Here's an article that just came out about the two schools, UTSA and UIW, titled "A crosstown rivalry in the making?" by Richard Oliver:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/colle...811667.php

When Incarnate Word athletic director Mark Papich was working up a feasibility study last year for a possible move to NCAA Division I, he didn't have to look far for advice.

He phoned the athletic department across town at UTSA.

“They helped us as to what we should be looking for,” Papich said. “They were very gracious.”

Now that the Cardinals are making the move to the Southland Conference, effective on July 1 of next year, that relationship becomes a bit more complicated.

“Let me tell you, (UTSA) would really like us to stay Division II and not go Division I,” UIW president Lou Agnese said.

To be sure, a city that not long ago was hungry for any Division I football now finds itself poised to feast on two programs vying for the hearts — and wallets — of local sports fans and sponsors.

By accepting an invitation to join the Southland, Incarnate Word ascends from Division II to the NCAA's upper tier, albeit at the Football Championship Subdivision that does not include the postseason bowl format.

UTSA, for its part, competes in the more celebrated Football Bowl Subdivision. In their first year in the Western Athletic Conference, after leaving the SLC, the university will join Conference USA in 2013. The Roadrunners will kick off only their second season on the gridiron next month.

“Where there could be some impact, a lot of overlap, is where people have connected with UTSA because of what it has done for the city,” said Brad Parrott, senior associate athletic director at UTSA. “I'm assuming Incarnate Word will be telling the same story when they go out and solicit people about UIW.

“To the Texas graduate who bleeds burnt orange but also bleeds for San Antonio, those folks are trying to support the city — is it UTSA or Incarnate Word you want to support?”

Naturally, Agnese has his opinion. UTSA leaving the Southland “played very well into our future,” he said.

The president's vision, which he openly champions, has UTSA and UIW facing off in all sports in coming seasons. While he acknowledges that football, thanks in part to a looming four-year transition to Division I that will keep the Cardinals out of any NCAA postseasons, will take longer to build, he's eager for the evolution of a rivalry.

“Lou's always been very open about challenging them and throwing the gauntlet down,” Papich said.

The AD, who heads to Frisco next week to begin coordinating SLC schedules in all his sports but football, said he will work to set up games between the programs down the line. But, he realizes that a football showdown won't occur for quite some time.

"Football is going to be one of those where they're going to have to get their program where they want it before they take a chance playing us," Papich said of UTSA not wanting to risk an upset loss to an ambitious Cardinals program.

“When they've got seniors across the board, and they're where they want to be, they can sit back and say, ‘Now we feel like we're not going to take a blemish here,'” he said. “I don't see a win for them coming in against us (now).”

Ironically, Papich received some coaching from UTSA deputy AD Liz Dalton on preparing for a site visit by Southland officials last month.
Dalton, who also oversees the Roadrunners women's programs, had been part of the SLC site committee that visited Texas A&M-Corpus Christi before it joined that conference in 2006.

“We're in athletics, so we're all competitive,” she said of UIW's aspirations. “Hey, let's have someone else in town at the same level and let's gauge against one another.”

Dalton admitted she's aiming high when it comes to the potential rivalry. “Hopefully one day UIW-UTSA can be like North Carolina-Duke,” she said.
Parrott is less bullish on that happening, pointing out that for some time to come, UTSA's schedule and profile likely will be far above anything UIW can offer.

UTSA, which boasts more than 25,000 students on its main campus, has sold roughly 13,000 season tickets for the coming home schedule in the Alamodome. Currently, UIW totals less than 9,000 students on its campuses.

“We're in the FBS level,” Parrott said. “We're going to be playing Oklahoma State. They're going to be playing Central Arkansas. This investment level is different for us than it is for them.”