WAC Plan...what it means to us!

[johnnylightnin]

WAC plan strongly discourages 1 and done scheduling for football. The WAC plan also has a few attendance average mandates. Here are the most interesting:

Football-the conference member is to average 80% capacity (24,480@JAS) by 2010.
Basketball-the conference member is to average 70% capacity (5,600) by 2010.

The plan also mandates that a team play 6 home games annually in football...or 11 home games over a 2 year period.

These things would be great for our institution. Sadly, we're incredibly far off the mark. In 4 years, we're supposed to have our numbers up significantly (about 6-7K in football and 4K in basketball). Is Dr. Reneau going to demand that Jim comply with these standards? It is Dan's name on the dotted line after all. Or, is this the administration's way of letting us know that we'll be out of the WAC by 2010? If they don't know it yet, I'll go ahead and tell them now...unless we comply with those standards, we'll not be jumping to CUSA by 2010, it'll be the belt or the southland.

What do you guys think? If they take this seriously, it could the greatest thing for our program since we got into IA...if they take their normal approach, it will be a steady decline into oblivion.

[LT]

We could get the attendance up some by reducing our astronomically high prices on "nose-bleed" seats. We should offer football seats at $10 outside the 20 yard lines (even on the west side), and basketball seats at $5 for the upper baseline.

Right now the cheapest seats are $22 for football and $12 to $14 for basketball. This is out of reach for many families in bucolic north Louisiana.
________
Zx14 Vs Hayabusa

[sportdawg]

Here is a way to increase attendance.
Based on 2007 Tentative Schedule

9/1 vs. Northwestern State (They would bring lots of fans to the stadium, I'd say 26,000 at the least)
9/15 @ California
10/6 @ Ole Mis
9/29 vs. ULM (30,000)
@ Nevada (WAC)
@ Utah State (WAC)
@ Idaho (WAC)
@ Fresno State (WAC)
Hawaii (WAC)
San Jose State (WAC)
Boise State (WAC)
New Mexico State (WAC)

[sportdawg]

2008
TBA vs. Clemson (@ Independence Stadium)
9/13 @ LSU
@ ULM
vs. ULL
$$ game or Northwestern State again
Nevada (WAC)
Utah State (WAC)
Idaho (WAC)
Fresno State (WAC)
@ Hawaii
@ San Jose State
@ Boise State
@ New Mexico State

2009
9/12 vs. Texas A&M (@ Independence Stadium)
TBA @ Clemson
vs. ULM
@ ULL
@ Nevada (WAC)
@ Utah State (WAC)
@ Idaho (WAC)
@ Fresno State (WAC)
Hawaii (WAC)
San Jose State (WAC)
Boise State (WAC)
New Mexico State (WAC)

[johnnylightnin]

Sure, there are ways that it can be done, but those ways are radically different than the ways we're doing things right now. My question is, does the administration actually plan on trying to meet these requirements?

[dawgtired]

This has been covered elsewhere, but what you'll probably see from the administration is a decrease in the official seating of JAS from 30,000 to the 24,000. (The tarped areas will no longer count as official seating.) It's the easiest thing for them to do.

[Dawg06]

WWJD? - What Would Jim Do?

Relocate the add-on bleachers with the tarps to the track to reduce the capacity and take care of the condemned track bleachers.

Put a jumbotron in the TAC at the bottom of a blue seating area and close off all of the seats above it instead of getting a multisided jumbotron/scoreboard to hang above the court. Again, decreasing the capacity instead of getting more people in the stands. Or we may play some games in Memorial Gym because maybe he could get the WAC to average their capacities.

Then again, that would require work...

[Tech XXIX]

There is a precident set in the Big East that those who do not meet the conference standards area voted out. I found this:

Owls outta there
Big East members officially vote to remove Temple

Click here for more on this storyPosted: Friday March 02, 2001 4:30 PM
Updated: Friday March 02, 2001 9:09 PM




PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Big East Conference voted to oust Temple's football team from the league next year, spokesman John Paquette said Friday.
"The presidents and chancellors of the seven universities of the Big East Conference's 1-A football league have voted to discontinue Temple University's membership effective June 30, 2002," Paquette said.
Big East Commissioner Michael Tranghese said Temple consistently failed to meet criteria unanimously adopted by the members in 1996, such as attendance and non-conference scheduling.
Temple officials, stunned by the decision, said they will try to persuade the league to re-think the decision.
"I want to give the Big East an opportunity to reconsider what I feel is an inopportune decision," Board of Trustees chairman Howard Gittis told Comcast SportsNet on Friday. "I am a great believer in that the game is not over until the fat lady sings and she is not on stage yet." Gittis said he planned to appeal to the seven Big East university presidents.

[Tech XXIX]

How many of you can see the WAC doing this to their only central time zone team that did not step up the plate when it was demanded.

[RealityCheck]

How many of you can see the WAC doing this to their only central time zone team that did not step up the plate when it was demanded.

A little easier to boot Temple since it was a football-only Big East member and was contributing basically nothing. Also ConnU was waiting in the wings to join Big East football. I'm still convinced that the WAC couldn't take any action unless it had a replacement ready due to the problems a 7-game conference football schedule would create.

Still there is no excuse for Tech not to only meet but to try to exceed the WAC criteria. If JO can't or won't...get rid of him. If DR can't or won't...get rid of him too.

[Tech XXIX]

I dont disagree about the differences between us in the WAC and Temple and the Big East. But the Nevada president said you either rise with the competition or find somewhere else to play.

[oledawg66]

My kind of prez. Wonder if he likes hot humid weather?

[DocMarvin362]

This has been covered elsewhere, but what you'll probably see from the administration is a decrease in the official seating of JAS from 30,000 to the 24,000. (The tarped areas will no longer count as official seating.) It's the easiest thing for them to do.

I think that would put us in danger with the NCAA. Don't they require 30K seating?? and 15K average attendence to be D1?

[Phantom Red Dotter]

Does it matter? If you look at this situation in Jim Oakian ideology, decreasing the official seating to 24,000 (if 30,000 is required for D I status) would be a dream come true. Louisiana Tech could then focus on more of the same. Nothing. Moving to D II status would provide JO with an easy excuse for not raising any type of monetary support. Without million dollar donors, Tech would be playing on the same old field under the same old lights. Please remember that these improvements should never be attributed to the DR/JO regime.

PRD

[johnnylightnin]

I think that would put us in danger with the NCAA. Don't they require 30K seating?? and 15K average attendence to be D1?

I don't think the 30K thing is in effect anymore. The NCAA will send out "warning" letters if you average less than 15K though.