quo vadis
Legend
Posts: 50,007
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 2370
I Root For: USF/Georgetown
Location: New Orleans
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-22-2021 06:13 PM)arkstfan Wrote: First Central Arkansas has 8500 seats. They cannot expand their west side without tearing down a pretty new press box. They cannot expand their east side without tearing down a dorm, it is so close they sell premium seats on top of the dorm. They can add a few hundred seats to the north end zone but no more because they'd have to close an intersection and part of the road. Adding 11,500 corner and end zone seats is feasible but it'd be freaking weird to have more corner and end zone seats than sideline seats.
They can't afford the move without going to a higher athletic fee. They are already at $20 per hour.
As for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves recruit more to the east and southeast than to the southwest. Jonesboro is the same distance from Atlanta and Georgia State as from Denton and North Texas. The distance to UAB and Birmingham is the same as to Louisiana Tech and Ruston. AState is 70 miles NE of Memphis a different equation than Little Rock and the center of the state. I'm sure the leadership at AState likes going to Texas, we supported Texas State and UTA admission but the greater need is Alabama and Georgia ties.
That bolded is an astonishing fact. I always think of Arkansas as like, right next to north Texas and Atlanta as being far across the country.
But damn, I google mapped it and you are correct. I think what tricks even someone in Louisiana like myself is the sheer "northness" of that part of ARK. I think of Arkansas as a deep south state, but Jonesboro is farther north than Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Charlotte NC.
If you were any farther north you'd probably get a full four seasons, LOL
Go figure.
(This post was last modified: 08-22-2021 06:27 PM by quo vadis.)
|
|
08-22-2021 06:24 PM |
|
DavidSt
Hall of Famer
Posts: 23,010
Joined: Dec 2013
Reputation: 729
I Root For: ATU, P7
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-21-2021 07:37 PM)ken d Wrote: (08-21-2021 03:31 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: (08-21-2021 03:17 PM)SMUfan Wrote: Just a year ago schools were talking about shrinking their footprint. Now no one seems to care about that.
Just for consideration, what could a G5 conference look like that has schools from New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas?
TEAMS
1. New Mexico
2. New Mexico State
3. UTEP
4. Texas State
5. UTSA
6. LA Tech
7. Louisiana
8. ULM
9. North Texas
10. Rice
11. Arkansas State
12. Central Arkansas (They want to move up)
Anyone else?
Would 10 of those be interested?
TV deal wouldn't be much but travel cost would go down.
NM, NMSt, and UTEP are all farther than you think. Drop those and go east for the rest of your members. UAB, S Miss, Troy, etc probably make more sense if your looking for a reduced footprint size. Probably more people in an easterly shift to the footprint as well.
If you really want to make it compact, going as far east as Alabama (and Southern Miss is almost all the way to Alabama) is also too far. Drop the three New Mexico schools (including UTEP) and Central Arkansas and add Tulsa. Now that's compact.
UCA is west of Little Rock while Arkansas State is northeast of Little Rock. Tulsa will not leave AAC. Central Oklahoma have been upgrading their facilities, and they added 2000 seats to be 12,000. But, they do have plans to build the stadium to 20,000. UCO is a sleeper school that could move up from D2, and they have been spending money.
|
|
08-22-2021 07:14 PM |
|
NotANewbie
Special Teams
Posts: 565
Joined: May 2013
Reputation: 42
I Root For: Tennesse, NMSU
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-22-2021 01:31 PM)quo vadis Wrote: Eh, New Mexico State is only about 45 miles west of the eastern part of the state. You're barely any further west on the USA map than UTEP. That's close enough for these purposes. Maybe Eastern New Mexico U. could upgrade from Division II and be kind of link with the rest of this conference, because you guys are so far out West there on an island in the Pacific Ocean compared to the rest?
I think New Mexico State would be a fine fit in this conference.
I mean, let's face it, no matter what your hoops are like, if your football isn't valuable enough that you get booted out of the 2017-era Sun Belt conference, you should be looking at any potential life raft as a savior.
