FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

The Texas State Legislature has considered additional tuition subsidies for Angelo State and Sul Ross State, because the extra capacity at those 2 schools and the variable cost of adding students to fill that capacity at an economical price point is less expensive than building more capacity at a Texas A&M, a Texas State or some other campus.

A few years ago, I had imagined the ASC splitting into 8-team West and East conferences for all sports other than Football. 

U-Dallas left us for independent status after spring 2001.

In 2001, Texas Wesleyan in Ft Worth was joining in the East.

Texas Wesleyan moved from D2 thru the ASC into the NAIA as quickly as it could.

IMHO, UT-Tyler apparently filled a strategic need and was added in 2003.  (But they have the facilities that are more like D2.  And if they add football, they need to move to the Lone Star Conference.)

We heard of the possible move of Mississippi College to D2.  As one looks at the Gulf Coast Conference, it makes some geographic sense.

We now see the exploratory movement of UT-Permian Basin from the NAIA to the NCAA.

I would love to see 2 conferences to increase the AQ bids.  Experts say that we need about 20 schools to break into 2 conferences.  I don't see it happening anytime soon.  The more glaring weakness is on the east.  What schools might join the East?  What schools are ASC-like with 5 men's and 5 women's programs on the East?  SAGU in Waxahachie?  U-Dallas hasn't come back.  I don't see any schools in Arkansas coming to D3.  Or Louisiana.  Or Oklahoma.  Or Northwood Institute in the southwest Dallas county town of Cedar Hill?   Or College of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico which would need to add men's and women's basketball to join the West?   That is 5-7 years away!

[Josh Bowerman]

I've meant to provide some observations for you all from this past weekend's MAC game between Delaware Valley and Lycoming, but haven't been able to get to it before now.  Keep in mind these are only my opinions.  Here goes:

Lycoming
Look to be rebuilding.  Quarterback is a position that needs some seasoning.  Incumbent doesn't have a strong arm at all.  RB's and OL look to be decent size, but lacking in the same type of speed the ASC has.  WR's tall but suffer from QB play.

Defensively, the Warriors have good size up front and in the secondary, but are a bit undersized at the LB position.  Overall defensive team speed is lacking a bit, too.  FS #31 is a pretty good player and a tough competitor, though.


Delaware Valley
QB is not as good as folks in the East would like you to think.  Questionable decision-making and happy feet.  Arm is strong, but relies on arm strength too much.  Yardage seems to come as a result of the abundance of attempts he gets.  OL is quite possibly the biggest I've seen in DIII, but they seem to struggle executing their blocks sometimes.  RB's are about average size and speed-wise for DIII level, as are WR's.  Overall offensive team speed is average to below-average, IMO.

Defensively, the Aggies are aggressive and big up front.  DL and LB's are emotional and really fly around--though they're a touch on the slow side, too.  Secondary seemed to have decent quickness but is a bit undersized--and looked confused in coverage multiple times.  A better QB and WR combo would have been able to take much greater advantage of this than Lycoming did.

As far as on-field conduct goes, this seems to be a rather spirited and undisciplined bunch, as well.  Coaching staff seems to approve of the team's conduct, and urges it on.  I personally think DVC is accurately ranked somewhere between #7 and #13.

Again, my observations and opinions, but wanted to share since many of you all won't see anybody from outside of Texas/LA/MS until the playoffs.

[cgmatch]

Here is the write up for the LC-McMurry game this weekend on LC's website:

http://www.lacollege.edu/athletics/news/2005/2005-09/2005-09-29_football.html

[jmnaseum]

I do not see how SR can recruit anyone....Maybe some people like the isolated beauty that Alpine offers.

[Bill McCabe]

jmnaseum,  There was a time when Sul Ross was in the Lone Star Conference and they did very well recruiting.  I would think it would be easier if they gave scholarships to get players to come to Alpine.  It is beautiful, but you can't get there from anywhere.

[proudmcmdad]

I am very impressed with the LC writeup on their game with McM.  Their description of McM's team is very accurate.  The SID/AD for LC did A OK (is that enough abbreviations.

[Ron Boerger]

jmnaseum,  There was a time when Sul Ross was in the Lone Star Conference and they did very well recruiting.  I would think it would be easier if they gave scholarships to get players to come to Alpine.  It is beautiful, but you can't get there from anywhere.

It would be easier, but it would not be Division III  

[Bill McCabe]

Ron, how true. 

[Ralph Turner]

Which is why SRSU has been a member of this conference since its formation as the non-scholarship TIAA in 1976, along with McMurry, Austin College, Tarleton State and Trinity.

The ASC in 1976 is the TIAA, D2 Mississippi College, Lone Star Conference (NAIA-1) Howard Payne (in a decade when the LSC won NAIA-1 1969, '70, '72-'79), Texas Lutheran, who was NAIA-2 National Champs in 1974 and 1975 and non-football playing HSU, ETBU, UMHB and Louisiana College.

[Josh Bowerman]

WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?

I haven't posted in over a day and I've dropped four karma points!

F whoever is doing that #@&$!   

[Ralph Turner]

I found an NCAA Record Book notation that lists the dates that football was added dropped or resumed since 1950.


http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/football_records_book/2002/451-453a.pdf

[baddog]

Josh -- There.  Feel better?

[Toby Taff]

The nice thing, and I suppose the bad thing, about karma points is that when they change, they change on all posts.

Sorry for your loss Josh.

[Ralph Turner]

I found this old ASC web site that has the 1997 season on it.

Look who everyone is playing!

The Georgetown that MC played is NAIA in Kentucky.

And yes, SRSU played HSU, McM and HPU twice that year.

http://www.mcm.edu/asc/Football/97season.htm

[cgmatch]

Here is the articel that appeared in The Town Talk this morning about the LC-McMurry game:


http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/SPORTS/510010355/1006