UT-Rio Grande Valley to create football feasibility committee

[hebmskebm]

http://www.themonitor.com/news/utrgv-announces-football-feasibility-committee-as-process-moves-forward/article_f828d2b2-09d1-11e6-a0ec-0f940ef9d20c.html

For those not familiar with UT-RGV, they play in the barely-hanging-on-as-a-conference WAC, and like all WAC schools, are looking for stability for their athletics. The committee will be led by former Texas coach Mack Brown, so they sound like they're serious about starting a team. Question is would they be more interested in FCS or FBS? The newly combined university already has nearly 30,000 students, but very little athletic pedigree.

[BisonFan02]

The Southland could use its millionth member. :D

[DFW HOYA]

The Rio Grande Valley is an interesting case--300 miles from the nearest D-I school, a metro area of 1.3 million, yet no significant athletic tradition to speak of. The major counties of the region are 85-90% Hispanic, but football still opens doors in Texas and the school is largely invisible without it.

[dgtw]

You don't put Mack Brown in charge of the committee if you want an honest answer about the feasibility of football. Brown will be 65 this fall he could be their first coach.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Does anyone really seriously think an athletics search by a former Texas head football coach is going to end up with anything but a suggestion to offer FBS football?

[BisonFan02]

Does anyone really seriously think an athletics search by a former Texas head football coach is going to end up with anything but a suggestion to offer FBS football?

.....but where? Sunbelt?

[centennial]

To the Slumbelt they go. Everyone meet the new Georgia State.

[DFW HOYA]

Does anyone really seriously think an athletics search by a former Texas head football coach is going to end up with anything but a suggestion to offer FBS football?

Brown didn't leave coaching on his own, and he doesn't have any particular pull with the Orangebloods who are furious with the idea that private schools like TCU and Baylor are running roughshod over the Horns and that Texas A&M is now in the bright lights of the SEC. That having been said, he will get some calls returned that a nameless, faceless administrator never could--remember that this school didn't even exist two years ago.

With the looming financial cutbacks at places like Nicholls and Northwestern State, the Southland would be glad to add a school. Were RGV to become the next UTSA, it wouldn't be overnight. There is no stadium larger than 13,000 anywhere in the Valley--the largest is McAllen's Veterans Memorial Stadium where NDSU won two Division II championships before a combined attendance of 11,275.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K45EgmfeH7M/maxresdefault.jpg

[Thumper 76]

Does anyone really seriously think an athletics search by a former Texas head football coach is going to end up with anything but a suggestion to offer FBS football?

Suggesting is great, but they would need the invite. I don't think you pay to have Mack Brown to help to the feasibility study to say no to football. If bet they go FCS and hope for an offer, if one doesn't come immediately.

[SUUTbird]

FCS seems most likely as it would be easier to get a program up and running and then hope for an FBS invite from there.

[McNeese75]

The RGV is not known for producing stellar football talent. I grew up and played in that area and had a great time. BUT, once (if) you got out of the first round of playoffs you were up against the teams from San Antonio, Corpus, Austin, etc and the size difference in the players was pretty stark. Now that was back in the stone ages but even now you rarely hear about a Valley team making a deep run in the playoffs. My alma mater was undefeated a few years ago (8-0 I believe) and was ranked friggin 35th in the state in their division. Of course back in the stone ages when men were men LOL, the winner of a district was the only team to advance to the playoffs, not half the district.

I am sure a new stadium could be built but the other problem would be possibly ducking the 50 cal bullets coming from Matamoros like happened a few years ago in a shootout across the border.

This reeks of a thread hijack, sorry bout dat :D

[FormerPokeCenter]

UT-RGV used to be PanAmerican in Edinburg. They've been around forever....and they've had athletic programs for a long time...

Football would be interesting. They're 229 miles away from San Antonio....

They'd most likely hurt Texas A&I...er....A&M Kingsville, I mean...and they'd really hurt any aspirations that Tamu-Corpus Christi might have about starting football...

[Laker]

UT-RGV used to be PanAmerican in Edinburg. They've been around forever....and they've had athletic programs for a long time...

Football would be interesting. They're 229 miles away from San Antonio....

They'd most likely hurt Texas A&I...er....A&M Kingsville, I mean...and they'd really hurt any aspirations that Tamu-Corpus Christi might have about starting football...

I thought that TAMUCC promised to start football once they got accepted into the conference. I guess that promises don't mean much anymore.

[FormerPokeCenter]

TAMUCC would be the coolest place to play football in the country....right on your own little island.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22379&stc=1

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Two words: "storm surge"

[Twentysix]

Matamoros is a crazy city name. There is obviously no love lost lol.

[Laker]

Two words: "storm surge"

I was thinking tsunami- and it made me wonder why they never use the term "tidal wave" anymore.

[Laker]

Matamoros is a crazy city name. There is obviously no love lost lol.

I didn't know this:

Spanish: from Matamoros meaning 'killer of Moors', a title given to Spain's patron saint, St. James, in the Middle Ages (from matar 'to kill' + moros 'Moors'). According to legend, the saint appeared to a 9th-century Spanish king during a battle, and enabled him to massacre 60,000 Saracens.

[DFW HOYA]

They'd most likely hurt Texas A&I...er....A&M Kingsville, I mean...and they'd really hurt any aspirations that Tamu-Corpus Christi might have about starting football...

Not sure it would matter to football at TAMU-CC. The Aggies don't care what the UT regents do with their schools...

[Twentysix]

Yeah the city name is basically kill Muslims.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Pretty sure when UT-RGV joins the Southland everyone producing athletics segments for Southland TV will be crying.

"Four big matchups today in Nacogdoches, Abeline, Matamoros and Natchitoches this weekend..."

[FormerPokeCenter]

I know they'd never go for this...but...if they changed the name of the UT-RGV athletic teams to The Bandidos, the merch sales alone would fund pretty much everything about the University...

[UNIFanSince1983]

Man they got a location in South Padre Island. Looks like you wouldn't even have to leave to enjoy Spring Break.

[Bill]

I know this is any given Saturday, but why not start out at division III? There's travel involved no matter what level they pick...and at least they won't be paying money for scholarships...just a thought.

[dgtw]

I know this is any given Saturday, but why not start out at division III? There's travel involved no matter what level they pick...and at least they won't be paying money for scholarships...just a thought.

You can't be DIII in football and DI in everything else. They could apply for the Pioneer League if they wanted to do non-scholarship.

[Laker]

I know they'd never go for this...but...if they changed the name of the UT-RGV athletic teams to The Bandidos, the merch sales alone would fund pretty much everything about the University...

This could be their fan section t-shirt:

http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mATJO9Umu-BjeDW_fRbARvQ.jpg

[Bill]

You can't be DIII in football and DI in everything else. They could apply for the Pioneer League if they wanted to do non-scholarship.

Yes, you're obviously correct. I didn't do my research - I thought this was a newer school that was just starting their total athletic program from scratch. should have investigated before speaking!

[DFW HOYA]

I know they'd never go for this...but...if they changed the name of the UT-RGV athletic teams to The Bandidos, the merch sales alone would fund pretty much everything about the University...

That's tailor-made for some professor to get on MSNBC and cry for retribution. Even the name Vaqueros got pushback, but this being Texas and not California, it didn't go anywhere.

http://myleadernews.com/wp/2014/11/protests-against-vaquero-name-set-for-utb-utpa/