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yep. There were good and bad days before being an independent. I actually think filling a football schedule as an Indy would be easier now than it was then. Its the rest of the sports that would suffer without a conference to park them in. Especially MBB and BSB which are hot right now.
I would prefer to be in a good conference, but while I am wishing on star... I wish Holtz was given a lifelong contract as the new coach of USL.
I was there for the '88 - '91 seasons and the schedules were just brutal. Only 3 games at Joe Aillet in '88Quote:
Originally Posted by BCSDAWG
Same in 1999.Quote:
Originally Posted by kfj
Back then ULL, ULM, ASU, UCF, MTSU, UAB all spent time as independents (meaning they were available to play mid-season).Quote:
Originally Posted by DallasDog
We still have independent teams now, and they'll all need games but we're talking about NMSU, Liberty, Army, UMass, UConn. I guess WKU, UTEP, MTSA, and FIU might be independent as well if all bail.
If we're going to end up playing those teams anyway, why not do it in conference play and maybe keep some bowl opportunities?
We can still play a decent number of current AAC/Sunbelt schools, especially if CUSA only goes to the minimum number of schools and we play 7 conference games. We just play them OOC.
NMSU is a given that they would join anyone that asked. UMass, UConn, and Army might/might not. I am not advocating going independent. I doubt there would be many bowls, even with the over abundance of bowls, that would want anyone other than the conference champ from the line up above. So we would have to win it and while that would seem easy, we have proven time and time again to shoot ourselves in the foot. If the TV money is bad now, it would be worse with that line up. Hello Tuesday night home games on the Ocho.
The benefits of being in the crappiest version of CUSA yet to be invented is still marginally better than independence but really only for our other sports. Its a push at best for any Holtz lead football team.
We will not go independent
We may reconstitute CUSA 4.9 as something less than the Southland but we will NOT go independent
Quote:
Originally Posted by DallasDog
My feelings exactly. But it's going to keep coming up like this on the message boards. 20 years worth of fans (luckily) don't remember those days. And 10 years worth of fans or so don't remember the far-flung WAC days. So it's just going to keep being brought up as a viable option for as long as this thing doesn't improve.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dwayne From Minden
I see the tide turning on perceptions of being associated with our ULS brethren. Young alumni were not around during our WAC days. Their most fond memories are beating up on ULL twice. They are completely in favor of playing Sunbelt schools and joining that conference if given the chance. I have been around for the Indy days and forward. I was not around for the State Fair days. I was young when we played NLU and USL regularly so it’s not as vivid a memory as it is for many of you. I don’t want us to go back Indy either. Money games against Penn St and others where travel is nearly impossible for many of us. 4-5 home games every year. Not good. If I could see that there is a long term, program building benefit to playing the ULX twins, I would be on board in a heartbeat. Of course, we probably won’t have a say in any of it and will just take the sloppy seconds left to us like usual.
The SunBelt will not invite us. Nor WKU nor MTSU. The Belters, if nothing else, are a petty bunch. No former conference members will be considered for re-admittance. At least not this round. (Yes, we all know Tech never played SBC football. But they dont care.) The Forgotten 5 -- Tech, Western, Middle, UTEP, & FIU -- are stuck together. And we'll have to find a way to make it work. Gotta get to 8.
The most obvious candidates are the other FBS Independents. In order of likelihood that's -- NMSU, Liberty, UMass, Army, UConn. It's been reported that Army and UConn are happy as fball independents, and that UMass likes their non-football sports right where they are.
So if CUSA can secure NMSU and Liberty for all sports and UMass for football only, then you only need one non-football member to close the gap. UALR, UTA, & UNO seem the most immediate prospects, but there's 100+ Division1 non-football schools. There's got to be at least one that's not happy with their current conference.
