Comments on Southland Conference Additions

I saw the news that Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are being admitted to Southland Conference. I graduated from Lamar in the late 70's and the Southland Conference at that time was a very good conference consisting of Lamar, McNeese, Southwestern Lousiana, Louisiana Tech, Texas Arlington, and Arkansas State. North Texas joined a couple of years later. There was a lot of excitement about the Lamar basketball and baseball teams back then with NCAA tournament wins. There was also excitement about the football team with a win over a ranked Baylor team in 1981.

At that time Sam Houston, SFA, and Southwest Texas were in the Division II Lone Star Conference and Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian were probably Division III or NAIA. I never would have dreamed that 30 years later, Lamar would not only still be in the Southland Conference but would be in a conference with Sam Houston, SFA, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian. Very discouraging, although Oral Roberts was a great addition to the conference.

I like the direction the Lamar basketball team and football team are going. I hope there is someone in the Lamar administration with the vision to move Lamar to a better athletic conference. Billy Tubbs seemed to be an advocate for a conference move but since he retired I'm not sure who at Lamar is taking up that charge.

[quote author=austinred link=topic=37378.msg42086#msg42086 date=1345494917]
I saw the news that Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are being admitted to Southland Conference. I graduated from Lamar in the late 70's and the Southland Conference at that time was a very good conference consisting of Lamar, McNeese, Southwestern Lousiana, Louisiana Tech, Texas Arlington, and Arkansas State. North Texas joined a couple of years later. There was a lot of excitement about the Lamar basketball and baseball teams back then with NCAA tournament wins. There was also excitement about the football team with a win over a ranked Baylor team in 1981.

At that time Sam Houston, SFA, and Southwest Texas were in the Division II Lone Star Conference and Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian were probably Division III or NAIA. I never would have dreamed that 30 years later, Lamar would not only still be in the Southland Conference but would be in a conference with Sam Houston, SFA, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian. Very discouraging, although Oral Roberts was a great addition to the conference.

I like the direction the Lamar basketball team and football team are going. I hope there is someone in the Lamar administration with the vision to move Lamar to a better athletic conference. Billy Tubbs seemed to be an advocate for a conference move but since he retired I'm not sure who at Lamar is taking up that charge.

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I couldn't agree more with you what you said. Like I said in another thread, I think the SLC is going to 14 schools because they'll be losing a few teams in a year or two. I think Lamar and maybe SHSU are on the way out but who knows.

[quote author=coachacola link=topic=37378.msg42087#msg42087 date=1345495427]
[quote author=austinred link=topic=37378.msg42086#msg42086 date=1345494917]
I saw the news that Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are being admitted to Southland Conference. I graduated from Lamar in the late 70's and the Southland Conference at that time was a very good conference consisting of Lamar, McNeese, Southwestern Lousiana, Louisiana Tech, Texas Arlington, and Arkansas State. North Texas joined a couple of years later. There was a lot of excitement about the Lamar basketball and baseball teams back then with NCAA tournament wins. There was also excitement about the football team with a win over a ranked Baylor team in 1981.

At that time Sam Houston, SFA, and Southwest Texas were in the Division II Lone Star Conference and Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian were probably Division III or NAIA. I never would have dreamed that 30 years later, Lamar would not only still be in the Southland Conference but would be in a conference with Sam Houston, SFA, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, and Abilene Christian. Very discouraging, although Oral Roberts was a great addition to the conference.

I like the direction the Lamar basketball team and football team are going. I hope there is someone in the Lamar administration with the vision to move Lamar to a better athletic conference. Billy Tubbs seemed to be an advocate for a conference move but since he retired I'm not sure who at Lamar is taking up that charge.

[/quote]

I couldn't agree more with you what you said. Like I said in another thread, I think the SLC is going to 14 schools because they'll be losing a few teams in a year or two. I think Lamar and maybe SHSU are on the way out but who knows.
[/quote]

Where are we going?

I do hate that we've stood still for all these years. It isn't hard to see that we've pulled ourselves back up to being competitive in the SLC but now I'm afraid we will just tread water for a long time. I see the same thing happening on the academic front. :/

If we left I guess it would have to be for the sunbelt. The WAC is about to be a none football playing conference but I digress ACU AND INCW welcome to the conference.