My honest, objective, opinion

TheTastyGreek · November 4, 2011

Would love to see at least a 1-1 deal with Texas State, just to get a feel for the travel and fan response.

LaLa is the one road trip I would take a bullet for; I hear so many good things year after year about the food/tailgating, etc. If we ever get out of the Belt, I would miss LaLa. I'm probably on my own in that regard.

I've been there twice for football, once for basketball.

It's fine, but I don't understand the Sun Belt equivalent of hype for it.

MDH · November 4, 2011

I don't understand the fascination with the city of San Antonio. Maybe to some Texans/Oklahomans it's the cats meow, but that place is pretty dumpy compared to actual tourist spots. I'd rather drive a couple hours and go to New Orleans.

Baby Arm! · November 4, 2011

They were the only team that showed up in the 1AA days. I always enjoyed our bouts w the bobcats.
4 hour tailgate train to San Marcos...man, I could go for that.
Schedule them non conf just to make it happen.

Have you ever been on the Texas Eagle to San Marcos? The train schedule is to leave Ft Worth around 2pm and get into San Marcos at 7pm, problem is it NEVER keeps that schedule. You're lucky to get into San Marcos between 9-10 pm most days. Taking the train is great if you don't want to drive, sit back and relax, read a book, watch a movie etc, but you can't plan a schedule around it unless you want to leave on a Friday and spend two nights in SM because you'd have to wait until Sunday morning to catch the return train to D/FW. The train depot in SM isnt close to hotels or the stadium

But if you want to consider Amtrak as a selling point....It works for UTSA as well but even better. The same train goes to San Antonio, and the train depot is downtown next door to the Alamodome, walking distance to hotels, the Riverwalk, etc.

Baby Arm! · November 4, 2011

I don't understand the fascination with the city of San Antonio. Maybe to some Texans/Oklahomans it's the cats meow, but that place is pretty dumpy compared to actual tourist spots. I'd rather drive a couple hours and go to New Orleans.

you don't think New Orleans is dumpy???? I love that town but the French Quarter invented shabby chic. I've been in bars in the Quarter that gave me concerns if they were structualy sound.

UNTflyer · November 4, 2011

you don't think New Orleans is dumpy???? I love that town but the French Quarter invented shabby chic. I've been in bars in the Quarter that gave me concerns if they were structualy sound.

In terms of tourism and fun...

New Orleans > San Antonio

And in CUSA we would have Tulsa, Rice, and Tulane all within driving distance so it's not like we need UTSA to have close rivals.

Censored by Laurie · November 4, 2011

I can't believe I just read a New Orleans / San Antonio comparison...

New Orleans is a top 5 city in this country for food, drink, music, culture and history.

San Antonio has an over-priced tourist trap on a smelly, dirty creek, an historically significant albeit boring presidio and the Spurs (sorry Green Lantern).

GrandGreen · November 4, 2011

you don't think New Orleans is dumpy???? I love that town but the French Quarter invented shabby chic. I've been in bars in the Quarter that gave me concerns if they were structualy sound.

Thats what happens when the buildings are two hundred years old. The old adage was there were only 4 cities in the US with true atmosphere: San Antonio, New Orleans, San Francisco and New York. Not sure that is completely accurate, but all four are great tourist cities.

NM Green · November 4, 2011

I have heard that unique comparison of four cities but I heard: New Orleans, San Antonio, San Francisco and Boston.

Urban Legend for sure:)

GMG

P.S. - out of all of this can you believe we can talk about becoming bowl eligible into the second week of November! I am jazzed - just win baby is right!!!!!

Baby Arm! · November 4, 2011

Thats what happens when the buildings are two hundred years old. The old adage was there were only 4 cities in the US with true atmosphere: San Antonio, New Orleans, San Francisco and New York. Not sure that is completely accurate, but all four are great tourist cities.

^^THIS!

The poster said he didn't like SA because it was dumpy, and liked New Orleans, my only point was New Orleans is dumpy too This isn't San Antonio vs New Orleans. I love BOTH cities. It doesn't have to be an either/or.

Green Mean · November 4, 2011

Both New Orleans and San Antonio are great places to go visit. No need to debate which one is or isn't because they both have a lot to offer to people visiting there.

Arkstfan · November 4, 2011

Technically while we're the lowest rung of FBS football, the Sun Belt is the most stable conference of the the last half decade. I dunno, I don't think it would be that bad.

According to ESPN, the WAC is worst conference, followed by the MAC. http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/30401/sec-passes-big-12-again-in-rankings

The very reason that the WAC called UNT back when (and several times since) was that there is no pool of schools in their natural region wishing to join FBS.

I figured it up earlier. The Sun Belt could lose eight, maybe even nine schools and carry on as a 10 team football league just drawing from the nearbv WAC schools and various FCS that have approved a move or that have inquired if the Sun Belt would have a slot for them should they choose to move forward with a move and that's not counting schools like Idaho and San Jose State that could be left homeless or schools like James Madison and Old Dominion who have made less overt efforts toward becoming FBS schools.

What the Sun Belt desperately needs at this point is for ULL and ASU to finish the year with the only loss being the loser of the ASU-ULL game. At least one maybe both of the pair would finish ranked with 10 or 11 total wins and a bowl win.

Aquila_Viridis · November 5, 2011

According to ESPN, the WAC is worst conference, followed by the MAC. http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/30401/sec-passes-big-12-again-in-rankings

The very reason that the WAC called UNT back when (and several times since) was that there is no pool of schools in their natural region wishing to join FBS.

I figured it up earlier. The Sun Belt could lose eight, maybe even nine schools and carry on as a 10 team football league just drawing from the nearbv WAC schools and various FCS that have approved a move or that have inquired if the Sun Belt would have a slot for them should they choose to move forward with a move and that's not counting schools like Idaho and San Jose State that could be left homeless or schools like James Madison and Old Dominion who have made less overt efforts toward becoming FBS schools.

What the Sun Belt desperately needs at this point is for ULL and ASU to finish the year with the only loss being the loser of the ASU-ULL game. At least one maybe both of the pair would finish ranked with 10 or 11 total wins and a bowl win.

Of all our current Sun Belt brethren, stAte is the only one I value and the only one I'd care to see go anywhere with us. I don't think we're ever going to get anywhere playing these other schools in the conference. With Memphis, S. Miss, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane we'd have a much better chance of generating interest.

Someone mentioned the MAC as a stable conference; yes it is stable but their attendance is dreadful. That is not a model to follow. Toledo has one of the coolest mascots/logos of all teams though.

We have to get out of the Sun Belt. I hope our leaders are not complacent about this. Those who talk about adding UTSA and TX State, that is crazy. There is too much DILUTION in the area already. Maybe in 30 years, though at which point I would hope we'd have moved on further. If we don't get up and out we're going to get drowned by these new programs competing for athletes. I'm telling you, just wait til UT Tyler wants to add football, or how about UT Arlington or UT Dallas, and don't forget about SFA and SH.

UNTflyer · November 5, 2011

I can't believe I just read a New Orleans / San Antonio comparison...

New Orleans is a top 5 city in this country for food, drink, music, culture and history.

Would it be too bold to suggest that it is collectively #1 in all of these categories?

Aquila_Viridis · November 5, 2011

San Antonio is a great place but there is no need for a football game as an excuse to go there. Bashing the Paseo is way off target. I would like to have seen the area in its natural state but that is not our time.