I think it's true that sunbelt fans are petty, but the presidents will hopefully follow the money (eventually).Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ967
And I think that while you start with the FBS independents, that conversation ends pretty quickly with NMSU. After that it's FCS schools wanting to come up. There is a bit of a back log there as I understand it, with several schools who have been eyeing the move (I've heard the new WAC football league was a step towards transitioning up eventually). NMSU, EKU, and SHSU would give us 8. But those conference officials want to keep their cushy jobs, so they'll push to pad things a little bit (you'd have thought 14 would have been enough this time, heck, that was half the reason to have so many conference teams to begin with). 9 would be fine with me, but I bet CUSA pushes to 10 or 12 to try to protect against another wave of realignment in case the Big 12 expands a little more or the 'Belt decides to go to 16.
As long as there are two ULS schools in the Sunbelt, I don't see a place for Tech. Other than program history what do we bring to the conference? I could see academics maybe, not sure how we compare to all the current Sunbelt schools. But with ULM 35 miles down the road there is no new markets opened for the Sun Belt by adding us.
We're one of the most-played opponents for at least 4 sunbelt members. We'd also be among the biggest draws (certainly within the conference) for all 4 plus Texas St. We add strength to that conference's football, basketball, and baseball. The geography is ideal (for most of the west at least, if an alabama school doesn't want to bump over to the east we would need to be added along with FIU or someone else in the east, although if you're talking about 16 schools at that point, maybe you do pods anyway, where we'd still be a good fit). We do bump the academic profile, but I don't think that really matters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaredad
We don't add an additional market, given that there is a school already in the conference 30 miles away, but the sunbelt's approach has been more focused on good fanbases than good markets (for the most part, at least that's the story now). And we have that, at least relative to the rest of the conference.
We would bring quite a bit to the Sunbelt, and I suspect some of the school presidents understand that. But apparently not enough of them. So here we are.
That's all good stuff, but based purely on what I've seen from the current and previous iterations of conference realignment I'm afraid Market and potential $$$ add are the only things that really carry any weight in a schools consideration. Due to our inability to take advantage of our past success and to parlay that into a fanbase that moves the meter for these other conferences and presidents, I am afraid we are fairly well stuck in our present condition.
They just added Southern Miss and Marshall.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaredad
I'll agree that it's why we didn't get in the AAC (or CUSA in 2004).
NMSU is the only current FBS that I think snaps up the first offer that comes their way. If you could talk NDSU and Sam Houston into coming up they would be stronger football wise than anyone of the FBS leftovers with the exception of perhaps Army. I don't know enough about liberty to know whether they would take the offer or not. Geography is going to suck no matter what if you are strung out from New Mexico to the east coast. It's not the first time we have been in a BIG WAC geography crap show.
This is the most likely and probably best option. However in that conference, Judy needs to be gone before the first game with the new members. Should have already been gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dwayne From Minden
Liberty was trending on Twitter a few days ago for a whole lot of the wrong reasons. I bet some school presidents don't want to touch that if a decision has to be made in the short term. Of course it could be they are ALWAYS trending on Twitter and I just noticed because of all of this realignment talk. They seem to be a lightning rod for liberal scorn.
Marshall and USM were both members of CUSA prior to us as well. Hattiesburg metro area has a population of roughly 149,000. Huntington, WV metro area population about 350,000. This is what is perceived as Market and Potential Revenue generators. What is the Ruston metro population? Without pulling in Shreveport or WM, we're what 45,000 or so?Quote:
Originally Posted by inudesu
I'm not arguing that we add much in the way of market size. I'm not arguing that it's not a factor at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaredad
I'm arguing that it makes less difference with the SB in 2021 than it does for the AAC in 2021 or CUSA in 2004 (or the Big 10 in 2014). FIU is in Miami, but Marshall and ODU and USM were chosen instead. For that matter, this is a conference that previously invited App State and Georgia Southern. I think our lack of market is something that could be overcome.
I think most of the western half of the SB would trade market-size for a bigger gate and easier travel at this point (especially given what is left to choose from). The problem is that for one reason or another, whether that reason is market size/market saturation/hurt feelings we weren't picked this time around. So either they go to 16 or there is another shuffle before it matters.
