The Privateers who dropped-out-of-D1-then-didn’t seek another return to Dayton while D1 newbie Abilene look to punch their first ever ticket.

Abilene Christian have improve in men's basketball, and Incarnate Word improve in football. Southland picked up 2 schools that will start winning more.

(03-16-2019 01:24 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

The Privateers who dropped-out-of-D1-then-didn’t seek another return to Dayton while D1 newbie Abilene look to punch their first ever ticket.

I had forgotten that New Orleans won the Southland a couple of years ago.

Every time they're down one, do they have to scream their initials?

DavidSt favorite Abilene Christian punches its first ever ticket. #PowerofDavid

I'm happy for them. We have friends whose kids go there. Three generations of my wife's family went to school down the street at Hardin-Simmons, so I've been to Abilene a couple of times.

That's huge for them. 6th year in D-I, 2nd year eligible for post-season. They weren't setting the world on fire in D-II, but they made the plunge anyway.

They opened a new football stadium last year. They had previously shared a large high school stadium. It was quite a jump and a huge investment for them, but it's going to pay off.

Good for ACU! Both of my parents were athletes there, and a whole lot of my extended family went/goes there so I passively root for them.

Props to Univ of New Orleans ("the other UNO"), a program coming back from the dead. Their annual athletic budget is just $6 million; the average 1AAA budget is $15 million; the average D2 w/no football is $4 million. So they have to do more with less.

They were the #4 seed in the Southland tournament. They beat the #5 Lamar and the #1 Sam Houston State before the clock struck midnight and the coach turned back into a pumpkin (or a basketball) and fell to the #2 ACU.

Congrats to ACU!