM plays FBS.

I could go on...

It's all about the conference.
[/quote]

All that is great and all, but Lamar/BPT is also an easy 1.5 hour jont down I-10 from major entertainment in Houston!
Monroe is not, LT is not, TT is not, Marshall is not, USM is not.
[/quote]Please with the sorry weak excuse. Everyone here don't run to Houston for a fix. Lamar would not lose
fans in the stadium, 6 times per year, just to visit Houston. A place we all been to a million times.
[/quote]
While I know that you are NEVER EVER wrong, everyone here does not have to run to Houston for a fix, only a portion have to to draw away from the LU crowds on Saturday.
You ever been to Lubbock? or Monroe? I have. If I as part of that BPT MSA want to go to watch an NFL game I can do so at a moments notice. If you live in Lubbock it is a weekend affair! Therefore TT football is what they have. It ain't an excuse, like it or not it's a fact.
For all his goffiness, the SETX Mavericks owner said it best recently when he said that "the people of SETX want $100 entertainment value out of a $15 ticket!" It sucks for us die hard Cardinal fans, but it is true!
[/quote]LU fans will not give up the few home games to go to a city they've been to a million times. The NASA tram will still be there....

[NorthoftheBorder]

I guess Huggins thinks he will have a better chance to get in the tournament year in year out without the FCS confernces eating up spots.  Guess he doesn't think he can be in the upper echelon of his conference each year so he is looking for a backdoor entrance.  He would sing a different tune if he was at a FCS school.  He's a loser!

[Javelina]

Here is a question.  If he was affordable do you think Lamar would try and hire him?

[DP#1FAN]

[quote author=Javelina link=topic=66404.msg765203#msg765203 date=1266980857]
Here is a question.  If he was affordable do you think Lamar would try and hire him?
[/quote
Not sure they are that smart.

[Guest coachacola]

[quote name="DP#1FAN" post="765518" timestamp="1267030500"]
[quote author=Javelina link=topic=66404.msg765203#msg765203 date=1266980857]
Here is a question.  If he was affordable do you think Lamar would try and hire him?
[/quote]
Not sure they are that smart.
[/quote]

Lamar has already been down this road and it didn't work out that great.

[fatelvis04]

Coachacola, the Wildcatters had ties to NHL teams for three of their four years. Their failures were that they 1) were clueless on how to market the sport in this area and 2) managed to piss off a lot of people.