(11-05-2026 10:06 AM)TealNation Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 07:32 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 10:38 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  Well according to this guy the SBC is interested in Tarleton State? I guess Troy would move East…….?

I also know this guy isn’t actually reliable. Just thought I’d share lol.

Thats a take our ball and go home add. Like when Tulane thought they were joining the Big East. Zero faith in the direction or leadership of this conference if this happens.

I can understand schools not wanting to go to Texas but I don't think they'd be a bad long term add at all tbh. Good institutional support. They kinda remind me of Coastal but their facilities are already more developed.

Marshall and USM fans will look at it as we were conference mates of Houston and SMU and then down graded all the way to Tartleton. Keep them away. I want nothing to do with them and any school leaders that would entertain it need themselves or their schools booted. No Tartletons, MTSUs, FIUs, Kennasaws, Jacksonvilles,... no, just no.

(11-05-2026 09:25 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 08:00 AM)goherd17 Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 07:32 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 10:38 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  Well according to this guy the SBC is interested in Tarleton State? I guess Troy would move East…….?

I also know this guy isn’t actually reliable. Just thought I’d share lol.

Thats a take our ball and go home add. Like when Tulane thought they were joining the Big East. Zero faith in the direction or leadership of this conference if this happens.

They are ranked number 1 in FCS and up and coming for sure. Facilities are nice as well. IMO Liberty is the best option but I would have not problem with this .

Tartleton is a major down grade from Texas State and JMU. I've never even heard of them. Its disrespectful to expect our current members to go there and play or share a conference with them. If it happens I hope we split and any one from the west that wants to come can come. SBC has too much potential to throw a wrench like this in it.

I hadn't heard of JMU either until they became SBC's expansion target. Tarleton may be the JMU of Texas. Do a blind test of their budget, facilities, and support.

-Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

Sure, Tarleton is FCS, and most of us would rather have Liberty or Ohio, but I don’t get all the hubbub about them being such a negative add.

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

Sure, Tarleton is FCS, and most of us would rather have Liberty or Ohio, but I don’t get all the hubbub about them being such a negative add.

I agree they are growing and I guess some forget we were FCS at one time as well as was JMU

(11-05-2026 11:21 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 10:06 AM)TealNation Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 07:32 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 10:38 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  Well according to this guy the SBC is interested in Tarleton State? I guess Troy would move East…….?

I also know this guy isn’t actually reliable. Just thought I’d share lol.

Thats a take our ball and go home add. Like when Tulane thought they were joining the Big East. Zero faith in the direction or leadership of this conference if this happens.

I can understand schools not wanting to go to Texas but I don't think they'd be a bad long term add at all tbh. Good institutional support. They kinda remind me of Coastal but their facilities are already more developed.

Marshall and USM fans will look at it as we were conference mates of Houston and SMU and then down graded all the way to Tartleton. Keep them away. I want nothing to do with them and any school leaders that would entertain it need themselves or their schools booted. No Tartletons, MTSUs, FIUs, Kennasaws, Jacksonvilles,... no, just no.

Adding a school with good institutional support and good athletic budget isn't bad judgement even if they are not currently widely known.Travel logistics or not wanting to be in Texas is more understandable reason.

If the league is not in a position to add from CUSA or MAC they will need to go back to the old playbook that gave the league a boost in the first place. Not adding a school with more institutional support and growth potential than any of those schools mentioned is not a good long term decision.

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

Sure, Tarleton is FCS, and most of us would rather have Liberty or Ohio, but I don’t get all the hubbub about them being such a negative add.

You even took time to look into them??? Gross.

(11-05-2026 12:01 PM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

Sure, Tarleton is FCS, and most of us would rather have Liberty or Ohio, but I don’t get all the hubbub about them being such a negative add.

You even took time to look into them??? Gross.

Glad they did. Nothing wrong with them. I wish there was a similiar East Coast prospect just like them hungry for FBS.

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

It's doubtful anyone in the SBC sees that as a "pro."

Ohio, Delaware, Liberty, thats the pool for the east. No one else has value or brings anything. I'd rather us drop to 12. Tarleton is a slap in the face.

Of course, it has to be the right choice not "just any school will do," but the conference establishing a footprint in Texas and in Florida as well makes sense. I don't know if the RIGHT CHOICE to do so will ever be available, but the SBC cannot summarily dismiss expansion into Texas and Florida.

(11-05-2026 12:27 PM)Tech80 Wrote:  Of course, it has to be the right choice not "just any school will do," but the conference establishing a footprint in Texas and in Florida as well makes sense. I don't know if the RIGHT CHOICE to do so will ever be available, but the SBC cannot summarily dismiss expansion into Texas and Florida.

We just left a conference with FOUR Texas schools. Didn’t benefit us a dime. Totally worthless to those of us in the East.

(11-05-2026 12:35 PM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 12:27 PM)Tech80 Wrote:  Of course, it has to be the right choice not "just any school will do," but the conference establishing a footprint in Texas and in Florida as well makes sense. I don't know if the RIGHT CHOICE to do so will ever be available, but the SBC cannot summarily dismiss expansion into Texas and Florida.

