Lamar University Football

[Newbie]

LU students approve football fee

By Tom Halliburton

The Port Arthur News

The News Sports Writer

BEAUMONT — Once a mainstay within the Southeast Texas sports landscape, Lamar University's football program took a giant step toward its projected 2010 return on Thursday.

After laying dormant for the past 18 seasons, Lamar football received a mandate Tuesday and Wednesday when students passed a referendum to approve an activity fee to help fund the sport's return by the 2010 fall season.

Approximately 79 percent — 1,016 voters — favored the football fee of $8.75 per semester credit hour which would be charged in the fall of 2009. If the Texas State University System board of regents votes in favor — when they meet Feb. 22 on Lamar's campus — and if sufficient private financial support comes forward, school president Dr. Jimmy Simmons and athletic director Billy Tubbs hope to have a coach in place by this August.

"I'm very pleased," said Simmons, who has desired to bring back football since he accepted his position nine years ago. "It's a mandate for us to move forward. I had imagined we would get a strong support from the students.

"What I did not want was a small majority but I'm absolutely satisfied with the outcome of the vote."

Counting online classes, Simmons estimated between 8,000 and 9,000 students to be enrolled on Lamar's campus this spring. The vote transpired during Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and evening junctures at four campus locations — inside the Setzer Center, outside the science auditorium, in front of the dining hall and in front of the Gray Library.

Simmons believed the turnout (1,294 voters) constituted the largest LU student voter turnout ever. The student involvement culminated in Thursday morning's 11:30 announcement in the Setzer Center.

The energetic Tubbs returned to his alma mater nearly six years ago as athletic director. He exercised a bit of caution in his remarks, citing that the student vote only amounted to the first step. Yet most of the time, Billy sounded more like a Lamar alumnus than an athletic director.

"I really think this is the right thing to do," Tubbs said. "I don't ever think football should have been dropped at Lamar in the first place. Football should and can be an integral part of the whole community.

"With the present structure, football wouldn't come about without the students' support... I'm happy with the vote. I would call it an overwhelming majority. We have cleared a big, big hurdle but there are other big, big hurdles."

One former Lamar football player and current Nederland head coach Larry Neumann was glad to learn the referendum's outcome.

"That's excellent," said Neumann, who may be significantly interested in playing a more active role in LU's football future. "I have put three daughters through Lamar and I was hopeful and I'm pleased that it (the student referendum) went that way."

The regents are scheduled to convene on LU's campus Feb. 21-22. Only a 5-4 majority would be required in order for football to receive its approval, but Simmons certainly would prefer more than a 5-4 edge.

"Of course I would like to see it have a lot of support but we can't move forward without the board's approval," Simmons said. "I think it's a tremendous opportunity for our students. It would enhance this university and it would enhance student life.

"With the regents' approval, we would then have an architectural firm to give us a cost analysis. And then we're able to put the entire financial picture in place and determine exactly how much we need from private donors and private sources... because you can't use state money for athletics."

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also will have to approve any and all construction projects regarding the renovation and upgrade of LU's dilapidated football facilities.

Simmons remained unsure on some of the school's exact timetables, but anticipated that a new head football coach might be hired and in place by August.

"We don't know how quickly this will process through.... all these different hurdles we have to go through. But I would hope by sometime next fall, hopefully in August that we would have a football coach."

Simmons intended to notify TSUS Chancellor Charles Matthews in Austin of the student referendum's results. The nine regents to address the football issue are chairman Bernard C. Francis of Addison, Don Flores of El Paso, Charlie Amato of San Antonio, Dora Alcala of Del Rio, Michael Truncale of Beaumont, Ron Blatchley of Bryan, Trisha Pollard of Bellaire, John Dudley of Comanche and Greg Wilkinson of Dallas.

"I'm excited right now, but I have to stress this is only the first of many steps," Simmons said. "There are several more steps that must be taken before we can say that we're bringing football back to Lamar University."

LAMAR FOOTBALL

Here is the outcome of the Lamar University student referendum held on the LU-Beaumont campus Tuesday and Wednesday.

FOR THE ADDITIONAL FEE TO FUND FOOTBALL 79% (1,016)

AGAINST THE ADDITIONAL FEE TO FUND FOOTBALL 21% (278)