I saw this on another boards. What is the chance of this happening? They seem like they would be good fit for the Belt. Thoughts?

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...9901060324

UWF aims to boost athletics
Group to envision options for moving up to Division I
D.C. Reeves • dcreeves@pnj.com • January 6, 2009


Buzz up! Rumors about the potential for NCAA Division I sports and the possibility of football at the University of West Florida have swirled for months.Now the school has made its first substantive move in that direction, unveiling the UWF Athletics Visioning Team 2009 on Monday.
The 25-person fact-finding committee will examine the state of athletics and could determine whether the school is fit to add sports or move up from NCAA Division II to Division I. A move to Division I would put UWF among the high-profile universities on the top level of intercollegiate athletics.UWF is the only public university in Florida that is not a member of NCAA Division I. Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers was the last to make the jump."I am excited about the kickoff of the Athletics Visioning Committee," UWF Interim President Judy Bense said. "I think it is the right thing to do at the right time. UWF athletics has come a long, long way since the last study 10 years ago, and I am very glad to be the UWF president that facilitates a long, hard look into the possibilities of the future."Bense, who has been a strong proponent of improving student life and the athletic program since taking over the position last year, was charged with appointing the committee members.
"I want (the committee) to understand that they are to develop action plans by May," Bense said. "The results of their hard work will not be put on the shelf to gather dust."The university has outlined particular issues to be addressed during the next five months:
NCAA divisional alignment.

Conference affiliation.

Sports program review.

Resources.

Facilities review.

Compliance with NCAA, Florida, Title IX, Florida Board of Governors or institutional requirements."I think its important that we have a president who's placing a focus and an interest in athletics," said interim athletic director Dave Scott. "Who knows what the end result will be, but it's good to have an interest and a focus out there."UWF currently has 13 sports — six men's, seven women's.The NCAA has a moratorium on schools moving up to Division I until August 2011. That move up would be popular among many UWF coaches administration and alumni because of increased exposure, the potential for higher salaries, a better product to sell to recruits and improved facilities would follow.UWF moved from NAIA to Division II in 1994 under former athletic director Richard Berg — who will serve as a member of the current Athletics Visioning Team.
The committee is expected to be broken in half with each co-chair — Joe Ambersley and Randy Sansom — overseeing one half. From there, more subcommittees will be created.Aside from the co-chairs, the visioning team is made up of 14 UWF representatives and nine community representatives."I hope we can finalize a plan or get something rolling to activate the community in support of UWF athletics," said team member Ray Palmer, executive director of the Pensacola Sports Association. "Their success in sports is phenomenal right now, and you can't even go to a local sporting goods store and buy a UWF T-shirt.

"No matter which direction we go, I want to see the program exposed. We've got to have something that gets people to appreciate what we have. Most communities would die to have a program like this."Football is the top priority among the student body says April Jardine, president of the UWF Student Government Association."(The Commitee) is a step in the right direction as far as Dr. Bense's plan to amp up athletics," Jardine said. "A lot of students are excited about the idea of football. We (as students) just want somewhere to go, be together and cheer on a football team that we have."I just think in the long run, either way, I think we're going to make the best decision for the university. If it ends up being football, that could be amazing."

Ill admit I dont know much about this university. :plankton:

It could be a fit for the SunBelt but by the time it gets up and running who knows what the Sunbelt, (Or any confrence for that matter) will look like.

One things for sure, there are 2 great examples of Florida schools starting Football and succeding at it.

FAU and USF.

FIU is getting better but havent had that "success" factor yet.

I'm all for it. I love the Pensacola area!

(01-21-2009 08:03 PM)72Tiger Wrote:  I'm all for it. I love the Pensacola area!

Pensacola, really? Yeah, I spent many summer vacations of my youth in the Panhandle.

But here's the thing. The Sunbelt was once in a position that we needed any team we could get or we would literally cease to be a football conference.

That is NOT the case anymore.

We have no real NEED to expand at all, and if we do we could add at most two new programs. We have every reason to be very selective if that is what the conference decides to do.

I also know next to nothing about West Florida, but in basketball adding a D2 upstart where "Football is the top priority among the student body" says April Jardine, president of the UWF Student Government Association, would be absolute poison for Sunbelt basketball.

I don't mean to be elitist, but take a look at some of the similar programs in the Sunbelt that were D2 upstarts and decided to focus on getting a 1A program going. Most of them suck in basketball. It takes a lot of resources for an upstart to focus on starting 1A football. That's fine when we NEEDED more football programs, but now we don't so there are some MINIMUM standards we need to have for new additions.

1) they need to prove beforehand that they can sell 15000 tickets per game in football .

2) they need to prove that they at least have the potential of winning non conference games and helping the conference to compete for at large bids in basketball.

3) they need to have something to offer the Sunbelt. I know there are a lot of FCS and D2 teams that are eyeing two Sunbelt slots that may or may not be there. But at this point it is not just what can we give them... its what can they give us? Market size? At large bids? Good recruiting grounds (what does Pensacola give us that Mobile, Troy, Boca Raton, and Coral Gables do not?)

I have to say that without really looking into it that West Florida does not appear to meet these requirments. I could be wrong.

I don't know about this one. their a plenty of teams moving to D1 that would seem better.
Some examples
1.Texas state
2.UTSA
3.Georgia state and/or georgia southern ( heard one of these schools would be trying to move to D1)
4.Central Arkansas ( wants to be D1 so bad they can taste it )
5. Missouri state
6. App. state

Just say no to expansion!