We just left a conference with FOUR Texas schools. Didn’t benefit us a dime. Totally worthless to those of us in the East.

That's too narrow of a viewpoint. First, there is also a WEST division in the SBC that would benefit from a Texas footprint. This would be a more direct benefit. But, the elevation of any portion of a conference is good for the whole conference. One might make the case that a Florida footprint would benefit the EAST division in the Belt. Yeah, more directly. But Tech has recruited and signed some pretty darn good players, across all sports, out of Florida.

Again, YES! it has to be the right school(s). I think we can all agree on that.

(11-05-2026 11:21 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  Marshall and USM fans will look at it as we were conference mates of Houston and SMU and then down graded all the way to Tartleton.

As opposed to "up-grading" to our other realistic options? Those historic power-houses?

Tarrleton wouldn't be my first choice for a number of reasons, but at this point (at this level) it's not that big of a deal. Ohio and WKU and Liberty all better on the field over time. Delaware and Missouri State closer to a wash.


SMU has really taken off now that they can pay for play, but would any of those SMU teams that you shared a conference with have been much of a favorite over this year's Tarrleton? SMU was not very good when they shared a conference with you.

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

Sure, Tarleton is FCS, and most of us would rather have Liberty or Ohio, but I don’t get all the hubbub about them being such a negative add.

It's over-stated.

They can be the worst option (of real options) or the third-best option or whatever. That's fine and somewhat subjective. But it's not all that much worse than adding anyone else (that would come).

(11-05-2026 12:20 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 11:27 AM)Herdfanatic04 Wrote:  -Enrollment of almost 20k
-R2 research university
-#1 in FCS football
-Coming off NCAA appearance in baseball
-B2B 35+ win seasons in softball
-Just built a $130 million, 8k seat basketball arena
-Expands the conference footprint back into Texas

It's doubtful anyone in the SBC sees that as a "pro."

Schools that recruit Texas heavily would see that as a "pro."

It's possible (but probably not likely given the school in question) that the financial side of being in Texas is a "pro." I doubt it much matters, but I guess it could.

(11-05-2026 12:21 PM)polkhigh Wrote:  I'd rather us drop to 12.

This isn't a real option in my opinion.

We could stay at 13 instead. Feel free to make that case (but I doubt you'd convince many).

(11-05-2026 12:35 PM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 12:27 PM)Tech80 Wrote:  Of course, it has to be the right choice not "just any school will do," but the conference establishing a footprint in Texas and in Florida as well makes sense. I don't know if the RIGHT CHOICE to do so will ever be available, but the SBC cannot summarily dismiss expansion into Texas and Florida.

We just left a conference with FOUR Texas schools. Didn’t benefit us a dime. Totally worthless to those of us in the East.

You don't know that. If nothing else having 4 teams in Texas gave that version of CUSA 14 total schools which allowed you to only play cross-divisionally twice per season. A 12 team CUSA with only 3 teams in Texas sends you to Texas more often.

And for all that the CUSA media deal was unimpressive, it's possible that it's even less so without any of those big market Texas schools.

Tarleton football only, (East)Tx A&M basketball only, we should have taken DBU baseball only but the PAC swooped in. Liberty and Ohio all sports.

(11-05-2026 12:42 PM)Tech80 Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 12:35 PM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(11-05-2026 12:27 PM)Tech80 Wrote:  Of course, it has to be the right choice not "just any school will do," but the conference establishing a footprint in Texas and in Florida as well makes sense. I don't know if the RIGHT CHOICE to do so will ever be available, but the SBC cannot summarily dismiss expansion into Texas and Florida.

We just left a conference with FOUR Texas schools. Didn’t benefit us a dime. Totally worthless to those of us in the East.

That's too narrow of a viewpoint. First, there is also a WEST division in the SBC that would benefit from a Texas footprint. This would be a more direct benefit. But, the elevation of any portion of a conference is good for the whole conference. One might make the case that a Florida footprint would benefit the EAST division in the Belt. Yeah, more directly. But Tech has recruited and signed some pretty darn good players, across all sports, out of Florida.

Again, YES! it has to be the right school(s). I think we can all agree on that.

Anyone else think it's ironic that a LT fan is saying that the footprint is too tight when a tight footprint was the argument for adding LT when there was an actual opening in the west?

Absolutely not for FIU. No advantage.

I was for Louisiana Tech coming ever since we were planning to jump ship. LA Tech vs Louisiana is good for the conference. Tarleton and FIU will be the beginning of the end.

When CUSA split i was pulling for Louisiana, Arkansas State, Ohio, App State, Georgia Southern, ect... instead we were crapped on with FAU, FIU, MTSU, WKU, UTSA, North Texas, Charlotte,... from that point on I'm pretty sure Marshall and Southern Miss fans wanted out.

We just about have what should've been over a decade ago.