Anyone who is pushing the Southland Conference is NOT A FORWARD THINKER.

Half of the Southland should be D2. Schools with no money poor facilities and no way to even think past this year how they are going to afford next year.

A young lady who my daughter competed against in Texas Juniors Tennis signed with a Louisiana SLC school. She told me the athletes are expected to do fundraising at least twice a month. She transferred obviously.

SFA really didn’t have much choice. They have been bleeding enrollment for years if NOT a decade. So, the money is not there short term until UT funds start kicking in. If they are able to reverse the downward trend they will definitely have buyers remorse returning to a conference of have nots.

Another reason they may have wanted to return was to have a chance at sports titles. It’s sounds weak and lame especially if you think your alums will be ecstatic about winning a weak conference championship. But I truly believe their leadership wanted that over trying to compete at a higher level.

ACU flop at the end of the year gave them a false sense of security.

Sawmill Woodshed was buzzing over that win

(12-17-2024 12:26 AM)RCI Wrote:  I don't see ACU going back to the SLC. We have upped the support for something better, the latest being a new baseball stadium that will be outstanding. Add the remodel of Moody and the Anthony Stadium designed for adding even more seats and the excellent tennis facilities and more makes me think as ACU continues to grow, it will not look backwards but always forward. Academically our US News and World Reports ranking is uniquely high for a university in the central and southern US. Engineering is rated exceptional by ABET. The fluid fueled advanced reactor program is unique in the USA. So as long as we keep growing, I don't see a downward move, but the problem is what are the options going forward. I don't think we will risk a jump until things settle down. I agree that Tarleton and ACU can be valuable anchors in Texas.

Tarleton's growth and new football facilities as well as a fine new coliseum coming along would make me think there will be suitors looking for universities like these two, but it is very important to not take a dead-end, premature jump to just any conference or NCAA classification. I am still puzzled as to why the WAC did not seek full sports programs including football. Sometimes it feels like our conference leadership thinks we are primarily a basketball conference. I even lettered in basketball, but football is the most important sport for a modern conference. I am just not well enough informed to understand what the best future path should be. NIL has turned the sports world upside down.

There's just no schools in the footprint that wanted to join. The Big Sky is stable and Southern Utah was a coup there. Northern Arizona, despite being an outlier, rebuffed offers. No DII call-ups want to jump. McNeese is probably what set the motion we know today by not leaving. The big question I have is why Central Arkansas went the ASUN route. It looks smart today, but then, that was clearly the lower rated conference.

And everyone can not underestimate the GCU effect. Their unfair and borderline unethical budgetary practices were a factor in SFA's decision.

(12-21-2024 01:02 PM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  

(12-17-2024 12:26 AM)RCI Wrote:  I don't see ACU going back to the SLC. We have upped the support for something better, the latest being a new baseball stadium that will be outstanding. Add the remodel of Moody and the Anthony Stadium designed for adding even more seats and the excellent tennis facilities and more makes me think as ACU continues to grow, it will not look backwards but always forward. Academically our US News and World Reports ranking is uniquely high for a university in the central and southern US. Engineering is rated exceptional by ABET. The fluid fueled advanced reactor program is unique in the USA. So as long as we keep growing, I don't see a downward move, but the problem is what are the options going forward. I don't think we will risk a jump until things settle down. I agree that Tarleton and ACU can be valuable anchors in Texas.

Tarleton's growth and new football facilities as well as a fine new coliseum coming along would make me think there will be suitors looking for universities like these two, but it is very important to not take a dead-end, premature jump to just any conference or NCAA classification. I am still puzzled as to why the WAC did not seek full sports programs including football. Sometimes it feels like our conference leadership thinks we are primarily a basketball conference. I even lettered in basketball, but football is the most important sport for a modern conference. I am just not well enough informed to understand what the best future path should be. NIL has turned the sports world upside down.

There's just no schools in the footprint that wanted to join. The Big Sky is stable and Southern Utah was a coup there. Northern Arizona, despite being an outlier, rebuffed offers. No DII call-ups want to jump. McNeese is probably what set the motion we know today by not leaving. The big question I have is why Central Arkansas went the ASUN route. It looks smart today, but then, that was clearly the lower rated conference.

And everyone can not underestimate the GCU effect. Their unfair and borderline unethical budgetary practices were a factor in SFA's decision.

UCA used to be in the D2 Gulf South Conference. UNA was in with them. Jax St had been a member as well. Looks like they got out the year UCA joined. That may have been part of the logic.

Glad to see we lost to the team that's going back to the Championship game. NDSU played very well against SDSU. A good game all the way around. I missed the MSU/USD game when I left for the men's BB game, but that looked to be good as well, although I figured MSU would dominate. Here's to a GREAT MSU vs NDSU Championship.