It's official.

As part of today's WAC announcement, UTRGV has committed to adding football in the Rio Grande Valley by 2024.

They are the first Division I school to add football in Texas since Houston Baptist.

According to a poster on AGS, that makes 10 FCS schools in Texas and 22 Division I football programs overall and certainly based on the other news about an additional Texas school coming to the WAC before long to give the league 14 schools total (with Chicago State's pending exit), we can anticipate that FCS count to go up. And that does not even include FCS.

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/20...review_img

I had a suspicion that UTRGV would end up adding football as part of this arrangement. Congratulations and best of luck to your new program.

(01-14-2021 11:07 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  It's official.

As part of today's WAC announcement, UTRGV has committed to adding football in the Rio Grande Valley by 2024.

They are the first Division I school to add football in Texas since Houston Baptist.

According to a poster on AGS, that makes 10 FCS schools in Texas and 22 Division I football programs overall and certainly based on the other news about an additional Texas school coming to the WAC before long to give the league 14 schools total (with Chicago State's pending exit), we can anticipate that FCS count to go up. And that does not even include FCS.

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/20...review_img

Good move by UTRGV. This ties in with their desire to identify as a new stand-alone university, and not merely a restructuring of the former UT-Pan American. Football is very important to the identity of a university in Texas.

High school football is very popular in the Valley. The quality of teams lag behind those in the rest of Texas, but it is popular, nonetheless.

With no other options in that part of Texas, UTRGV football has potential.

(01-14-2021 11:48 AM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 11:07 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  It's official.

As part of today's WAC announcement, UTRGV has committed to adding football in the Rio Grande Valley by 2024.

They are the first Division I school to add football in Texas since Houston Baptist.

According to a poster on AGS, that makes 10 FCS schools in Texas and 22 Division I football programs overall and certainly based on the other news about an additional Texas school coming to the WAC before long to give the league 14 schools total (with Chicago State's pending exit), we can anticipate that FCS count to go up. And that does not even include FCS.

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/20...review_img

Good move by UTRGV. This ties in with their desire to identify as a new stand-alone university, and not merely a restructuring of the former UT-Pan American. Football is very important to the identity of a university in Texas.

High school football is very popular in the Valley. The quality of teams lag behind those in the rest of Texas, but it is popular, nonetheless.

With no other options in that part of Texas, UTRGV football has potential.

Gonna be interesting to see how they develop as a program in one of the most talent devoid regions in the state, in an area that isnt all that attractive to most. Good luck RGV!

(01-14-2021 11:54 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Gonna be interesting to see how they develop as a program in one of the most talent devoid regions in the state, in an area that isnt all that attractive to most. Good luck RGV!

For those reasons, I can't see them building a successful FBS program. They will be supported well enough to build a good FCS program.

The WAC is making moves! If they can get to FBS status, I would be amazed along with the A-Sun. Then maybe the AAC can claim P6 status or this just pushes the P5 to break-off from the FBS and create an FPS (Football Power Series/Football Premiere Series).

It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

https://twitter.com/mattbrownep/status/1...10978?s=21

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

Why tough to travel? Never heard of Southwest Airlines?

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

How have WAC teams been traveling to UTRGV? Do they fly and change planes in Dallas, or fly to San Antonio and then take a 4 hour bus ride?

johnintx Wrote:With no other options in that part of Texas, UTRGV football has potential.

If you mean South Texas as "that part of Texas" then what happens when the Javelinas elevate from D2 as part of a merger with TAMUCC? Frankly I am surprised this hasn't been announced by now.

(01-14-2021 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

How have WAC teams been traveling to UTRGV? Do they fly and change planes in Dallas, or fly to San Antonio and then take a 4 hour bus ride?

I’m not sure but having been to the valley on several occasions, I never found it to be the least bit convenient

(01-14-2021 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

How have WAC teams been traveling to UTRGV? Do they fly and change planes in Dallas, or fly to San Antonio and then take a 4 hour bus ride?

Theres a few airports in the Valley. McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville.

(01-14-2021 02:43 PM)PicksUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

How have WAC teams been traveling to UTRGV? Do they fly and change planes in Dallas, or fly to San Antonio and then take a 4 hour bus ride?