Markets just don't seem like a big deal these days. Where did it get our conference adding all those big market schools and now the AAC is doing the exact same thing. What would be appealing about adding y'all from a financial point is how much cheaper travel would be for everybody and ticket sales would go up for everyone on the western side of the conference. I really believe Memphis will get invite to the Big 12 eventually. The have a ton of 💰 and some stroke with FEDEX being in their back pocket and a big market if that is important to the Big 12.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaredad
I think the AAC added 6 so they won’t have to react to losing one or two more.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernMiss3613
FWIW we have always been able to claim, and rightfully so, both Monroe and Shreveport DMA.
I'm terrible at predicting this stuff. I'm not sure it's ever all as logic-based as you'd hope. As skeptical as I am of the message board conspiracies and "mean old Tech hurt too many feelings" schadenfreude, I do think weird personal stuff sometimes plays a role. And I also think there is just way more going on behind the scenes for us plain ole fans to be able to guess well (past the blind squirrel finding the occasional nut level). I'm positive tv is pulling a lot of strings here, for one thing. And you'd hope the tv partners and school presidents also just have access to a lot more information than we do. But if I just had to guess, I'd expect NMSU + a bunch of FCS schools to be invited real soon. We'll limp along for a few years and then another shake up will happen and hopefully Tech moves to something similar to the new AAC or SB.
But even though I can't stand conspiracy theories - here is my galaxy brain (mostly tongue in cheek) hot take/prediction:
If the current G5 schools want to prevent splitting the (tiny) pie more ways, they can do that by making sure that CUSA goes away (by taking a few more/all left-over members). The schools leaving all have a big incentive to support this, they'd love to get out of those exit fees. But why would the MWC or the MAC or the 'Belt want to add more mouths to feed? Why split that tv money (such as it is) even farther? Because of the shared playoff money! That money is split by conference. Fewer conferences splitting the same amount of money = more money to distribute (even if you're dividing it farther within the conference). If they leave the 5 current CUSA teams alone - we just bring up more FCS teams. So then, even if they raid us again in a few years, CUSA carries on and that money is still split 5 ways. If the 'Belt goes to 16 by taking us and FIU, and the MAC takes WKU and MTSU (and if you wanted to really lock things down you could have the MWC take UTEP and NMSU, but I doubt that's necessary) then the path to FBS gets WAAAAAAAY harder and the schools that already made it in have more or less locked out the current FCS teams for a long time (they'd have to come up as a group, and that's going to take like decades, not years - I think the WAC would like to do this eventually).
Now this is tin-foil hat talk. Super unlikely (for a million reasons). But the idea of the other 4 conferences looking around now and going "hmm, if we split up the teams that are left, whether we really want them or not, we could maybe do our collective selves a favor here" is funny to consider.
The problem with this is that you are using logic in a situation in which logic is rarely used. I mean the AAC just took North Texas to cover a market that is already covered by one of it's OWN schools! There is nothing logical about Conference Realignment. What drives it is money. Texas and OU bailing for the SEC was driven by money. The SEC adding these two basically takes the most valuable schools available, and creates a mammoth money making machine of a conference.Quote:
Originally Posted by inudesu
Then the PAC12 staying put, Big10, and ACC forming an alliance left the Big 12 on the outside. I seriously thought we were only going to wind up with a Power 4 out of this with the Power 4 all going to 16 teams and the leftovers being left out. Big 12 is hanging on by a thread right now on a wing and a prayer. Adding UCF, BYU, and Cincy won't last. NONE of those schools replace Texas or OU.
If the Big10/ACC takes WVU or Kansas/Kansas State, well all those other schools might also be on the outside looking in.
Well, I agree with this overall.Quote:
Originally Posted by revf
But I'd also add that my "plan" above where the other G5 conferences work together to eliminate CUSA (and reduce the odds of new FCS teams joining the top level of FBS football) isn't terribly logical. I can poke a lot of holes in it. I mean, I've seen worse realignment takes in my time, but it was meant to be mostly tongue in cheek.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dThAswSABcg
Latest from the AD. Nothing new on conference.
