(10-12-2020 08:34 PM)goliath74 Wrote:  

(10-12-2020 05:26 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(10-12-2020 04:29 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  

(10-12-2020 04:24 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 11:17 AM)panama Wrote:  Yes

For a fan who doesn't care about SBC/CUSA realignment threads because y'all are "headed to the AAC" you sure do care about SBC/CUSA realignment threads

Just for clarification, who are you addressing here?

The user I was replying to. The one who’s posted overwhelmingly more than anyone else in a thread he pretends not to care about.

Panama is one of your boys!

That is a bit much...i'nt it?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 04:49 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 02:31 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 02:17 PM)rileylives Wrote:  Not going to lie, that UTSA and UTEP standing is shocking.

Also, I would have thought ODU would have been maybe even lower down that list. And La Tech being where they are is quite surprising as well.

If you consider the population of their communities it's not shocking. San Antonio and El Paso are larger cities with no competition for college football. Those programs can garner sponsorships and sell merch in their cities. And, being in larger cities, UTEP and UTSA have larger sponsors, and more of them to choose from, which allows them toy earn more. Marshall, while not in a major population, has a more national brand and sell merch outside their community. Southern Miss is in a similar situation. UAB and Charlotte surprised me. Both should have much more success in their regions. The rest are basically victims of their locations.

But the question is can they ever escape their location problem? That’s like saying a blind man can’t fly a plane, so it’s not his fault. Bottom line is he will never be able to fly, in this lifetime anyway.

Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 04:49 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 02:31 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  If you consider the population of their communities it's not shocking. San Antonio and El Paso are larger cities with no competition for college football. Those programs can garner sponsorships and sell merch in their cities. And, being in larger cities, UTEP and UTSA have larger sponsors, and more of them to choose from, which allows them toy earn more. Marshall, while not in a major population, has a more national brand and sell merch outside their community. Southern Miss is in a similar situation. UAB and Charlotte surprised me. Both should have much more success in their regions. The rest are basically victims of their locations.

But the question is can they ever escape their location problem? That’s like saying a blind man can’t fly a plane, so it’s not his fault. Bottom line is he will never be able to fly, in this lifetime anyway.

Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 04:49 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 02:31 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  If you consider the population of their communities it's not shocking. San Antonio and El Paso are larger cities with no competition for college football. Those programs can garner sponsorships and sell merch in their cities. And, being in larger cities, UTEP and UTSA have larger sponsors, and more of them to choose from, which allows them toy earn more. Marshall, while not in a major population, has a more national brand and sell merch outside their community. Southern Miss is in a similar situation. UAB and Charlotte surprised me. Both should have much more success in their regions. The rest are basically victims of their locations.

But the question is can they ever escape their location problem? That’s like saying a blind man can’t fly a plane, so it’s not his fault. Bottom line is he will never be able to fly, in this lifetime anyway.

Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

Are you ever IN Acadiana? It's choc full of LSU fanatics, just like the rest of the state. ULL is by far the "regional" fan's second choice there.

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 04:49 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  But the question is can they ever escape their location problem? That’s like saying a blind man can’t fly a plane, so it’s not his fault. Bottom line is he will never be able to fly, in this lifetime anyway.

Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

Good post. I've always said, I much prefer NW Louisiana's and LA Tech's 4-5 hour car drive location from Baton Rouge rather than ULL's 1 hour drive from Tiger town. LSU no doubt casts a long shadow all the way up to north Louisiana. However, that same LSU shadow is downright overwhelming in ULL's Acadiana area. And that's never going to change.

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

FWIW:Clemson; Starkville; Auburn and Blacksburg (VA Tech) are the locations of the state Land-Grant Institutions. These schools tend to service the entire state due to engineering and agricultural operations. These schools tend attract students from the entire state and most schools are flagships in their respective states. The US government started the Land-Grant schools in 1862 with the Morrill Act.

(10-14-2020 11:28 AM)Flat Tire 2 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

FWIW:Clemson; Starkville; Auburn and Blacksburg (VA Tech) are the locations of the state Land-Grant Institutions. These schools tend to service the entire state due to engineering and agricultural operations. These schools tend attract students from the entire state and most schools are flagships in their respective states. The US government started the Land-Grant schools in 1862 with the Morrill Act.

The Morrill Act was the first iron clad way of making certain Universities "bonafide". You are absolutely correct in your conclusion that being Land-grant institutions helps them serve the state as a whole. To my knowledge there are no land grant universities in the AAC, Sunbelt or CUSA. Louisiana Tech is a Space Grant institution and while that is important it is not up to par with a Land Grant designation. Tech has been focusing the last several years on using its designation and its engineering department to create foundational growth for businesses in the entire state.