Recheck the original post about priority on regional proximity as a priority a couple of years ago. Then recall that NMSU wasn't exactly kicked out, but a limited term contract was not renewed with the explanation that the conference wanted to compact its footprint.
|
|
08-22-2021 07:25 PM |
|
BruceMcF
Hall of Famer
Posts: 13,098
Joined: Jan 2013
Reputation: 760
I Root For: Reds/Buckeyes/.
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-22-2021 01:31 PM)quo vadis Wrote: Eh, New Mexico State is only about 45 miles west of the eastern part of the state. You're barely any further west on the USA map than UTEP. That's close enough for these purposes. ...
If the aim is for geographical compactness, then "barely any further west than UTEP" is a reminder of how very far UTEP is from the DFW / Austin / San Antonio axis.
|
|
08-23-2021 12:57 AM |
|
quo vadis
Legend
Posts: 50,007
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 2370
I Root For: USF/Georgetown
Location: New Orleans
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-23-2021 12:57 AM)BruceMcF Wrote: (08-22-2021 01:31 PM)quo vadis Wrote: Eh, New Mexico State is only about 45 miles west of the eastern part of the state. You're barely any further west on the USA map than UTEP. That's close enough for these purposes. ...
If the aim is for geographical compactness, then "barely any further west than UTEP" is a reminder of how very far UTEP is from the DFW / Austin / San Antonio axis.
IMO, these issues are always a combination of geography and culture. San Antonio and El Paso are 500 miles apart on the map, but culturally, those are a short 500 miles. Birmingham (Alabama) and Cincinnati are about the same distance apart on the map, but culturally arguably even further apart than the miles indicate.
Schools in the west are used to the wide open spaces, and distances, involved.
(This post was last modified: 08-23-2021 09:43 AM by quo vadis.)
|
|
08-23-2021 09:42 AM |
|
quo vadis
Legend
Posts: 50,007
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 2370
I Root For: USF/Georgetown
Location: New Orleans
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-22-2021 07:25 PM)NotANewbie Wrote: (08-22-2021 01:31 PM)quo vadis Wrote: Eh, New Mexico State is only about 45 miles west of the eastern part of the state. You're barely any further west on the USA map than UTEP. That's close enough for these purposes. Maybe Eastern New Mexico U. could upgrade from Division II and be kind of link with the rest of this conference, because you guys are so far out West there on an island in the Pacific Ocean compared to the rest?
I think New Mexico State would be a fine fit in this conference.
I mean, let's face it, no matter what your hoops are like, if your football isn't valuable enough that you get booted out of the 2017-era Sun Belt conference, you should be looking at any potential life raft as a savior.
Recheck the original post about priority on regional proximity as a priority a couple of years ago. Then recall that NMSU wasn't exactly kicked out, but a limited term contract was not renewed with the explanation that the conference wanted to compact its footprint.
I filed away those public statements as "face saving rhetoric". Like when a company fires an executive and says he has "left to pursue other opportunities" or whatever.
(This post was last modified: 08-23-2021 09:48 AM by quo vadis.)
|
|
08-23-2021 09:46 AM |
|
TDenverFan
All American
Posts: 4,311
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation: 99
I Root For: William & Mary
Location: Northern VA
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
I believe UNM and NMSU have actually never shared a conference, I don't think they actually want to be together
Edit: I was wrong, they have shared a conference, just not since 1951
(This post was last modified: 08-23-2021 09:48 PM by TDenverFan.)
|
|
08-23-2021 10:06 AM |
|
SMUfan
Special Teams
Posts: 823
Joined: May 2015
Reputation: 13
I Root For: SMU
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-23-2021 10:06 AM)TDenverFan Wrote: I believe UNM and NMSU have actually never shared a conference, I don't think they actually want to be together
Later in this thread, I narrowed the list from 12 to 10. Took out UNM, mostly because their status in the MWC is better than this group of 10.
|
|
08-23-2021 11:03 AM |
|
SMUfan
Special Teams
Posts: 823
Joined: May 2015
Reputation: 13
I Root For: SMU
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-21-2021 03:57 PM)Wedge Wrote: (08-21-2021 03:17 PM)SMUfan Wrote: Just a year ago schools were talking about shrinking their footprint. Now no one seems to care about that.