LA Tech's always won games. From 2014 (when CUSA 3.0 was finalized) to 2021, LA Tech won more CUSA football games than any other team in CUSA.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunDave1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gladzilla
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c__-8KKbcE
Hmmm. Perhaps you are smarter than you look.....:DQuote:
Originally Posted by inudesu
Still doing everything in "secret"...LOL! Meanwhile 8 schools and counting have left CUSA. And they weren't near as quiet about it. :icon_roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by roughedge
Black Adder's cunning plan:
https://youtu.be/AsXKS8Nyu8Q
The administration at it's best.
Well they should have attempted to add both of us as they would never lose us. We are never getting in the Big 12. I am happy with the SB from a travel standpoint and y'all will eventually join too.
This was in response to Tech77 above.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernMiss3613
I share this sentiment.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernMiss3613
Setting the bar pretty low there.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
https://theathletic.com/news/confere.../aLlHui68hjCp/
Well, this is something…?
Looks like UConn, Liberty, and NMSU.
Poor UMassQuote:
Originally Posted by LaTechAlum2014
Would make a heck of a lot of sense to add them. Stunned to an extent at the addition of UConn, if this is all true…Quote:
Originally Posted by THEarmada
Keep in mind, it's football only. They need a home.Quote:
Originally Posted by LaTechAlum2014
looks like it’s a move to get to 9 for football.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
I guess you add uta and ualr for your other sports and the c-USA limps along.
If UMass is willing, CUSA would be crazy not to grab them. We need any FBS team we could get. Trying to bump up a bunch of FCS teams is terrible; we might as well move down to FCS.
Similarly, if the SunBelt invited us, we would be crazy not to accept. But the good news for those who disagree is that it's clear the SB is not inviting those who left it.
At this juncture, I think Tech's optimum path is for CUSA to somehow re-assemble an 8 team league, short of that we will be independent, short of that we will be FCS. I don't see any other FBS conferences taking us for the next decade, period.
Memphis isn't long for the AAC. And probably Boise State isn't long for the MWC. Those moves probably are done by 2025.Quote:
Originally Posted by jharris
And there will be some trickle down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by inudesu
But even though I can't stand conspiracy theories - here is my galaxy brain (mostly tongue in cheek) hot take/prediction:
Maybe not so far fetched, Sitting here late at night with a full roll of reynolds wrap foil hat on, Contemplating what the evil ESPN empire has in store next. You are talking about this taking years, well throw a couple of wrinkles in it and drastically speed up the time line.
ESPN/AAC/SBC waits a few weeks and just when it looks like there is some cohesion in CUSA and some promising new members coming in. They have AAC come in with the Sunbelt and invite four more, do you think anyone is going to turn down that invite? ESPN offers to sweeten the media contracts for those two conferences in exchange for finishing the job. Conferences are also convinced to allow those four teams into conferences without entrance fees (more enticement for them to leave)and the teams now not having to pay exit fees can also help offset that a lot!
There will be very little FCS left to pull up from for the one remaining member in CUSA, there is no way to offer a media deal, and the NCAA does not want to grant a waiver to wait on the FCS teams to complete transition.
There is one team left in CUSA, now it is just too big a hill to climb!:((
Yea, it is all unlikely,but we have all seen a lot of unlikely $hit happen over the last 24 months.
Now y'all just give me a little while to get some more foil and thicken this hat up some, I think I feel some more ESPN radio brain wash waves coming in!:rolleyes4:
The Separation!
I think there are any number of FCS teams who would be heavily favored over UMass's football team today (even with fewer scholarships). And many of those would be located a lot closer to Ruston. I don't love the idea of FCS teams trying to move up either, but we're not talking about Boise State, we're talking about UMass.Quote:
Originally Posted by jharris
Now, how that's different from UConn? I don't know, they're just as bad.
Liberty is by far the best available on-field product. But I'm shocked that they're in consideration. Not a school I'm crazy about associating with, but I guess we're all in survival mode at this point.