The Enterprise campus will also try to bridge the Engineering and Business colleges with the addition of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC).[33] This is Tech's way of making the University a useful service for the greater good of both North LA and the entire state as a whole. While neither ULL or Tech will ever claim flagship status, we can both develop strong regional identities and further our brand outside the constraints of the current system. Location is not necessarily a defining factor.

(10-14-2020 11:28 AM)Flat Tire 2 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

FWIW:Clemson; Starkville; Auburn and Blacksburg (VA Tech) are the locations of the state Land-Grant Institutions. These schools tend to service the entire state due to engineering and agricultural operations. These schools tend attract students from the entire state and most schools are flagships in their respective states. The US government started the Land-Grant schools in 1862 with the Morrill Act.

Buckle your seatbelts...here comes the flagship debate. I think ODU is the flagship.

(10-10-2020 01:11 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 12:26 PM)ArmyBlazer Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 12:01 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 09:44 AM)blazerjay Wrote:  

(10-09-2020 11:14 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I could see why a western conference with Louisiana Tech, Southern Mississippi, and ULL would be appealing to UAB.

Only if that conference contains no more than 1 or 2 Texas schools.

I seriously doubt that.

I don’t think a a league with a bunch of Texas teams will be that appealing to UAB, even with USM. I think the goal would be to convince USM to come east, not the other way around.

I think the eastern teams think C-USA leans too heavily to the west, specifically favoring Texas, and they have good points. In my opinion C-USA's best bowl ties are in the west. The only guaranteed eastern bowl isn't even in the country (Bahamas Bowl). The west enjoys guaranteed games in the New Orleans Bowl and Independence Bowl, plus ties to the First Responders Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, & Frisco Bowl). The conference headquarters is in Dallas. And, our basketball tournament is in Dallas.

I can totally understand the east's frustration, but the money seems to be overwhelmingly in the west. C-USA makes almost nothing from our media deals, so aside from NCAA and CFP monies, our main conference revenue probably comes from sponsorships, which seem to mostly come from corporations located in the western half of C-USA. If some eastern programs choose to leave, they may have a hard time finding the same value of sponsorship and bowl ties without the western presence, and that could be a major factor in keeping programs like Southern Miss or even UAB tied to the western programs. University presidents will certainly consider the potential financial impact when picking a side.

It's not just East Teams that think the Conference is too Texas leaning. There is plenty of money in the East, but the Conference Office is in Texas, so that's where they look for sponsorships. "Put forth as little effort as possible and be as comfortable as possible" is the C-USA Office motto.

(10-12-2020 04:24 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 11:17 AM)panama Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 12:55 PM)goliath74 Wrote:  

(10-10-2020 12:54 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  Okay, then replace FAU with Troy

Or, even better,

replace GaState with FIU

Yes

For a fan who doesn't care about SBC/CUSA realignment threads because y'all are "headed to the AAC" you sure do care about SBC/CUSA realignment threads

At least half of the posts relate to a simple sparing match between me and panama. I still have his goat after exposing his dearth of sexual accomplishments. Move on GA pigeon. Nothing to see here.

(10-14-2020 11:09 AM)HogDawg Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

Good post. I've always said, I much prefer NW Louisiana's and LA Tech's 4-5 hour car drive location from Baton Rouge rather than ULL's 1 hour drive from Tiger town. LSU no doubt casts a long shadow all the way up to north Louisiana. However, that same LSU shadow is downright overwhelming in ULL's Acadiana area. And that's never going to change.

A lot good points that I agree with, but some I don’t. Biggest disagreement is the LTU side always want to play down the strength of Cajun fandom in the area. Yeah I already agreed how strong the tiggers are in the area but we are by very far the only fan base that challenges them. And are making great strides and potential towards doing more.

(10-16-2020 05:52 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 11:09 AM)HogDawg Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

Good post. I've always said, I much prefer NW Louisiana's and LA Tech's 4-5 hour car drive location from Baton Rouge rather than ULL's 1 hour drive from Tiger town. LSU no doubt casts a long shadow all the way up to north Louisiana. However, that same LSU shadow is downright overwhelming in ULL's Acadiana area. And that's never going to change.

A lot good points that I agree with, but some I don’t. Biggest disagreement is the LTU side always want to play down the strength of Cajun fandom in the area. Yeah I already agreed how strong the tiggers are in the area but we are by very far the only fan base that challenges them. And are making great strides and potential towards doing more.

