Looks like the Belt is getting that 12th team soon
UALR Football Returning After 50 Years

That article does not say that UALR is restarting football. It says that The city of Little Rock WANTS them to restart football.

There is no way the University of Arkansas would ever allow them to restart football. They'd UAB the entire program before allowing that to happen.

Arkansas already has problems with Ark St being FBS, could you imagine having a third FBS program in the state of Arkansas? UALR program should of started back 15 years ago. I will use USA as an example. With USA it has united a city, helped the support of the university, and opened up Mobile to be able to watch some college football. If UALR started a football program it would do the same for UALR and the town of Little Rock. Little Rock has over 200,000 with 750,000 in its MSA.

War Memorial Stadium looks like a nice place to have a bowl game also.

(02-06-2015 01:41 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  That article does not say that UALR is restarting football. It says that The city of Little Rock WANTS them to restart football.

There is no way the University of Arkansas would ever allow them to restart football. They'd UAB the entire program before allowing that to happen.

Its a start though. At least someone is able to bring the subject up. Never know what is in the works.

After 50 Years, UALR Football Could Make a Comeback

Key word: could

(02-06-2015 08:28 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  After 50 Years, UALR Football Could Make a Comeback

Key word: could

Plez plez plez plez comback. We likeeeeey

Wow, that would be awesome.. Would love a trip to Little Rock every other year....

Would be great

What would it look like if UALR added football, NMSU was added for all sports and we add UAB in Basketball?

Would be great for basketball and would put to rest adding another FCS team...

How would the divisions break down?

(02-06-2015 09:22 AM)BankerCajun Wrote:  What would it look like if UALR added football, NMSU was added for all sports and we add UAB in Basketball?

Would be great for basketball and would put to rest adding another FCS team...

How would the divisions break down?

Dare to dream

Anyone want to start an over/under on who fields a team first? UALR or UTA?

I would prefer to see UTA comeback....they are needed in the west to balance it out.

Bring them both back

(02-06-2015 09:35 AM)Troystud Wrote:  I would prefer to see UTA comeback....they are needed in the west to balance it out.

As would I, my point is, it doesn't look like either will be fielding a team anytime soon. Shame too. I wish every team in the Belt fielded a football team. .. .

UA is even attempting to destroy their distance learning program so one only imagines what they would think of a football program.

UALR isn't exactly rolling in cash. Hard to see where they come up with that sort of ongoing budget.

My crystal ball also shows attendance problems. LR is a Hog city, not a sports city.

Yeah, it is a pipe dream. I don't see any way that UALR finds the support or the money to start football. Maybe they could play a lower division football, like D2.

(02-06-2015 09:52 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  Yeah, it is a pipe dream. I don't see any way that UALR finds the support or the money to start football. Maybe they could play a lower division football, like D2.

As long as they want to remain DI in basketball, any football program would be required to be a DI football program. Now they could go FCS or even FCS non-scholarship.

Arkansas is too small of a state for 3 FBS programs. Its hard enough for Ark St to get support yet alone having UALR get it. If anything, UALR would take the support ASU built up.

UALR recently cut from 15 sports to 14 sports (the NCAA minimum and one below the number the Sun Belt once said it expected all members to sponsor).

So cash flow is an issue.

Any AD needs to look at whether it makes sense but let's break this down.

Current budget is roughly $9 million.

The new AD says he needs a 70% increase. That would be $15.3 million. So UALR has to come up with $6.3 million more than it currently does every single year to get to that target.

You can probably rule out an increase in the athletic fee. The current athletic fee at UALR is $17.25 per semester hour. That is already the largest fee of any Arkansas school.

Even if you find an extra $6.3 million that would still be a budget that is 25% of AState's budget.

Then there is the question of market demand. Arkansas did not sell out for Georgia in Little Rock this year. Obviously UALR would be priced much lower but we are talking Sun Belt vs. SEC and we are talking about the Hogs playing in Little Rock drawing from many southern and eastern counties that aren't going to produce fans for UALR.

I think UALR is more than capable of hustling up the $15 million in start-up costs. It's a big piece of money but the resources certainly are available in Little Rock, it is raising another $4.5 million (assuming two $1 million money games where you clear $900,000 after expenses) that seems like the tougher nut to crack and you really will have to be in year three or four to get the money games.

It's not an impossibility but it is unlikely.

A floggin' 55,000 seat stadium right smack in the middle of the Sunbelt Conference's footprint, no fbs program based in the city, and bowl-eligible Sunbelt teams are staying home during bowl season because there are no slots for them?

What's our commissioner doing, playing golf all day? Oh, wait, nevermind.