Egos & Economics

[MeanGreen61]

All over the map

Conference USA, of which Tulane is a member, stretches from Orlando, Fla., to Huntington, W.Va., to El Paso, Texas. The Sun Belt Conference triangle maxes out from Miami to Bowling Green, Ky., to Denver. Louisiana Tech is closer to Notre Dame and Ohio State than to its nearest WAC rival.

“The reason these conferences are the way they are, is egos have gotten in the way,” says Jay Walker, who is the radio voice for UL-Lafayette. “It’s been about, ‘I don’t want to be associated with those people; I do want to be associated with these people.’

Article

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2009/ma...conomics-gnit1/

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

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“The reason these conferences are the way they are, is egos have gotten in the way,” says Jay Walker, who is the radio voice for UL-Lafayette. “It’s been about, ‘I don’t want to be associated with those people; I do want to be associated with these people.’

Article

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2009/ma...conomics-gnit1/

Shup up and win. If you don't beat the teams who supposed have washed their hands of you, they'll never respect you. Too many excuses in this league. Shut up and win.

[NT80]

“The reason these conferences are the way they are, is egos have gotten in the way,” says Jay Walker, who is the radio voice for UL-Lafayette. “It’s been about, ‘I don’t want to be associated with those people; I do want to be associated with these people.’

Article

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2009/ma...conomics-gnit1/

Of course schools are going to associate with schools they feel they can afford to travel to and reflect the level of athletics they want to be at. UNT would love to be in conference with Notre Dame and USC but we haven't been asked yet. You are who you associate with is the presumed image. Do we want to always be SBCish?

Edited May 20, 2009 by NT80

[KRAM1]

This just reinforces my long-held belief that Louisiana sucks.

Except for Cajun food and some great fun in New Orleans maybe!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---LaTech is the ultimate screw-up in the NCAA.. I just can't see how they can afford to be in the conference that they are in. [ travel costs and nothing even close to a regional rival to attract fans]

[pollock]

No different than the 1-A midmajors in Texas have been since 1994 (or whatever year the SWC broke up).....

Probably not changing any time soon.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Ok other than that. Oh and Kyle White and Darius Carey. And Josh White.

And Johnny Jones and Tyler Stradford and Jamaal Jackson and John Weber and Kedrick Hogans and....

[foutsrouts]

And Johnny Jones and Tyler Stradford and Jamaal Jackson and John Weber and Kedrick Hogans and....

and Eric Tramiel....

[Chrisattsu]

I guess we know their answer to the "Would you want to be Baylor?" question. They are much more interested in being in a better conference. They would be much more competitive in the SBC, but would rather be a middle of the pack WAC team.

This quote was striking right here-

"In terms of total allocations from BCS revenue sharing, TV agreements and other I-A entitlements, a conference such as the Sun Belt receives roughly twice what a I-AA league such as the Southland receives."

[Chrisattsu]

Louisiana Tech, for example, has consistently put literal and competitive distance between itself and Interstate 20 corridor neighbor, Louisiana-Monroe. The Bulldogs are at an impasse scheduling games against other state schools in other sports because of their wanderlust in football.

“They’re exploding one bridge after another,” Walker says, noting Sun Belt teams have turned their backs on Louisiana Tech in retaliation for the Bulldogs’ refusal to schedule them in football.

Bruce Van De Velde, CEO and deputy director for Louisiana Tech athletics and right-hand man for football coach and athletic director Derek Dooley, was unwilling to discuss the implications of state cuts upon its teams. Of the Bulldogs’ $11.4 million athletic budget, almost $4 million comes from their state share.

“Why don’t you talk to LSU instead of picking on Louisiana Tech?” Van De Velde says, adding he would pass along the request to Dooley. “If he wants to talk about it with you, he’ll get in touch with you.”

Dooley didn’t call, and a subsequent effort to contact him was unsuccessful. LSU, meanwhile, is the only state university that does not receive money from the operating budget for its athletic program.

Guy sounds like a complete tool

[CorinthEagle]

I think we would all be that way if we had been asked basically the same question for the last 8 years. Tech has a lot of work to do, but they are also upgrading their facilities and have several years of home and homes with Southern Miss, Houston, etc.... It might be their "Hail Mary" but they are positioning themselves with CUSA so when the next shakeup comes they already have that track record of competing with their teams. They schedule against CUSA, we are playing our way into the MAC. Which would you prefer?

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I think we would all be that way if we had been asked basically the same question for the last 8 years. Tech has a lot of work to do, but they are also upgrading their facilities and have several years of home and homes with Southern Miss, Houston, etc.... It might be their "Hail Mary" but they are positioning themselves with CUSA so when the next shakeup comes they already have that track record of competing with their teams. They schedule against CUSA, we are playing our way into the MAC. Which would you prefer?

Even if you give it a top mark that post is underrated.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Guy sounds like a complete tool

Van de Velde is a longtime Big 8/12 guy. He's been at Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Iowa State. He's a good fundraiser.

[UNTLifer]

Van de Velde is a longtime Big 8/12 guy. He's been at Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Iowa State. He's a good fundraiser.

And probably bitter to be at La. Tech.

[Chrisattsu]

And probably bitter to be at La. Tech.

I have never been to Ruston, but surely it is better than Ames

[NT80]

I have never been to Ruston, but surely it is better than Ames

I've been to both. Ruston would lose.