Let's Go Wacky!

[foutsrouts]

I know that this is an old subject, and that the majority of the regulars on this board are SBC freaks, but in my opinion it's time to move away from 1AA and get into a "marginally" nationally respected conference. The SBC just doesn't cut it in football for me anymore.

It's CLEARLY a glorified 1AA conference. I am afraid that it may be going downhill now that we appear to no longer be the dominant force. Considering the fact that we DO have a long football history with SOME national exposure and success, I'm thinking that we are the school that has been keeping this conference afloat for the last 4-5 years. If we return to mediocrity, what will happen to the SBC? IMHO, the powers that be may work to make this conference go away.

I think that we should make a move toward being accepted in the WAC. I truly believe that it would help our recruiting in a major way. A football only membership would be the ideal situation. We are already traveling like crazy to the south of Florida, so I really don't see a major difference in football only travel costs. IT'S TIME TO MOVE UP AND GRAB A "LITTLE" NATIONAL PRESTIGE! We're not going to find that anytime soon in the SBC.

I have seen this downhill spiral before and I don't want to see it happen again. Monroe did the football only in the SBC, and seemed to have no problem with competing in other sports in the Southland Conference. Why can't we do the same with the WAC and the SBC? All my opinion of course, but I'm getting very tired of the stagnation. Even if we had a reasonably good season this year, I would still feel like we need to FINALLY find a way to get on the national stage. BTW, La Tech is having a pretty good night against a very good Fresno team. Twenty-three point lead near the end of the third. Go figure!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Stay away from the WAC.... travel expense will kill us and there are no close rivals except LaTech. CUSA is our best hope..... close opponents and therefore better media interest.... and less expensive travel.....We play sports besides football that would eat us alive in travel expenses.

Besides I don't think it is much if any better anyway.

Edited December 3, 2005 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[foutsrouts]

---Stay away from the WAC.... travel expense will kill us and there are no close rivals except LaTech.  CUSA is our best hope..... close opponents and therefore better media interest.... and less expensive travel.....We play sports besides football that would eat us alive in travel expenses. 

Besides I don't think it is much if any better anyway.

←

I was talking about the WAC in football only. We could find another alternative for the other programs.

[NDT]

The majority are not "SBC freaKs". We are realists who understand that the SBC makes better financial and geographic sense than the WAC. Do you remember our time in the Big West Conference? I have no desire to go back.

[foutsrouts]

Also, I think USA is many years away from seriously considering us for membership as long as we're coming out of the SBC. Respect is a "steppingstone" process. And I say that regardless of how big and beautiful of a stadium that we somehow manage to build. Success in the WAC is a different story. Whether we could quickly be successful or not in the WAC is certainly a matter for debate. But I do believe that our recruiting would improve upon membership in the WAC. A lot of prospects listen to their dads during the recruiting process. The WAC is miles ahead of the SBC in the minds of forty something year old fathers. The SBC just doesn't have a whole lot of respect.

[foutsrouts]

The majority are not "SBC freaKs".  We are realists who understand that the SBC makes better financial and geographic sense than the WAC.  Do you remember our time in the Big West Conference?  I have no desire to go back.

←

I very much remember our time in the Big West, and I repeat, I am talking football ONLY membership in the WAC. Financial and geographical issues would be extremely minor in a football only WAC vs. SBC football. The two trips to the Miami area this year were not exactly cheap. Jonesboro and Lafayette are not TOO far away, but the only really "close" school in the SBC is Monroe. The rest of them are a pretty good trip. Since we now have an invention called the airplane, football only travel in an SBC vs WAC argument is almost irrelevant.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Kinda' funny how most North Texas fans want to avoid the WAC as much as La Tech fans want to avoid the Sun Belt.

We need to be in a conferenc that if we are at the top of that conference we are also a stong candidate for Top 25 consideration. The MAC and the WAC have been pulling that off with their top tier football teams.

Anyone know where La Tech goes bowling this month?

GOD BLESS TEXAS...

[Arkstfan]

World of difference between being a Sun Belt freak and not wanting to run a program into a financial hole.

Let's not twist La.Tech's position. La.Tech did not, does not want to be in a conference with ULM. I'll come back to that in a second.

La.Tech leapt at a chance to join the WAC because they were joining Tulsa, SMU, and Rice. They are gone.

Go to their board. Some time back Dewayne from Minden shucked the corn off the cob and plainly explained that in two years, Tech would no longer be able to afford WAC membership unless there was a dramatic infusion of new revenue into the program and the conference.

Now why does Tech not want to be with ULM? First they are about 30 minutes apart and recruit the same areas. While Monroe is no garden spot it is still more attractive than Ruston. Being in the same league playing every year against ULM makes it rougher for them.

The schools have met 43 times. Tech has only lost to ULM 13 times, but five of those losses came during the six years they were in the Southland together. For some reason Tech seems concerned about being in the same conference with them.

[Coffee and TV]

ArkStFan I think I should transfer to ASU so I can get my degree in college football history like you did.

[NM Green]

In a way it would have been sweet justice for Monroe to go bowling. That would have been unbelievable for La Tech after the season they had. Sitting at home watching the unpopular sister all of a sudden get some overdue attention and national props - the dawgs would have been deeply disturbed.

Oh well, Arkie State go kick some cusa butt!

GMG

[mhow2]

If we to be a football only in a conf. I would rather be in the MAC than the WAC. Plus I thing there is more following for the MAC in the D/FW area.