(02-10-2019 01:28 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(02-09-2019 02:30 AM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  I don't see the rationale for them doing a dog and pony show.

What I have gathered from most of the Arkansas residents is that even if the study said it was feasible, it would be near impossible to make it happen, as the "mighty" hogs and their supporters would ensure that the talent/media/interest pool isn't further diluted.

So a feasibility study wouldn't be needed to show it can't be done. Those that want football will dismiss it anyway, and those that don't care about football will just shrug and say "see? Told ya so."

If the MVC was legitimately such a good move for them, then they would have the rationale to move... because of their legitimate reasons.

A more likely (though still not likely at all) scenario would be that the original feasibility study showed that it would be possible to have an FBS team and that information was augmented to get the desired result, or just as bad: The firm was told what the outcome should be, and they worked backwards to support that notion.

EDIT: I was always pretty sure that feasibility studies were handled a lot like conference invites anyway, in that they aren't done if they truly don't know the answer already.

The truth is, Little Rock still doesn't sponsor the Sun Belt required number of sports to be a full time member. In theory, if the league could easily actually enforce their own rules there, but the Trojans are ignored because there's no real push from anyone to make that change.

There's been discussions before that the Trojans were a better fit for the MVC or Summit League, but they are happy in the Sun Belt, and the Sun Belt really doesn't have any impetus to go to all football schools. Nor does the MVC or Summit really seem that interested in UALR.

Also, since its come up before. I do not believe Arkansas State honestly cares one way or the other if UALR is a Sun Belt member. We like having a close conference game that's easy for our large Little Rock based alums to attend, but we could easily play them in OOC if they ever left. Provided we could replace them with someone reasonably close to Jonesboro *Stares directly at Missouri State* I don't think you'd see much of a push on our end to save them. Nor would there by any push to add UCA. That's just crazy talk. It benefits us to be clearly seen as the #2 team in the state.

When the American South and Sun Belt merged, a certain former UALR head coach then at Lamar tried to rally the votes to rescind the invitation the Sun Belt had extended to UALR prior to the merger. The consensus ended up being the league would do whatever AState wanted and AState's president said they invitation should be honored.

If we leave or UALR leaves, we are still going to play as long as UALR is interested and dates can be worked out.

After UALR went Division I the schools met 14 times in 12 years in basketball prior to UALR joining the Sun Belt.

Unless UALR were to go off the rails like Pony Excess, they will never be expelled on a straight expulsion vote because expulsion requires a unanimous vote and AState isn't voting to expel UALR unless its an incredibly ridiculous situation.

If you want to formalize rules designed to expel UALR by adopting some standard they cannot meet that requires 9 votes out 12 and you aren't going to get 9. UALR will vote no. AState will vote no and I suspect that ULM and UTA would vote no as well because UALR is a bus trip for them and both might well be concerned the target would be on their back next and 8 would be the most you could get.

The league has opted to not consider the Wyatt Committee standards binding (which would expel UALR, but if we had deemed them binding UTA couldn't have been admitted).

The reality is university presidents and AD's don't think like fans. UALR is an academic peer and they make the road swing to AState in men's and women's basketball and volleyball easier. Soccer and baseball are easy bus trips for AState, ULM and UTA.

UALR would be hard pressed to get in the Valley. The Valley turned down Murray State. UALR has made the NCAA Tournament five times since 1986 with two wins, Murray has gone 14 times and had three wins in that span. UALR has three NIT since 1987, Murray has gone five times. Murray draws better and is closer to more schools in the Valley.

I don't see any big conspiracy theory. There has been "talk" about LR starting football for years. Students signed a survey saying they wanted football. They did a study that clearly showed it wasn't viable. Most everyone close to the situation knew that was the case, but the study showed it clearly in black and white. Hopefully, we won't have to hear nonsense about starting a football program for, at least, the next 20 years or so.

Someone in this thread made an excellent point I hadn't thought of. Online college is likely a big reason for attendance decline at UALR which is still primarily a commuter school. I sent my kids away for college for social growth and development as much as education. Commuter students drive to class and then go home when class is over. Online college just saves them gas and driving time.

It would not bother me at all for UALR to go elsewhere. Hope they do. I would hope State would be the only Arkansas scchool in the SunBelt as well. UCA is in Conway, leave them there.

I couldn't see UCA being a viable FBS option yet. It wasn't long ago they transitioned from D2 to FCS.

(02-11-2019 03:32 PM)_x_ Wrote:  I couldn't see UCA being a viable FBS option yet. It wasn't long ago they transitioned from D2 to FCS.

Depends . . .

If you’re talking about our going FBS, then yeah, I mean Larry had to be dragged kicking and screaming . .

UTSA went from nada to FBS, so there’s that.. .

Did UIW make a quick jump, not sure I ‘member . .

If UCA had the resources, commitment, and the will to make that move (and of course there was a conference to take them), then I could see it happening.

But I suppose in the “normal” day to day ops, they’d probably need more time . .

(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2019 03:32 PM)_x_ Wrote:  I couldn't see UCA being a viable FBS option yet. It wasn't long ago they transitioned from D2 to FCS.