Too many Florida schools in SBC already.

UTSA and App State would be good additions. Since WKU is going to be full-time in football, I think the conference is fine the way it is for now.

I've been waiting for this to happen, but I didn't expect UWF to talk both D-1 and football at the same time.

UWF has two options they should look at:

1. Move to 1-A without football and join the A-Sun or a similar conference while building
2. Start football and compete in D-2

Anything else, I would think, would overload their finances. They should take it nice and slow, but I do think D-1 would be a good move for them. And they should not be thinking FBS/1-A at all...they should be thinking 1-AA football in the Big South or Southland as may be appropriate (perhaps FB only with B-ball in the Atlantic Sun).

The Atlantic Sun would be a much better fit for UWF if they move up to Division I.

North - Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Lipscomb, USC-Upstate, Kennesaw State
South - West Florida, Mercer, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, Florida Gulf Coast

The only downside to staying in the Gulf South is that UWF may be somewhat isolated from the rest of their conference in short order. Montevallo will be leaving this summer for the Peach Belt, and North Alabama looks to be headed to Division I. UAH (near Tennessee) and West Alabama (near Mississippi) will be the only school left in Alabama, and Valdosta State and West Georgia will be the only other schools near UWF. The Sunshine State Conference isn't a realistic option for West Florida given that all of the SSC's members are in Central and South Florida.

West Florida, Valdosta State, and West Georgia certainly have enrollments in line with Division I schools (10,000+ students). Moving up might be more palatable than becoming members 14-16 in the Peach Belt.

I doubt the Atlantic Sun would want to go to 14 teams, but West Florida, Valdosta State, and West Georgia all would fit there quite comfortably. If the Atlantic Sun could unload a couple of teams, it would make upgrading far less risky.

(01-21-2009 09:39 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  I don't know about this one. their a plenty of teams moving to D1 that would seem better.
Some examples
1.Texas state
2.UTSA
3.Georgia state and/or georgia southern ( heard one of these schools would be trying to move to D1)
4.Central Arkansas ( wants to be D1 so bad they can taste it )
5. Missouri state
6. App. state

UCA knows that 1aa in central arkansas can build a fan base and moving up to take 6 losses a year just is not in the cards.

Mo. St. does not draw playing in the gateway right now the move up would do no better. Who is going to let them in for football only? The MVC is a cash cow in BB, just can't see them moving.

(01-22-2009 10:32 PM)insideualr Wrote:  

(01-21-2009 09:39 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  I don't know about this one. their a plenty of teams moving to D1 that would seem better.
Some examples
1.Texas state
2.UTSA
3.Georgia state and/or georgia southern ( heard one of these schools would be trying to move to D1)
4.Central Arkansas ( wants to be D1 so bad they can taste it )
5. Missouri state
6. App. state

UCA knows that 1aa in central arkansas can build a fan base and moving up to take 6 losses a year just is not in the cards.

Mo. St. does not draw playing in the gateway right now the move up would do no better. Who is going to let them in for football only? The MVC is a cash cow in BB, just can't see them moving.

1. Oh come on. you know UCA has been dreaming of moving to D1 ever since they left the gulf south conference. They'll never be happy with the southland confernce. they will be D1 as soon as possible
2. Didn't the SBC try to get Missouri state to move up a couple of years ago? I doubt they move up but they would be better then that west florida school.

(01-22-2009 11:50 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  

(01-22-2009 10:32 PM)insideualr Wrote:  

(01-21-2009 09:39 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  I don't know about this one. their a plenty of teams moving to D1 that would seem better.
Some examples
1.Texas state
2.UTSA
3.Georgia state and/or georgia southern ( heard one of these schools would be trying to move to D1)
4.Central Arkansas ( wants to be D1 so bad they can taste it )
5. Missouri state
6. App. state

UCA knows that 1aa in central arkansas can build a fan base and moving up to take 6 losses a year just is not in the cards.

Mo. St. does not draw playing in the gateway right now the move up would do no better. Who is going to let them in for football only? The MVC is a cash cow in BB, just can't see them moving.

1. Oh come on. you know UCA has been dreaming of moving to D1 ever since they left the gulf south conference. They'll never be happy with the southland confernce. they will be D1 as soon as possible
2. Didn't the SBC try to get Missouri state to move up a couple of years ago? I doubt they move up but they would be better then that west florida school.

It just does not make sense to move up. Next time I talk to Rush Harding I will ask him where is planning to put his money and it will not be to push UCA to full D1.

No way Mo St. would move all their sports to the belt. MVC basketball is a top 8 conference or better most years. Throw in the NCAA tournament money for all their yearly sweet 16 team. Just too much of a pay cut to move to the SBC to play football. They do not draw now.

Disclaimer: My wife is a former 3 time all american at Mo. St. and her family lives in Springfield. I am friends with some of the people that would be putting the money up for anything UCA is planning.

I think UWF is a pretty good fit were they are in the Gulf South Confernce and will likely stay there is they add football. They dont have the student or polulation base of FAU, FIU or USF to try and make a move to D-1 football in my humble opinion.

(01-23-2009 05:23 PM)playfailstogain Wrote:  I think UWF is a pretty good fit were they are in the Gulf South Confernce and will likely stay there is they add football. They dont have the student or polulation base of FAU, FIU or USF to try and make a move to D-1 football in my humble opinion.

UWF, Valdosta St., and West Georgia, if they all moved up as suggested above, would make pretty decent Big South members for football. Not sure if the Big South would want them for everything else though, since the Big South won't take Longwood as it is.