SLC Meetings - Expansion On Agenda

[TexasTerror]

The conference meetings are during the first week of June and there's several things of interest that I think we should keep our eyes on throughout the SLC...

Expansion - We obviously know what's going on there as we've seen which teams have applied and made presentations. Central Arkansas. UTPA. A&M-CC. Tarleton State. Centenary. Will we get an answer? Should be the biggest news at the SLC meetings, anything regarding this that is. We've been discussing this at length here on the ASG and the other boards that cover I-AA athletics and the SLC. Should be interesting to see what comes out when the Presidents and everyone gets together for these meetings.

Another issue, though not football-related...
BKB Mirror Scheduling - When women at home, men on the road. And vice-versa. Or will see have doubleheaders? I'm a proponent of doubleheaders. Simply put, no one will show up to womens' games (outside of maybe SFA and UTA) is they toss the doubleheaders for conference games. Travel is not an issue as most teams do not travel together, but it just makes womens' basketball more legit in my eyes. It may work in major conferences, but not in a conference like the SLC where WBKB is no where near strong.

Anyone else know what's on the agenda? More football-related stuff perhaps?

[arkstfan]

Another issue, though not football-related...
BKB Mirror Scheduling - When women at home, men on the road. And vice-versa. Or will see have doubleheaders? I'm a proponent of doubleheaders. Simply put, no one will show up to womens' games (outside of maybe SFA and UTA) is they toss the doubleheaders for conference games. Travel is not an issue as most teams do not travel together, but it just makes womens' basketball more legit in my eyes. It may work in major conferences, but not in a conference like the SLC where WBKB is no where near strong.


Doubleheaders create Title IX headaches over the equality of the times, access to games, etc.

Mirror scheduling has mostly worked well in the Sun Belt with one hitch. Rivalry games are a mess. Arkansas State has tried to get some relief from mirror scheduling, while Arkansas-Little Rock has been unwilling to accomodate. What has happened is that our fans have in the past taken over their gym in women's basketball and can split the crowd pretty effectively in men's hoops. We don't want our fans to have to choose between the men in one town and the women in the other on the same night, UALR does want our fans to choose.

Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky have similar issues. When its a choice between the team at home and the team on the road in Miami or Denton, TX its not an issue but when the two are playing within 2 hours of each other its a problem.

[TexasTerror]

The Commish really did not say much outside of saying that facts surrounding the meeting should be available in short time following the meeting..

http://southland.collegesports.com/ot/commish-diary-0605.html