Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - jekelish

#16
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 21, 2023, 07:00:20 AM
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 21, 2023, 01:07:50 AM
Are HPU and LeTourneau acceptable to the SCAC?

HPU makes a nice travel partner for McMurry.

I guess the question as much as acceptability would be can the SCAC easily deal with that many schools?  HPU brings a football team which would shore up the small numbers there (six if everyone who has committed to playing by 2026 actually does).  I could see the SCAC jumping on HPU for that reason alone.  For some reason I seem to remember discussion of LeTU being approached in the past but being happy to remain in the ASC; obviously that could change given the current climate.

My understanding is that that's exactly what happened. They were approached and said no thank you. Not sure they would still have a spot so they might well be kicking themselves right about now. Also been hearing some rumors that HPU is potentially on a financial precipice and could be in trouble in the coming years, so I think the SCAC might steer clear of that one as well, but who knows.
#17
Quote from: TheChucker on July 20, 2023, 12:13:53 PM
The LSC is such a massive conference for non-football sports already. I think UTD would be the 17th member after UFS leaves. If current ASC members are essentially forced into D2, would the LSC conference be too big? Any other LSC non-football schools moving out or up to D1?

For football, it sounds like the LSC would welcome more TX schools to replace the Pacific Northwest affiliates.

It's interesting you mention that, because I just heard a theory floated earlier today that some of the Baptist schools in the LSC might be thinking they can break off with the remaining ASC schools to create a new D2 conference in Texas, apart from the LSC.
#18
Quote from: UMHB03 on July 20, 2023, 11:21:35 AM
Quote from: jekelish on July 20, 2023, 11:06:32 AM
UTD to the Lone Star Conference is now official. I can honestly say I never expected them to actually make the jump. I have to assume the way the ASC is starting to fall apart changed the game for them.

https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx
It's looking more and more inevitable that UMHB and HSU will be joining them before long. It's the only option.

Yep, unless I'm missing something, and unless the new commissioner can pull a rabbit out of a hat with new teams, the ASC will be down to 5 schools in 2025, by my count? I feel like UTD bailing might have been the death blow.
#19
UTD to the Lone Star Conference is now official. I can honestly say I never expected them to actually make the jump. I have to assume the way the ASC is starting to fall apart changed the game for them.

https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx
#20
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 18, 2023, 02:03:57 PM
Southwestern announced the hiring of Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler, a native of Austin, Texas (Anderson), who played at Hendrix and has had several short assistant coaching stints, most recently last season at Randolph-Macon.

https://www.southwesternpirates.com/sports/w-baskbl/2022-23/releases/202307172r28dy

I feel so old. I remember watching her play for Hendrix.
#21
Quote from: Etchglow on July 13, 2023, 02:45:10 PM
Quote from: jekelish on July 13, 2023, 01:27:05 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 13, 2023, 12:35:37 PM
And coincidentally d3fbwest today made a post saying they estimate the chance of UT-D making the D2 leap at 90%.  They have a decent track record on this kind of story:  https://d3vbwest.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/another-going-to-dii/

It's funny, just saw that and also just heard from two people with some knowledge that this suddenly looks a lot more realistic. Nice of them to get this out there right after I posted what I had been hearing previously. Let me put on my tinfoil hat and increase my paranoia and assume they were just trying to spite me! Hahaha

It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you :D

They're always after me Lucky Charms...
#22
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 13, 2023, 12:35:37 PM
And coincidentally d3fbwest today made a post saying they estimate the chance of UT-D making the D2 leap at 90%.  They have a decent track record on this kind of story:  https://d3vbwest.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/another-going-to-dii/

It's funny, just saw that and also just heard from two people with some knowledge that this suddenly looks a lot more realistic. Nice of them to get this out there right after I posted what I had been hearing previously. Let me put on my tinfoil hat and increase my paranoia and assume they were just trying to spite me! Hahaha
#23
Quote from: justafan12 on July 12, 2023, 01:20:54 PM
UT Dallas made the announcement to move to DII but stopped after a process after a year or two.  I heard it was over facilities.  Their baseball and softball fields are right on top of each other.  Only saw their gym once; wasn't anything that caught my attention.  Seems like they had lots of tennis courts.  Not sure about anything else.

I also heard that the UT System wants all of their schools to be at least DII.  That is what prompted the move for UT Tyler.

I've heard the same about the UT system but I've also heard that UTD ever moving up from D3 is highly unlikely; while they have a strong athletics program as a whole, from what I've been told it's not a major priority for the university, given they've got, what... 30k students? And only around 300-350 athletes, or so? At most, given they don't have football? What I've been told is that they don't think the cost would be worth it to make the move, which is why they've been so resistant.
#24
Quote from: Etchglow on July 05, 2023, 04:37:14 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 05, 2023, 03:23:55 PM
I guess the question I would have like to see asked (and maybe Cory did but didn't get answered) is why the heck would you leave a cushy job with the Big 12 to lead a D3 conference with the challenges being faced by the ASC.

Yeah, gotta wonder about that honestly.  There wasn't much substance to me but this sort of stood out to me:

Quote
Flores: The remaining members have messaged me their commitment. I understand that some might be disingenuous, and I'd be foolish to think everything everyone says to the Commissioner is true. If it were, then the membership would never have changed. However, we need to have honest discussions and trust that each person is committed to moving forward. If something is to change, then we'll have to address it at that point. I don't want to go into this thinking everyone is being dishonest and ready to jump out of the ship.

Interesting enough that the bug that people might already be lying to him only two weeks into a job...  Otherwise, Would love to have him actually had some sort of a plan coming in instead of the whole "I'm going to tour everything this fall and then we'll make a plan", but maybe that's just me being an ASC homer and basically only having radio silence for as long as this stuff has been happening...

