OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

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The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

@DavidSt

Could this lead to a chaotic swarm — like we might see at the TexMex border from time to time — of schools clamoring to become D1 citizens?

Seems pretty reasonable.

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

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The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

I would guess this might be in reaction to the Lone Star Conference, WTAM's conference, inviting three very far-flung schools, from Washington, Oregon and Canada (!) to join as football members next year. Because as of now, without them, the LSC is very Texas-centric, with six of eight football schools being from Texas.

That IMO was a bizarro move by the LSC.

But he also wants a pan-Texas governing organization, one that would resist the transfer portal. The transfer portal isn't going anywhere.

A Texas Conference for FCS would place schools from the SWAC, Southland, and WAC under one banner-

Abilene Christian
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton
UIW
UTA
UTRGV
Texas Southern
Prairie View
Houston Baptist
Lamar
TAMU Commerce
TAMU Corpus


Interesting thought as the NCAA reimagines college athletics

(04-11-2022 07:24 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

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The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

I would guess this might be in reaction to the Lone Star Conference, WTAM's conference, inviting three very far-flung schools, from Washington, Oregon and Canada (!) to join as football members next year. Because as of now, without them, the LSC is very Texas-centric, with six of eight football schools being from Texas.

That IMO was a bizarro move by the LSC.

But he also wants a pan-Texas governing organization, one that would resist the transfer portal. The transfer portal isn't going anywhere.

It is if athletes ever go pay-to-play or are considered “employees”.

on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

(04-11-2022 07:32 AM)Sicembear11 Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 07:24 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

—-

The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

I would guess this might be in reaction to the Lone Star Conference, WTAM's conference, inviting three very far-flung schools, from Washington, Oregon and Canada (!) to join as football members next year. Because as of now, without them, the LSC is very Texas-centric, with six of eight football schools being from Texas.

That IMO was a bizarro move by the LSC.

But he also wants a pan-Texas governing organization, one that would resist the transfer portal. The transfer portal isn't going anywhere.

It is if athletes ever go pay-to-play or are considered “employees”.

Fair point. But in that case we won't need a pan-Texas organization to enforce that. The contracts themselves will.

(04-11-2022 07:41 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

That's true, but it's also true that schools out in west Texas and the panhandle are a lot closer to New Mexico, Oklahoma and even parts of Colorado and Kansas than to places in east Texas.

But Texas is just more prestigious than those places, so I can see that as a motivation to strengthen those ties with the east.

FWIW, WTAM has about 10,000 students. IMO they are not a D1 school.

(04-11-2022 07:41 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

WTAMU enrolls just over 10,000 students. D2 football schools in Texas are all in the 6 to 10 k range. There are no private D2’s that play football at that level.

Every D2 Texas school is in the Lone Star with 2 from NM, 2 from OK, and 1 in AR. The three affiliates are football only and already had a scheduling agreement for OOC games in 2020-2021 that had been extended to 2022-2023 before the elevation to affiliates and the games counting in the standings. The LSC schools make either 1 or 2 trips north while the GNAC schools are making 3 trips south. Would they have said anything if the affiliates had remained OOC scheduling partners. There's not much to do to make the LSC any more Texas-centric without making it Texas-only.

(04-11-2022 07:56 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 07:41 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

That's true, but it's also true that schools out in west Texas and the panhandle are a lot closer to New Mexico, Oklahoma and even parts of Colorado and Kansas than to places in east Texas.

But Texas is just more prestigious than those places, so I can see that as a motivation to strengthen those ties with the east.

FWIW, WTAM has about 10,000 students. IMO they are not a D1 school.

Prestige aside, there are a lot more potential recruits in East Texas than in New Mexico, etc.

There have been lots of Texas-centric conferences over the years--the SWC, Southland, Lone Star, TIAA, etc...and what happens? The schools don't get along.

That read to me like they're floating an idea in preparation for a P5 split from the NCAA. Looks to me like they are pushing for a college version of the UIL (University Interscholastic League-the Texas high school governing body, named such because it was founded by UT).

It's something created in Texas, for Texans. Sure, it appeals to the size and scope of Texas. But it also appeals to Texas pride. This statement stuck out:

"A comprehensive, statewide organization of intercollegiate athletics into a reasonable and thoughtful association might attract bright and talented student-athletes from across the country and globe while retaining Texas' best. To play in Texas is a privilege and an honor."