As for your other points, I agree with Frisco that there is decent chance for at least a little more shuffling. No guarantee it would help us, but it's something to hope for. And nobody at this point can be seriously opposed to joining the Sunbelt. Not in this situation.
That was the idea. If they're going to finish CUSA off, they better hurry. The news about NMSU/UConn/Liberty makes it seem like the more likely scenario will play out. But it's not too late. For all the AAC presidents reading this (we know you're there), better add Tech and FIU quick (and pressure your buddies in the MAC to grab WKU/MTSU and strong-arm the MWC to rescue UTEP/NMSU while you're at it). Then there is nowhere for a new FCS school to join and we can all keep splitting the crumbs 60ish ways instead of 70ish ways. Think of the savings!Quote:
Originally Posted by BhadDawg
Where is Memphis and Boise going?Quote:
Originally Posted by FriscoDawg
Big XII after Texas and Oklahoma are long gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulldog Tom
Conference USA in negotiations to add three universities (msn.com)
My hot sports opinion - if we don't collect our share of C-USA exit fees and put that money toward an-indoor practice facility and implement a student athletic fee, Guice and Wood need to be terminated.
Something tells me we're going to get cucked on this deal. Hope I'm wrong.
It's not just Guice/Wood, it's all the officials for the remaining schools. Gotta get those exit fees! And then....shutter!...put that money to good use. Yeah, I have real concerns that if so awarded with a windfall, albeit about $2 million, that Tech will parlay that into some long term good. Use that $2 million, and it could be as high as $2.5 million, to leverage a bond measure to get the money to make the needed improvements.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Brasky
Thanks for posting that story link. I've been hearing for days that UCONN, Liberty and NMSU were going to be invited to CUSA.....maybe even today. Unfortunately, everybody around LA Tech athletics is so secretive about everything it's just absurd. They don't want anybody saying anything, because they don't want anybody 2nd guessing their strategy. It's just stupid, and IMO, it's how LA Tech got in the pickle in the 1st place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Brasky
Sam Houston State makes sense, and I think they have the means/potential to develop into a solid FBS school. McNeese, on the other hand...they probably still have blue tarps on some of their roofs! And even without the storm damage issues, I don't think McNeese was exactly in a good position to move up to FBS before. But, I could be wrong. I played high school football with President Daryl Burckel. I haven't bothered him with texts/emails since I assume he's busy rebuilding the school, but if this looks like a possibility, I will definitely contact him and ask.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
Yeah, and I've heard that Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC), Tyler Junior College, Blinn College and Henderson St in Arkansas are all in discussions to join the Sunbelt. Honest. I heard it from a very credible source. Not a joke.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
I actually don’t mind Sam Houston. It’s probably a good time for them to move up and they have a much larger football following in Houston than Rice. McNeese has a really passionate fan base and has had decent success in FCS. At this point it is what it is. If the conference is able to stay alive we ensure the exit fees from the teams that are leaving.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
They have a strategy?Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Yeah, this is the exact same reaction I got when I came here a few weeks ago and told y’all the Sun Belt was about to raid C-USA.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Well Texas and Oklahoma are already gone. The Big XII has already added four teams to take their place, why would they then add Memphis? So, they could dilute the piece of tv pie each school gets? Mighty generous of them. Maybe it's so they could call themselves the Big XIII. No, I think the Big XII is going to hold tight. If they wanted Memphis they would have invited them.Quote:
Originally Posted by FriscoDawg
Plus waiting for other conferences to add teams hoping that triggers movement in several conferences providing a new home for us has always been our plan. Hasn't worked out too well so far. We do not need another reactionary plan. We need to build an elite G5 athletic program. The next move the autonomous/P5 conferences might make is finally leaving the NCAA altogether. Why should they continue to share the money? We need to be one of the top programs when that happens to best position ourselves for life without the P5.
No more reactionary moves, crossing our fingers hoping it works out. This is a better plan than hoping to absorb ULM or LSUS, but still not guaranteed to work. Being aggressive and proactive, that is the way to go. We need to become such a strong property every G5 conference will want us.