Just for consideration, what could a G5 conference look like that has schools from New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas?
TEAMS
1. New Mexico
2. New Mexico State
3. UTEP
4. Texas State
5. UTSA
6. LA Tech
7. Louisiana
8. ULM
9. North Texas
10. Rice
11. Arkansas State
12. Central Arkansas (They want to move up)
Anyone else?
Would 10 of those be interested?
TV deal wouldn't be much but travel cost would go down.
There has never been, nor will there ever be, a salesman convincing enough to convince the University of New Mexico to leave the Mountain West for that conference.
I thought of that after the 1st post. That why I changed from 12 to 10.
|
|
08-23-2021 11:06 AM |
|
DavidSt
Hall of Famer
Posts: 23,010
Joined: Dec 2013
Reputation: 729
I Root For: ATU, P7
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-23-2021 10:06 AM)TDenverFan Wrote: I believe UNM and NMSU have actually never shared a conference, I don't think they actually want to be together
Yes, the Border Conference:
Texas Tech
UTEP
West Texas A&M
New Mexico
Hardin-Simmons
New Mexico State
Arizona
Arizona State
Northern Arizona
|
|
08-23-2021 12:25 PM |
|
quo vadis
Legend
Posts: 50,007
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 2370
I Root For: USF/Georgetown
Location: New Orleans
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-23-2021 12:25 PM)DavidSt Wrote: (08-23-2021 10:06 AM)TDenverFan Wrote: I believe UNM and NMSU have actually never shared a conference, I don't think they actually want to be together
Yes, the Border Conference:
Texas Tech
UTEP
West Texas A&M
New Mexico
Hardin-Simmons
New Mexico State
Arizona
Arizona State
Northern Arizona
Fascinating. +3 for that.
|
|
08-23-2021 01:05 PM |
|
IWokeUpLikeThis
Hall of Famer
Posts: 13,726
Joined: Jul 2014
Reputation: 1434
I Root For: NIU, Chicago St
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-23-2021 01:05 PM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-23-2021 12:25 PM)DavidSt Wrote: (08-23-2021 10:06 AM)TDenverFan Wrote: I believe UNM and NMSU have actually never shared a conference, I don't think they actually want to be together
Yes, the Border Conference:
Texas Tech
UTEP
West Texas A&M
New Mexico
Hardin-Simmons
New Mexico State
Arizona
Arizona State
Northern Arizona
Fascinating. +3 for that.
+6. Phenomenal recollection.
|
|
08-23-2021 07:22 PM |
|
GoBuckeyes1047
1st String
Posts: 1,189
Joined: Jan 2021
Reputation: 107
I Root For: Ohio State
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
How about this instead:
1. New Mexico St.
2. UTEP
3. UTSA
4. Texas St.
5. North Texas
6. Rice
7. Louisiana
8. Louisiana Tech
9. Arkansas St.
10. Southern Miss
|
|
08-24-2021 06:08 AM |
|
SMUfan
Special Teams
Posts: 823
Joined: May 2015
Reputation: 13
I Root For: SMU
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-24-2021 06:08 AM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote: How about this instead:
1. New Mexico St.
2. UTEP
3. UTSA
4. Texas St.
5. North Texas
6. Rice
7. Louisiana
8. Louisiana Tech
9. Arkansas St.
10. Southern Miss
If ULM can't schedule money games, they might not need a conference.
|
|
08-24-2021 01:31 PM |
|
Troy_Fan_15
Sun Belt Apologist
Posts: 4,860
Joined: Dec 2016
Reputation: 278
I Root For: Troy Trojans
Location:
|
RE: NM-TX-LA-ARK
(08-24-2021 06:08 AM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote: How about this instead:
1. New Mexico St.
2. UTEP
3. UTSA
4. Texas St.
5. North Texas
6. Rice
7. Louisiana
8. Louisiana Tech
9. Arkansas St.
10. Southern Miss
I think A-State and Southern Miss would prefer to stay around the Eastern based schools.
|
|
08-24-2021 04:18 PM |
|