Sounds like he's saying: "We're from Texas. We can run this well. And student-athletes from elsewhere should be honored to come play here".

It's an appeal to Texas pride, local control, decreased costs, and regionality. They could still structure according to athletic department funding/scholarship limits, etc., but it would be a Texas-centric association of schools.

(04-11-2022 07:41 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

West Texas was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I before the I-A, I-AA split.

P5 can't break away because all schools are treated equals since The Alston's Case was against the NCAA as a whole. D1, D2 and D3 all lost in court. Now, with laws being passed? Athletes are being treated as employees at all levels. P5 breaking away would cause an issue, and more lawsuits. I am seeing FBS expanding more with the highest levels of FCS and some top large D2 schools.

(04-11-2022 01:28 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  P5 can't break away because all schools are treated equals since The Alston's Case was against the NCAA as a whole. D1, D2 and D3 all lost in court. Now, with laws being passed? Athletes are being treated as employees at all levels. P5 breaking away would cause an issue, and more lawsuits. I am seeing FBS expanding more with the highest levels of FCS and some top large D2 schools.

I don't see why the P5 couldn't break away from the NCAA. I don't think they will, but if they want to I don't see any legal obstacles.

Yes, the P5 could not break away with the idea that setting up their own organization would liberate them from the rulings that have gone against the NCAA. They would still be subject to all of the laws that have been passed and court decisions, any case that was decided against the NCAA would also apply to whatever organization the P5 set up.

But I think the P5 would realize that and not attempt to set up any rules about athletic compensation that contradicted any of the laws or court rulings.

(04-11-2022 07:32 AM)Sicembear11 Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 07:24 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

—-

The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

I would guess this might be in reaction to the Lone Star Conference, WTAM's conference, inviting three very far-flung schools, from Washington, Oregon and Canada (!) to join as football members next year. Because as of now, without them, the LSC is very Texas-centric, with six of eight football schools being from Texas.

That IMO was a bizarro move by the LSC.

But he also wants a pan-Texas governing organization, one that would resist the transfer portal. The transfer portal isn't going anywhere.

It is if athletes ever go pay-to-play or are considered “employees”.

The West Texas A&M athletic department has enough cash flow to pay "real job" salaries to all 400 of their athletes? That would double their annual athletic department budget.

(04-11-2022 07:41 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  on the one hand, if you're doing NCAA transformation. you want to think about who is D2,D3 and why.

on the other hand, i expect that most of the D2. D3 ,NAIA Texas schools are east of the 100th meridian. and would rather travel to OK, AR, LA than Amarillo.

Not to mention that West Texas A&M, I mean David State pumps them a division 1 for a reason. I could be wrong but I get the idea they're significantly bigger enrollment than anybody else in Texas division 2. So yeah I guess their president would love it if their football team got to beat up on Thousand student private religious institutions halfway between Dallas Houston and San Antonio.

He pumps them as D1 because supposedly they used to be part of D1 hundreds of years ago. Like that is any sort of factor in becoming D1 again. That's his #1 reason or at least it was years ago.

(04-11-2022 02:07 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 07:32 AM)Sicembear11 Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 07:24 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-11-2022 06:53 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  OpEd from Division II West Texas A&M president calls for creating an athletic association with conferences that are Texas centric at the FCS, D2 and D3 levels.

—-

The creation of a statewide conference might allow the majority of universities and colleges in Texas to get a handle on the tiller that guides Texas and Texans to appreciate genuine intercollegiate athletics that provides local attraction and competitiveness. A service to Texans first. In addition, athletic alliances can lead to academic partnerships and include all universities of every type and stripe, regional public campuses, private institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving, faith-based and secular institutions. Alliances will lead to a benefit for all institutions and Texas.

https://www.amarillo.com/story/opinion/2...510063002/

I would guess this might be in reaction to the Lone Star Conference, WTAM's conference, inviting three very far-flung schools, from Washington, Oregon and Canada (!) to join as football members next year. Because as of now, without them, the LSC is very Texas-centric, with six of eight football schools being from Texas.

That IMO was a bizarro move by the LSC.

But he also wants a pan-Texas governing organization, one that would resist the transfer portal. The transfer portal isn't going anywhere.

It is if athletes ever go pay-to-play or are considered “employees”.

The West Texas A&M athletic department has enough cash flow to pay "real job" salaries to all 400 of their athletes? That would double their annual athletic department budget.

All athletes from FBS all the way down to NJCAAs are considered employees.