I have been vocal about this and would like some feedback from the forum:

I think for us to get back to true success in football it is going to take us doing something bold. We are in a perfect location to go independent (Houston). We have a group of schools all around us that would play us every year. We would draw better crowds, Bloom could most definitely recruit better to say a schedule of the academies, texas, am, baylor, tcu, houston, and 3-4 cupcakes. In my opinion if we go independent we are immediately on even ground with UH in the recruiting war. Additionally, there is no tv revenue associated with this conference.

We have won this conference! Where did it get us?
Why are we waiting around for the titanic to sink......lets get off and build our own ship.

I THINK ALL LETTERMEN SHOULD BE SCREAMING FOR THIS.....

RICE has the money to do this

Make it happen JK

We've had this debate on numerous occassions.

Even if going independent would benefit the football program-- and, IMO, that's highly debatable-- doing so severely hurts almost all our other sports, save perhaps for Track & Field and tennis. BTW, do tell why all the other Texas schools would suddenly desire to schedule us?

No offense, but this topic has recently been done to the point of

Sorry Walt...have to disagree and we can agree to disagree.

There is not possible way this hurts our football program. As a former Texas high school football player I can guarantee you recruiting would pick up and bottom line is this is all about recruiting. Yes scheduling would take some time but I do believe that the other texas schools like playing us and with some work we could have a very good schedule.

There is no way our schedule would be worse than it is today.

Of course finding a home for the other sports would be an issue but there is a solution to the problem if there is a commitment.

So you are happy with the status quo?

(11-06-2018 09:16 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  No offense, but this topic has recently been done to the point of

I dont know who you are but grow the hell up

If the admin won’t support the program now, why would they do any better as an independent?

Another convert! I've been promoting this idea for years and slowly but surely the people are coming around.

The admin, however, generally does not want football/athletics to be bigger and better, so they are not interested in any plans for improvement. And/or they have ballparked what it would cost to make a push and they are not interested.

It is small-time football against open-admission commuter schools in front of no more than players' friends and family for as far as the eye can see.

It's a figure of speech...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

Can we just stick to the topic at hand.....I am serious about trying to make Rice Football better. I continue to find those who just want to say it cant be done.

(11-06-2018 10:01 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  It's a figure of speech...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

The only way the admin will listen is if demand some real data from JK and get 100 or so ex players that matter to come together and make it a priority.

That is my objective.

(11-06-2018 10:01 AM)illiniowl Wrote:  Another convert! I've been promoting this idea for years and slowly but surely the people are coming around.

The admin, however, generally does not want football/athletics to be bigger and better, so they are not interested in any plans for improvement. And/or they have ballparked what it would cost to make a push and they are not interested.

It is small-time football against open-admission commuter schools in front of no more than players' friends and family for as far as the eye can see.

(11-06-2018 10:12 AM)fortheplayers Wrote:  Can we just stick to the topic at hand.....I am serious about trying to make Rice Football better. I continue to find those who just want to say it cant be done.

(11-06-2018 10:01 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  It's a figure of speech...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

You asked me a loaded question... implying that if I didn't agree with you it meant I was ok with the status quo.

Never mind, though. You're too close to this to also be moderating the thread, if you're going to take comments you disagree with so personally you delete them.

We're at Yahoo discussion board level here, and that means I'm done.

I’m in. It just simply can’t be worse, and while there is risk, there is also significant upside, which I don’t see in our current situation

Count me in. I'll sign any petition, contribute a measly sum to any PAC, etc...

(11-06-2018 10:25 AM)Middle Ages Wrote:  I’m in. It just simply can’t be worse, and while there is risk, there is also significant upside, which I don’t see in our current situation

If we go independent we’ll be D3 in 5 years. The administration doesn’t support athletics and this would just be a convenient way to kill it for good.

Leebron’s lip service really shows through when he can shamelessly post congratulatory pics at an empty stadium when we get thrashed by directional schools.

We are heading that direction regardless......Lets not sit back and watch it happen

(11-06-2018 10:35 AM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(11-06-2018 10:25 AM)Middle Ages Wrote:  I’m in. It just simply can’t be worse, and while there is risk, there is also significant upside, which I don’t see in our current situation

If we go independent we’ll be D3 in 5 years. The administration doesn’t support athletics and this would just be a convenient way to kill it for good.

Leebron’s lip service really shows through when he can shamelessly post congratulatory pics at an empty stadium when we get thrashed by directional schools.

Independence for football can be done, but it means finding a home for our other sports. I too believe this is the way to go.

(11-06-2018 10:39 AM)fortheplayers Wrote:  We are heading that direction [D3] regardless......Lets not sit back and watch it happen.

Exactly. We have to try something. I started posting on this board a decade ago, and honestly, back then I couldn't have envisioned being where we are now. I never thought anyone was trying to kill off D1 athletics at Rice, but now... I don't know.

(11-06-2018 10:16 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(11-06-2018 10:12 AM)fortheplayers Wrote:  Can we just stick to the topic at hand.....I am serious about trying to make Rice Football better. I continue to find those who just want to say it cant be done.

(11-06-2018 10:01 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  It's a figure of speech...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

You asked me a loaded question... implying that if I didn't agree with you it meant I was ok with the status quo.

Never mind, though. You're too close to this to also be moderating the thread, if you're going to take comments you disagree with so personally you delete them.

We're at Yahoo discussion board level here, and that means I'm done.

I've had this exact issue before. Disagree with a certain mod.. and whack goes your post.

(11-06-2018 11:18 AM)Wiessman Wrote:  Independence for football can be done, but it means finding a home for our other sports. I too believe this is the way to go.

(11-06-2018 10:39 AM)fortheplayers Wrote:  We are heading that direction [D3] regardless......Lets not sit back and watch it happen.

Exactly. We have to try something. I started posting on this board a decade ago, and honestly, back then I couldn't have envisioned being where we are now. I never thought anyone was trying to kill off D1 athletics at Rice, but now... I don't know.

Independence isnt the answer any more than the EZF was. Our problem is lack of commitment and crony power structures.

Why would any of this change if we went independent?

(11-06-2018 11:39 AM)Antarius Wrote:  Independence isnt the answer any more than the EZF was. Our problem is lack of commitment and crony power structures.

Why would any of this change if we went independent?

Doing something positive would require us to overcome both the lack of commitment and these power structures. So it would inherently be part of trying to go independent; it would be part of doing anything genuinely positive, really. I just personally vote for that positive thing to be pursuing independence in football.

Independence is not comparable to building an EZF; it would be a wholesale paradigm shift. The chance of it failing, or anything else truly revolutionary failing, is not a consideration at this point because we are already on the road to abject failure.