I don’t understand McNeese either. Their program is in shambles at the moment, but I hear they are optimistic about finding additional funding. Also, I suppose when they look at the future of the Southland, struggling as a FBS member isn’t a bad alternative and probably the best way to reconnect with the Texas WAC schools.Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
We really don’t need another FBS school in Louisiana.
It worked pretty well in 2013.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulldog Tom
Probably shouldn't be the end of the plan, but it's also just about all you can do. I mean, "build an elite program" isn't really a real plan either. If it were, now you've clued in all the other schools in the nation. They'll "just" go do that now, too. :)
SHSU is better at football right now than UConn or NMSU (and closer to Ruston). I'd still pursue NMSU as well of course.
As a Tech fan, I'm still hoping for the bare minimum marriage of convenience for now. Reduce the denominator on what little tv and playoff money as much as you can. Get that buy-out money from the 9 (9!) schools leaving. Make up for travel costs by playing 5 OOC games (and keeping them regional).
If I'm a CUSA employee, I'm pushing the broadest expansion possible.
This is why AAC added 6 from CUSA. Do they add another if they are at an odd number, or stick it out?Quote:
Sidelines - CFB
@SSN_CollegeFB
·
22h
Heavily speculated 2nd wave of Big XII expansion will take the league to 16 teams. The top candidates being mentioned are those just missed the cut in rd 1. Do the 4 new teams add or detract to the Big XII. Should the conf. expand beyond 12?New teams:-USF-Memphis-SMU-Boise
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCziYcbX...jpg&name=small
Sidelines - Boise State and 4 others
82
101
236
Pete Thamel
@PeteThamel
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10m
Sources: Marshall has informed the Sun Belt that it is joining the league.
"Separation" is happeningQuote:
Originally Posted by sportdawg
Thanks for the avator mods . Love itQuote:
Originally Posted by sonsoffamouscoachesclub
Almost any Texas school would have the ability to generate more money and make improvements faster than any school in the ULS system or LSU system with the exception of the mothership in Baton Rouge itself. Sadly their university endowment is probably the same or bigger than ours and I know they have more students. Plus they aren't under the crooked and archaic politics in Louisiana. All politics are crooked but Louisiana is a high hurdle to jump.Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
All this but without the weak-sissy practice barn.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Brasky
There's no evidence - NONE - that IPFs lead to more wins. Building a practice barn is like putting gold rims on a Cadillac or parsely on a steak. It's just for looks.
The only team that was remaining in CUSA that we joined the conference to be associated with is now joining the league we didn't want to be associated with which is populated by schools that don't want to be associated with us while CUSA adds schools we don't want to be associated with. We've really figured out this conference realignment thing after 30 years.
"Other than that Mrs.Kennedy, how was the parade?"
"Aside from that other thing, did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
1) We practice in the storm because it builds toughness and character.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
2a) It's not difficult to get suckers to cave to peer pressure. And there's plenty of suckers among the G5s
2b) Metal barns with astroturf do not "nice facilties" make.
3) Horsefeathers. There's negligible correlation between wins and practice barns. "But the recruits like it!" is a message board talking point without sources or substance.
I know there's a lot of laughter about it today, but if McNeese moves up and becomes part of CUSA, they are going to be in the league to stay.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
And when Tech gets into the AAC - and I think it's going to be more like when not if - then McNeese becomes your problem.
They're just 75 miles away from Reinhardt Drive. They're going to recruit many of the same players you recruit. And there's going to be an enormous amount of pressure for you to play them home and home in football every year.
Remember, you could be hearing this thing over and over again in the decades to come, too!!!!!!!!!
Maybe even a lot more than Tech will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZegSJPMvAsc
I am assuming when you built your football facility a few years ago, you replaced the shed that had no AC or concrete foundation.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAUX UL
I know the owner of the company that put it up 15 or 20 years ago (I think his name was Descant) would joke at bank board meetings to not get near it in a hurricane it was so stripped down.
