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Could we lose two conferences?
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CPslograd Offline
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Post: #21
RE: Could we lose two conferences?
(04-17-2013 11:03 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  
(04-17-2013 10:29 AM)CPslograd Wrote:  If ORU is invited to the MVC, the SLC could rethink UTPA.

The Southland has shown time and again that they are not interested in UTPA. Pan Am must have really pissed somebody off (or it could just be that they don't play football) . With Abilene Christian's recent move into the league, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Lone Star Conference teams moving up with them. All of the teams listed below have football and some success at the D2 level.

Tarleton State (located between Abilene and Dallas/Fort Worth) just approved a new athletic fee which will completely overhaul their athletic facilities. According to sources, this is what kept them out when they applied in 2005. The new president seems confident that a move to D1 FCS could happen after these improvements are done.

West Texas A&M is located just outside of Amarillo. They are currently D2, but formerly played in the Missouri Valley with a 20,000 person stadium, access to local Minor league facilities.

Midwestern State (Wichita Falls) and Angelo State (San Angelo) are both located in midsized West Texas media markets. The Southland's brand is regional, and they are just looking for ways to push their game of the week to other mid-sized markets.

If they don't want to stretch the footprint, A&M-Commerce is an East Texas located between Dallas and the rest of the conference. They have 11,000 students and a stadium that is on the average for SLC size.

If they really want South Texas, they could look at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Javelinas are the team of South Texas with 7 National titles, a 15,000 person stadium, a committed fanbase. They are the only football team south of San Antonio and it is located between Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley (with alumni bases in both markets and San Antonio)

Chrisattsu, who in Texas could the WAC realistically add? What do you think about Tamu CC?
(This post was last modified: 04-17-2013 10:20 PM by CPslograd.)
04-17-2013 10:18 PM
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BirdstheWord Offline
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Post: #22
RE: Could we lose two conferences?
(04-17-2013 10:16 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  
(04-17-2013 01:19 PM)BirdstheWord Wrote:  
(04-17-2013 10:29 AM)CPslograd Wrote:  If ORU is invited to the MVC, the SLC could rethink UTPA.

Don't count on that happening. In the rare chance that we go to twelve teams I don't see Oral Roberts being one of them.

Then the WAC needs to try to add ORU. Give'm the MBB tournament every four years or so, give'm money, whatever. Would be a great add for the WAC.

I don't know what the WAC would do, but I know that Oral Roberts does not have a good athletic budget. At least Oral Roberts fits their footprint more.
04-18-2013 08:41 AM
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esayem Offline
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Post: #23
RE: Could we lose two conferences?
Whatever it takes to get back to a 64 team tournament.
04-18-2013 09:30 AM
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chrisattsu Offline
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Post: #24
RE: Could we lose two conferences?
(04-17-2013 10:18 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  Chrisattsu, who in Texas could the WAC realistically add? What do you think about Tamu CC?

TLDR: I think the WAC needs to give up on Texas if New Mexico State gets an all sports invite to the Sun Belt. Without football (or a way to find a home for schools that want to play football), you are spinning your wheels on small private colleges that will further stretch the footprint.

If you look at the map of Texas D1 and D2 schools, you will notice that with the exception of Texas Tech and UTEP, every other D1 schools is on or east of I-35. These are the primary population centers of the state. I am not sure anyone in that eastern half would be willing to strike out west now that the WAC lacks FBS status, less stable, and requires considerably more travel than the Southland. I think Corpus is where it wants to be (in a gulf coast conference that plays against Texas schools) and UTPA would sign up in a heartbeat if they could.

The Western half of the state are more politically and culturally akin to New Mexico and the Western US while East Texas is more like Louisiana and the South. The West Texas schools be better suited for an western league towards Las Cruces and Denver than playing in New Orleans. However, they have fewer people, minor media markets, and they are mostly D2. There are 8 D2 schools West of I-35. Being D2 schools, they range between 2,000 and 12,000 students. Most of these schools are located in mid-sized regional hub cities with their own local news affiliates (Abilene, San Angelo, Wichita Falls all have 100,000 people ... Canyon/Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, and Lubbock have 250,000 people).

Abilene Christian is already moving to the Southland. Tarleton has expressed interest moving up. Both of these schools are geographic rivals to Angelo State and West Texas A&M. These four schools all recruit students from overlapping areas of the state. They beat up on each other in high school and they continue to do so in college. Any game against these close teams produces heated rivalries and matchups.

Angelo State, WTAMU, and Midwestern State each have more than 7,000 students. Tarleton has 12,000 but it is located in a small town (15,000) an hour outside of Fort Worth. If Tarleton follows ACU, you will see ASU, WT, and MSU scrambling to not be left behind. If the WAC pulled pulled those schools to form an eastern block, you might be able to lure ACU back have a sold pack of schools. The biggest problem that you are going to face is that they all want to play football and the WAC no longer offers that. The only geographically close conference (the Southland) does not allow Football-only members. Until that is resolved, you wont see any of them coming over.

This leaves you with the non-football schools of Texas. At the D2 level that leaves you with the Heartland conference (mostly small private universities).
UT-Permian Basin (Midland-Odessa). Public School in a fast growing area that is rich in Oil/gas money. Newly minted D2 school with 3,000 students. Will struggle to find relevance behind Friday Night Lights.
Lubbock Christian (Lubbock). A 2,000 person private school. They will always play second fiddle to the Red Raiders across town.

If you want to follow the major city model that the WAC seems to be using
Oklahoma Christian (Oklahoma City). They are not in Texas, but they are a school in a regional hub. Does not play football
Dallas Bapist(Dallas). They are in and out after this season. Does not play football
St Edwards (Austin). Small university with terrible facilities in South Austin. Does not play football
St Marys (San Antonio). Small University with terrible facilities in San Antonio. Does not play football

Central Oklahoma. They are a D2 schools in suburban OKC with 15,000 students. They would only be possible if you bring back football.
(This post was last modified: 04-18-2013 11:02 AM by chrisattsu.)
04-18-2013 10:35 AM
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chargeradio Offline
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Post: #25
Could we lose two conferences?
or if UCO can get football in the MVFC or even the Southland (might be possible with TAMU-CC in the Southland).
04-19-2013 04:35 PM
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