Theres a few airports in the Valley. McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville.

All with great service from Southwest Airlines from other cities in Texas.

It seems like a solid move for both them and the WAC Not a lot of other sports action in that part of Texas they could wind up being a solid draw

So we have the Texas division of the WAC football.

Big Sky has to be looking around to see who is a target. Could the WAC go after a couple Cali schools? Do they try to pick off Northern Colorado or Northern Arizona?

(01-14-2021 03:42 PM)Foreverandever Wrote:  So we have the Texas division of the WAC football.

Big Sky has to be looking around to see who is a target. Could the WAC go after a couple Cali schools? Do they try to pick off Northern Colorado or Northern Arizona?

I don't think the California schools would leave for the WAC. Sacramento St seems happy and the football-only members would not want to be geographically further from the football center.

Northern Arizona is a founding member and not likely to leave unless something drastic were to happen. Northern Colorado is the newest member of the Big Sky (after Southern Utah leaves) and is a clunky fit. I think they're a better fit in the Summit but the WAC could be an interesting and invigorating move.

(01-14-2021 04:08 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 03:42 PM)Foreverandever Wrote:  So we have the Texas division of the WAC football.

Big Sky has to be looking around to see who is a target. Could the WAC go after a couple Cali schools? Do they try to pick off Northern Colorado or Northern Arizona?

I don't think the California schools would leave for the WAC. Sacramento St seems happy and the football-only members would not want to be geographically further from the football center.

Northern Arizona is a founding member and not likely to leave unless something drastic were to happen. Northern Colorado is the newest member of the Big Sky (after Southern Utah leaves) and is a clunky fit. I think they're a better fit in the Summit but the WAC could be an interesting and invigorating move.

I think the founding member rationale is going to carry less weight now that the WAC is going to divisional play and is adding four more public universities, three of which of are Carnegie doctoral universities. If NAU and Seattle switched places they would both benefit in terms of easier travel, and having five PhD-granting universities in the WAC instead of just two makes the conference a much better institutional fit for NAU. I think if WAC basketball emerges as a step above Big Sky basketball and the WAC performs respectably in FCS football then NAU could very well make the jump.

(01-14-2021 04:29 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 04:08 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 03:42 PM)Foreverandever Wrote:  So we have the Texas division of the WAC football.

Big Sky has to be looking around to see who is a target. Could the WAC go after a couple Cali schools? Do they try to pick off Northern Colorado or Northern Arizona?

I don't think the California schools would leave for the WAC. Sacramento St seems happy and the football-only members would not want to be geographically further from the football center.

Northern Arizona is a founding member and not likely to leave unless something drastic were to happen. Northern Colorado is the newest member of the Big Sky (after Southern Utah leaves) and is a clunky fit. I think they're a better fit in the Summit but the WAC could be an interesting and invigorating move.

I think the founding member rationale is going to carry less weight now that the WAC is going to divisional play and is adding four more public universities, three of which of are Carnegie doctoral universities. If NAU and Seattle switched places they would both benefit in terms of easier travel, and having five PhD-granting universities in the WAC instead of just two makes the conference a much better institutional fit for NAU. I think if WAC basketball emerges as a step above Big Sky basketball and the WAC performs respectably in FCS football then NAU could very well make the jump.

It'd be an interesting move. The WAC was very "unstable" until it wasn't. The Southland and Big Sky have both lost schools to the WAC. Very odd times.

(01-14-2021 02:43 PM)PicksUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:34 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’ll be a tough place to travel, I suspect. That could be a major advantage for home games.

How have WAC teams been traveling to UTRGV? Do they fly and change planes in Dallas, or fly to San Antonio and then take a 4 hour bus ride?

Theres a few airports in the Valley. McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville.

American flies to McAllen from DFW, and United flies there from Houston Bush.

https://www.mcallenairport.com/commercial.html

Southwest flies to Harlingen from Austin and Houston Hobby. American flies there from DFW, and United flies there from Houston Bush.

http://www.flythevalley.com/airlines/

As long as you're willing to change planes in DFW or Houston, flying to the Valley isn't a problem. OTOH, it's a long bus ride from anywhere.