What is the new facility like?
Tech needs a ground swell of disapproval to our university leadership for their utter failure. Our university president failed us. Every western team from CUSA other than UTEP bettered themselves. We’ve taken a HUGE (maybe irreparable) step back.
And that’s a fact. If you go cheap just to get one its just an eyesore. And we don’t want an eyesore (potentially) blocking the view of JAS and the TAC from Tech Drive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ967
This actually makes sense. McNeese in FBS would be a nightmare for the Peppers.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
Sam Houston State's endowment (2020) was $116.8 million. Fall 2020 enrollment was 21,918.Quote:
Originally Posted by DallasDog
Louisiana Tech's endowment (2020) was $104.5 million. Fall 2020 enrollment was 11,197.
SHS is basically in Houston. Tech is... nowhere near any major city (no, the Monroes and SBC don't count).
Again I ask, does your dealer deliver? hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
Sam Houston is a small time in Texas and bigger than us regardless of location they are a better option than McNeese which has been mentioned in some spots. Probably better than NMSU with the exception that they are already FBS.
From the Natchitoches Journal
https://natchitochesparishjournal.co...ence-shuffles/
Obviously Tech athletics aren't in a great position right now and it's easy to look in despair at our future but just remember that teams have succeeded after being in unfortunate circumstances. Look at where Temple is now after getting kicked out of the Big East and moving to the MAC. UCF has managed to go through every level of NCAA from Div III to playing on a far away island in the MAC to now being in a P5 conference. The Big 12 was arguably just as good as the SEC 15/20 years ago and Sun Belt was a glorified FCS conference. Now look at those conferences.
College football is volatile and there will be more changes to come. If I had to guess some shakeups in the future, I would say that the AAC loses Memphis and possibly USF or SMU in the future to the Big 12. The AAC could become unstable just like CUSA. The conference is extremely stretched out (from Philadelphia to San Antonio, same as Marshall-UTEP distance) and having almost half the conference earning less than the rest could lead to some unhappiness. The Big 12 could also take some MWC schools like Colorado St. and/or Boise St. That could cause the MWC to in turn go for Texas schools either in the AAC or Texas St. This isn't even considering that the Big 12 may be picked apart some more or ACC schools defecting to other P5 conferences causing even more ripples throughout conferences. Tech needs to keep looking forward and be ready for the next shift in college athletics.
Athletically, that means working on increasing the budget into the 30 million range or even higher as has been rumored. We need to improve some facilities, especially our football stadium (not just expanding I mean, in fact I'd argue about reducing capacity a bit). Finally and most importantly, we need to increase attendance. I remember 10 years ago we had some great football attendance increases and good atmospheres for games. Go back to what was working then and improve it even more. Our first goal should be getting attendance in football and basketball for every home game back to over 20,000 at minimum for football in the next two years and 3,000 for basketball. Then set more goals after that.
Academically, we need to make sure that Tech increases its profile. We should improve our Carnegie classification to R1 and try and work on expanding the footprint in North Louisiana either in Monroe or Shreveport or both. I would like to see Tech continue to work with Shreveport more and put more pressure to merge LSUS into Tech or expand Tech's presence in SBC. This should help with making Tech more appealing to conferences. University presidents want to associate with more prestigious institutions and we'd have more reach into "markets" hopefully. At least we'd be reachign more students and increasing enrollment. If we truly wanted to be bold, I wouldn't be against working with ULL to try and split up the University of Louisiana system or fight for both of our schools to achieve a LaTech medical school and ULL law school. Obviously the LSU powers would fight it with everything they've got, which is a lot but we have to keep improving Tech's academic brand in as many was as possible.