I don't blame him, honestly. Without going into details of how I know or who specifically was involved, I know *with certainty* that another conference was blatantly lied to by more than one school about their intentions within the last year. It happens, and I get why it happens, but it still sucks every time.
#25
Quote from: Ron Boerger on June 26, 2023, 04:06:31 PM
DCTF's Cory Hogue reports former ASC Commissioner Amy Carlton is headed to the LSC, where she will be Assistant Commissioner:  https://twitter.com/coryhoguesports/status/1673379651731836928

Interestingly the two conferences are co-located.

Co-located for now, but I've been told the ASC is looking for a new HQ. Congratulations to Amy, though. She's a lovely person, and I'm glad to see her land well. Especially given what a rough year it's been for her thus far.
#26
Quote from: Mavchamp on June 22, 2023, 07:05:05 PM

Good stuff.  Thanks!

IMHO.....the coalition of the "Baptist Four" seems pretty weak simply because two of them are national powers and the other two are middle of the road at best.  HPU has been mostly non competitive for the better part of two decades with mostly losing seasons.  ETBU is mired in mediocrity at (5-5) or (6-4) year after year.


If it weren't for this perceived (or real?) reluctance* of several conferences to add UMHB or HSU to their fold.... that makes the coalition of the "Baptist Four" pretty weak IMHO.   

If that reluctance wasn't present.... one would think building a new football ASC with those four would be enticing to other schools... at least from a geographical standpoint.   But those conferences/schools don't seem interested.....and new start up programs would probably not be interested in being their punching bag either.  Why hand over a conference over on a platter to UMHB and HSU when you can have a competitive conference that sees a different champion from year to year?

Obviously ETBU and HPU are nowhere near the same zip code in football competitiveness that UMHB and HSU are in....and neither are good candidates for D2.  It begs the question that maybe NAIA is the answer for one or both of them.

I don't know what the financials would be moving to scholarships in NAIA.  But having "local" rivals like Louisiana Christian, Texas College, SAGU, Texas Wesleyan, and Wayland from the Sooner Conference might make sense for ETBU and HPU. 

BUT.... that could be problematic too.  ETBU currently has 125+ men show up for football every year...most of them paying tuition.  If they move to NAIA and offer scholarships....even if it's just a few/limited.... do they lose a chunk of that 150-180 paying students?

But geographically....and in enrollment comparison....and endowment comparisons..... the Sooner Conference makes perfect sense.

But it would possibly make filling the non-conference portion of the schedule....esp with ex-ASC rivals.

I guess selfishly I'm hoping the SCAC and ETBU can work something out**........but I'm not opposed to the NAIA move either.

I know some people scream that NCAA D-3 is more appealing/prestigious than the NAIA....but outside of the D3 and/or NAIA circles.... can the average person even name who won the 2022 national championship from EITHER?  I doubt it.  So....if it doesn't matter.... why not make the jump?

As frustrated as I am with the leadership of the ASC in all of this to shore up the conference (not sure football can be saved at this point)..... I'm MORE frustrated with the seemingly inaction with ETBU's athletic administration.  ACT.....don't wait to REACT.

* I can tell you, it's definitely not perceived. It's very, very real. I can tell you with certainty, schools are trying to get away from UMHB and HSU. Who knows what will happen in the future, but it's definitely very real.

** My understanding here is that it's also highly unlikely that the SCAC would reach out to ETBU. Again, things can change. But the buzz I've heard is that, no, that's not gonna happen.
#27
FYI: Coach Cross has now been removed from the UST website, just to confirm that job is in fact open.
#28
My understanding is that St. Thomas is in the market for a new coach, too. I believe Coach Cross left to take a job at the high school level.
#29
Quote from: TheChucker on May 17, 2023, 11:48:53 AM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on May 17, 2023, 10:34:25 AM
Cory Hogue's take on the ASC situation is up in the latest texasfootball.com Blitz.

Thanks for the link. Just more speculation. The only new thing I saw was the speculation that TLU and Schreiner might consider a move to the ASC (I don't believe that). At some point, the conference leadership needs to voice their expectations. Maybe the individual schools have an idea of where it's all headed but no communications have been made? I wonder how this uncertainty impacts recruiting, if at all.

I don't believe it for a second either, especially when it comes to Schreiner. I suppose I could see TLU possibly making the jump, but I highly doubt that one, too. I know the SCAC ADs meeting is coming up soon, wonder what might come out of that.
#30
Quote from: TLU02SA on May 16, 2023, 03:35:00 PM
Quote from: TheChucker on May 16, 2023, 02:52:52 PM
My question is which of the remaining ASC schools would the SCAC court? My gut tells me Howard Payne and Letourneau are viewed as similar schools (though Letourneau is growing unlike most of the SCAC schools so maybe not), ETBU and Hardin Simmons would be on the bubble, while UMHB and UTD are completely non-starters.

That is a good question.  I suspect there will be discussions (if they have not already ocurred) with Howard Payne, ETBU and Hardin Simmons, and probably even UMHB. But what I expect is Lyons to move all their sports to the SCAC.  With Ozarks in the fold, that makes sense to me.

My expectation is that UMHB, HSU, UTD, and probably ETBU are nowhere in the conversation. UMHB especially, but the other three would also be extreme long shots from what I've heard. The only ones that might *possibly* be considered for expansion are LeTourneau and HPU, but my understanding is that those schools think they align better, from a religious/philosophical standpoint, with schools like ETBU, HSU, and UMHB, so I'd be a little surprised. LeTourneau feels like the highest likelihood but I'm not expecting it. Lyon becoming a full member will definitely at least be in the conversation.