I agree with that. YES, every school, even ulm, have some (a few in their case) diehard fans who put their school ahead of the lspoo tiggers. But most of the other state schools have a majority of their own supporters who willingly place LSU above their own school. Now...ULL...has been the one other school, along with Tech, which has a visible, vocal anti-tigger contingent. Yep, we both have a few of those who like to root for both Tech and LSU, and both ULL and LSU, and see no issue with doing that. I know a couple of big Tech supporters who say, "I root for LSU except when they play Tech." So, those types exist too.

But both Tech and ULL have solid fanbases who cheer when LSU loses. I love being at a Tech game when they flash scores of other games on the big screen and LSU is losing or has lost, the cheers are loud. This is basis, the reason, both Tech and ULL have grown in academics, endowment, and athletics and have left the other state schools wallowing behind. We don't have such divided loyalties and kowtow to the "flagship" school. We fight for our schools.

(10-16-2020 05:52 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 11:09 AM)HogDawg Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

Good post. I've always said, I much prefer NW Louisiana's and LA Tech's 4-5 hour car drive location from Baton Rouge rather than ULL's 1 hour drive from Tiger town. LSU no doubt casts a long shadow all the way up to north Louisiana. However, that same LSU shadow is downright overwhelming in ULL's Acadiana area. And that's never going to change.

A lot good points that I agree with, but some I don’t. Biggest disagreement is the LTU side always want to play down the strength of Cajun fandom in the area. Yeah I already agreed how strong the tiggers are in the area but we are by very far the only fan base that challenges them. And are making great strides and potential towards doing more.

You may be the only one that challenges them in Acadiana, but there is no presence North of Alexandria. I have already spoken to the great job ULL has done creating an identity in your area and hope for Tech to do a better job in ours. As far as playing down, well that goes both ways. Both fan bases are going to play up their strengths and play down the other's. That's college football and its nothing personal. I am pretty sure you don't give much credence to many of the things Tech has done right and I am ok with that.

This topic got very uninteresting very quick LOL

(10-16-2020 11:24 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  This topic got very uninteresting very quick LOL

It started out that way.

(10-16-2020 11:24 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  This topic got very uninteresting very quick LOL

Complete lack of chaos and fireworks will do that. Most of the posters are trying to be logical and sensible to their responses.

(10-14-2020 08:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-14-2020 01:14 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-13-2020 08:38 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 05:57 PM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-11-2020 04:50 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Yes, but they have almost no control over that. To overcome their locations, they need to bring industry and people to their regions. That is a matter of state and local leadership, and to a large extent, natural resources. The only other option is to become a national online diploma mill and include hefty athletic fees into the cost of tuition.

Yeah, but that is exactly my point. Location is basically immutable, which will always limit the expansion of those in a bad one. And the opposite is also true as a good location with a large base of potential fans can greatly help a program.

Location in college football is not always as it seems. Clemson, SC has about seven thousand less people in it than Ruston. Oxford, MS. is 10th largest town in MS. and Starkville is 14th. So what I am trying to say is that development of a regional identity is the most important thing a public school can do. ULL has done a good job of that in Acadiana. Tech not so much north of Alexandria, but its not out of the realm of possibility.

True, I guess it’s not as definite as I might’ve stated it as it is certainly possible. But just doesn’t seem at all likely that ruston would ever be something like Clemson or even Starkville. Sorry that’s just my thoughts. And thanks about UL. Our Situation is just so opposite of Ruston since we have the population but then have such a constant struggle with those spoiled little tiggers just right down the road from us. Heck half of LFT are Drs and lawyers from lsu, even if they are UL grads. It’s a huge and eternal struggle for us.

Let me add a different perspective. Ruston is actually very similar to Starkville and Clemson. They are all rural college towns well north of each state's population centers. They also served as the higher education hub for a portion of their states originally. I hate to mention it but so did Auburn which was a polytechnic school originally as well. The current population from Rapides Parish north is about 1.2 million people which is by no means a lot, but its enough. Lafayette has a much larger population density and a cohesive cultural identity, but you are 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. We struggle with tigger fans just like you do. They are everywhere and couldn't point out Baton Rouge on a map if they tried, but our cultural isolation does give us the opportunity to develop strong brand identity and cultural attachment. Will we ever be the equivalent of an SEC or ACC town like Clemson or Starkville? Not unless I win the lottery, but I mention them to serve a point and refute the market concepts you had mentioned in a previous post. Also I would like to make a point that I am not trying to compare Tech and ULL side by side as I believe we both have our own paths to follow.

But those Power 5 schools' fandom is the entire state and beyond.

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