Very well written article. Do you know Doug Ireland? He is a very good writer.Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
So LA Tech (11,197) now has a lower enrollment than NSU (11,447). WTH? Why? And don't give me the old "our standards are higher", stuff. It was only a couple of years ago that Tech had an enrollment of well over 12K. What's happened? The "business side" of things don't appear to be getting managed very well at Tech if everyone but us in the state is growing in enrollment.Quote:
Originally Posted by JuBru
I think NSU's growth is due to their virtual schooling, and they don't actually have those people physically on campus. Correct me if I'm wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
NSU does seem to be known for that on this board. I know others have talked about it. I just rewatched an interview with Cedric Glover talking about LSUS's only success is growing online students, otherwise LSUS seems to be worsening in all other types of students.Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
I am far removed from Tech, so this is just my opinion: F.J. Taylor has been the only true Tech admin with any forward vision in the last 60 years. His successors have been either too timid to rock the boat with the blue hairs around Ruston or just plain incompetent to lead. I hear of simple things like the opposition of those in charge to brand the football stadium with a corporate partner for a hefty fee.....not speaking of the local banks, etc. I hear of the administration being afraid to try different approaches to recruiting students. It is like we have a Gulf States Conference state of mind that we cannot break out away from. It's as if they live in a parallel universe of today's world......hanging on to the distant past and to antiquated methods.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
There are a lot of caring Tech folks, but maybe they are sometimes too caring...to a fault. We need leaders with a business state of mind, not just an academic approach. The world has changed, and we need to embrace that fact and change with it.
OK...off my soap box now.
That is correct. I believe their "on campus" student population is very low.Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
Of the 11,081 students at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, 81.39% (9,019) took at least one class online. About 42.12% (4,667) took all of their courses online.
https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/academic-life/distance-learning/
I dont know exactly but NSU does have a lot of virtual and dual enrolments (high school kids). Remember we have over 3,000 dual enrolments (high school kids not on campus) and that lowers our actual to around 8,000 less any virtual students.Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
We probably need to expand our online enrollment, but we have to get more students on campus. On and off campus housing development has been anticipating 13-14,000 students in the near future. Investors are going to lose their tails if we don’t grow. We may learn the lesson that when Tech promises something(15,000 by 2020)we don’t adjust to it until it happens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by champion110
....but it seems to be successful, not at just NSU, but all around the country. Virtual everything seems to be the future. We need to change with it.
As a manager of a manufacturing plant of a Fortune 500 company, I preached the "Seven P's". They are "Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance"
I added this to my post above:
Of the 11,081 students at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, 81.39% (9,019) took at least one class online. About 42.12% (4,667) took all of their courses online.
https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/academic-life/distance-learning/
It is. More than 8,000 of NSU's students are in online degree programs. LSUS has more than 4,000 online MBA students and fewer than 2,000 students on campus. Even though we are unacceptably late to the online game, there's still market space in some of the disciplines we're noted for. We must take advantage of the opportunities out there. Our enrollment dropped this fall. Had it not been for dual enrollment - which is a loser financially - the drop would have been pronounced.
LSU Online created the system wide "LSU Online" entity three years ago. Enrollment is growing rapidly. They plsn to land 20,000 online students in just a few years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxerdog
Just so we're clear: https://www.nsula.edu/nsu-has-record-enrollment-of-11447/Quote:
Originally Posted by champion110
It's 11,447 students for NSU, not 11,081.
Virtual enrollment and pandemic putting a damper on in-person attendance, I’d guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by HogDawg
Tech's enrollment peaked Fall 2017 and has dropped every year since.
https://oierp.latech.edu/enrollment-data/
When Guice started, enrollment for Fall 2013 was 11,014 and we were leaving the WAC because it was dead. We are essentially back where we started. Zero progress.
Wow, according to those stats, Tech had an enrollment of 12,873 in the fall of 2017. Now our enrollment has fallen all the way to 11,197 (last year).Quote:
Originally Posted by JuBru
This just shouldn't happen, people. This is bad management. Mismanagement. Meanwhile, other schools --including NSU-- are still growing.
I give up.
pretty sure we count “continuing education”. bunch of old farts (I am eligible) floating in the pool, calling it swimming, and getting Tech ID’s for the effort. I suspect there has been a pandemic effect on those numbers…