Depends . . .

If you’re talking about our going FBS, then yeah, I mean Larry had to be dragged kicking and screaming . .

UTSA went from nada to FBS, so there’s that.. .

Did UIW make a quick jump, not sure I ‘member . .

If UCA had the resources, commitment, and the will to make that move (and of course there was a conference to take them), then I could see it happening.

But I suppose in the “normal” day to day ops, they’d probably need more time . .

The correct answer is they don't. The Campus is landlocked, is filled to capacity, and has little room to expand. There's also no real verifiable proof that they'd be able to draw enough fans to be competitive within FBS. Much like their Central Arkansas neighbors in Little Rock, there's a lot of realistic questions as to whether or not they could build their own fan in a region that is not known for supporting their sports programs.

(02-12-2019 02:09 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2019 03:32 PM)_x_ Wrote:  I couldn't see UCA being a viable FBS option yet. It wasn't long ago they transitioned from D2 to FCS.

Depends . . .

If you’re talking about our going FBS, then yeah, I mean Larry had to be dragged kicking and screaming . .

UTSA went from nada to FBS, so there’s that.. .

Did UIW make a quick jump, not sure I ‘member . .

If UCA had the resources, commitment, and the will to make that move (and of course there was a conference to take them), then I could see it happening.

But I suppose in the “normal” day to day ops, they’d probably need more time . .

The correct answer is they don't. The Campus is landlocked, is filled to capacity, and has little room to expand. There's also no real verifiable proof that they'd be able to draw enough fans to be competitive within FBS. Much like their Central Arkansas neighbors in Little Rock, there's a lot of realistic questions as to whether or not they could build their own fan in a region that is not known for supporting their sports programs.

The only cost-effective way to expand their stadium by the 16,000 or so seats they'd need would be to have a HUGE end zone seating section. Opposite the press box there is zero room, they have luxury boxes on the top of the dorm next door. The other side can't go bigger unless they tear down what is basically a new press box. The north end zone would require a major street re-work. That leaves the south end zone.

The fact that they UCA moved up from D2 recently isn't that big a deal. NDSU just moved up from D2 in 2006 (I think) and they were probably capable of moving up to FBS immediately in terms of competitiveness. The student body of 11K is pretty small to merit FBS though. I'm not saying that as a slam against other Sunbelt schools that might be in the range, but it's on the small side for an FBS program.

I'd imagine the SunBelt doesn't want to increase to 12 teams, so if UALR wanted football, it might have to change conferences. The SunBelt just kicked out NMSU and Idaho to get to 10. Only way I see another team getting added is if someone else gets the boot or leaves on their own.

(02-12-2019 04:18 PM)APPrising Wrote:  I'd imagine the SunBelt doesn't want to increase to 12 teams, so if UALR wanted football, it might have to change conferences. The SunBelt just kicked out NMSU and Idaho to get to 10. Only way I see another team getting added is if someone else gets the boot or leaves on their own.

UALR is a full member though, and if they started football and wanted in the Sun Belt they would be in the Sun Belt.

Thankfully, they don't want football.

(02-12-2019 04:20 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(02-12-2019 04:18 PM)APPrising Wrote:  I'd imagine the SunBelt doesn't want to increase to 12 teams, so if UALR wanted football, it might have to change conferences. The SunBelt just kicked out NMSU and Idaho to get to 10. Only way I see another team getting added is if someone else gets the boot or leaves on their own.

UALR is a full member though, and if they started football and wanted in the Sun Belt they would be in the Sun Belt.

Thankfully, they don't want football.

Also, Idaho and NMSU weren’t kicked to get to 10 football members, they were only added as a bandaid to begin with, and they are way outside our conference footprint. Actually, they weren’t kicked, their membership just wasn’t extended.

Just gonna ask this: WHY would Little Rock NEED to do a FBS study to justify a move to the MVC? That seems like an unnecessary step, as they (in this conspiracy theory) would just be moving to a basketball focused conference, which... you know, makes sense for a university that has basketball as it's athletic focus.

So what would be the benefit of the dog and pony show? I mean, to the best of my knowledge (which is granted, limited on Little Rock), there was no rumblings that they were going to start up football, and there was no call for them to do so (aside from the few fans across message boards who like all conference members to be football playing).

(02-12-2019 09:28 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  Just gonna ask this: WHY would Little Rock NEED to do a FBS study to justify a move to the MVC? That seems like an unnecessary step, as they (in this conspiracy theory) would just be moving to a basketball focused conference, which... you know, makes sense for a university that has basketball as it's athletic focus.

So what would be the benefit of the dog and pony show? I mean, to the best of my knowledge (which is granted, limited on Little Rock), there was no rumblings that they were going to start up football, and there was no call for them to do so (aside from the few fans across message boards who like all conference members to be football playing).

There was a student-led petition. Rumor was a member of the stadium commission and board of visitors spread some money to fund it as an astroturf rather than grassroots campaign.

I know the guy. I'm skeptical that happened just because I don't think he's as into the idea as much as it would take to bother with it.