Tech to SBC?

[jycww]

I have seen the chatter here as well as a link in ESPN website. However, I haven’t seen anything official yet on La Tech athletics website or even the Sun Belt website. Has this been officially announced yet?

Personally I am excited about the move as I consider it a step up from CUSA. I think some excitement may return by playing ULM, ULL and USM, while also having App State in the same conference.

For years I have seen conversations about the decisions made by Judy, etc with CUSA and I’m glad we will be removed from that. I would have thought most others would have been more excited about the move as well, but don’t see that excitement reflected here. I think it’s our best option as our options are few.

[weunice]

Its because message boards are dead. Plenty of chatter on Twitter, Reddit and the like. --- Not gonna lie, I miss this format. It made for conversations that had to be worked through --- modern social media is trash for that.

[sportdawg]

I have seen the chatter here as well as a link in ESPN website. However, I haven’t seen anything official yet on La Tech athletics website or even the Sun Belt website. Has this been officially announced yet?

Personally I am excited about the move as I consider it a step up from CUSA. I think some excitement may return by playing ULM, ULL and USM, while also having App State in the same conference.

For years I have seen conversations about the decisions made by Judy, etc with CUSA and I’m glad we will be removed from that. I would have thought most others would have been more excited about the move as well, but don’t see that excitement reflected here. I think it’s our best option as our options are few.

My guess is it has to be approved by the ULS Board of Regents (a formality). There are meeting July 30 (Executive Committee) and August 28 (Board Meeting). We will probably negotiate with CUSA an exit fee before going to the board for approval, then we'll announce our move.

[BioMajor2013]

I concur. This is good news in my book. Not ideal or perfect, but a lot better than staying in the current watered down version of C-USA. If it had been WKU instead of us, we would be stuck in an even worse C-USA. This is the best we can realistically hope for in my opinion. I think the administration of the Sunbelt have proven they are serious and doing a good job running that league.

It's very close to competing with the American Athletic Conference for best G-5 league in my opinion. Hopefully that trend will continue, and the next set of media contracts will reflect that, and we can get a much bigger piece of the financial pie for next time.

As it stands now, we will already be getting a little bit better financial setup (once we get the C-USA exit fees paid off). Plus the far better travel situation, and renewing old rivalries. I'm actually pretty pumped about this. HBTD!

[inudesu]

Time to tuck our tails and join the other have-nots, the never-will-haves, and turn back the clock to the 1970's.

As opposed to staying where we were, in CUSA with all those higher caliber programs????

This wasn't a choice between aspiration and settling. It was a choice between schools we don't care about at all or have any history or proximity to and a set of schools that includes a number of regional and historical rivals.

[Blue Dawg]

As opposed to staying where we were, in CUSA with all those higher caliber programs????

This wasn't a choice between aspiration and settling. It was a choice between schools we don't care about at all or have any history or proximity to and a set of schools that includes a number of regional and historical rivals.

Additionally, we really should be thankful we have a choice at all - we've worked ourselves into a corner. The time for a real choice was long ago.

[RUBLUE]

I think as an act of goodwill since they overlooked out arrogance and reach down into the abyss to save us (when they didn’t have to) we should all start referring to ULL as Louisiana

[qng001]

CUSA suffered the same fate as the WAC. Big market or good programs were poached and the backfill did not replensih the conference in terms of quality.

[Dawgonit]

I am actually excited to see what happens with Tech now. This is what the program needed. CUSA is not a good spot to stay in compared to what we can have. I have found myself caring less and less (the football quality hasn't helped of course).

[BioMajor2013]

I will only agree with this if we can call them LOSE-iana.

[Bill Brasky]

Joining the WAC in 2001 was the right move as was joining CUSA in 2013. While the WAC was more of an opportunity, the move to CUSA was out of necessity. This move to the SBC would also fall under the category of necessity.

The administration and leadership never could figure out how to put Tech in a position to proactively make a move.

Was also doing an unscientific survey on SBC facilities - it looks like most have an indoor practice facility. How is it 2025 and we don’t have this? Even the have-not HS’s in the Dallas area have them.

[PawDawg]

Was also doing an unscientific survey on SBC facilities - it looks like most have an indoor practice facility. How is it 2025 and we don’t have this? Even the have-not HS’s in the Dallas area have them.

Because at Tech we are already way ahead on what we've done for the men's programs compared to the women's programs. Gotta keep it as equal as possible rather than proportional. Been that way going back to D.R.'s infatuation with Title IX BS.

FWIW, I don't think "stuff" gets the attention of recruits the way NIL does...which we don't offer either.

[inudesu]

I think as an act of goodwill since they overlooked out arrogance and reach down into the abyss to save us (when they didn’t have to) we should all start referring to ULL as Louisiana

Let's not get silly.

[dawg80]

As opposed to staying where we were, in CUSA with all those higher caliber programs????

This wasn't a choice between aspiration and settling. It was a choice between schools we don't care about at all or have any history or proximity to and a set of schools that includes a number of regional and historical rivals.

You can try to spin this any way you want but doesn't change the basic fact that our great experiment, our sojourn into the great wild spaces of college athletics has utterly failed. Yes, being relegated back into the gutter with the same schools we left 25 years ago is nothing but a stark reminder of that failure. And you say CUSA is full of schools "we don't care about," yet you are now okay with rejoining schools "we don't care about" which is why we left them 25 years ago.

I love it "regional and historical rivals." Which is why we couldn't wait to get away from them 25 years ago! Nope, this is nothing but a complete and total collapse. Tech does deserve to be cast back into the gutter because of our total failures. Not arguing that, but don't pretend this is somehow a good thing.

[Saint Greg]

When did Texas State move up to Division I FBS? They were known as Southwest Texas State, I seem to recall and were an FCS school. Around 2008 or so they moved up. Most famous alums are LBJ and George Strait.

Okay, just did a quick search: their biggest football rivalry was Nicholls State...and now they have blown past us headed for the PAC-12. Yeah, it's not the same PAC-12 but is better in name and prestige than either CUSA or the Belt.

Mediocrity R US!

Would you really want to go back to all of those west coast games in the pacific time zone just to be in with Boise, Fresno, Utah State, and Colorado State? The first chance they got they’d leave us holding the bag again.

Gonzaga for Basketball would be nice. That’s about it. I doubt we even tried for the “PAC-12.” College football died with NIL. Might as well be buried close to home.