Lindenwood to join the OVC

[WestCoastAggie]

https://youtu.be/nQNxt5RJ__s

[ColonialInsider]

Here is something more official, though I'm not sure the video was supposed to be public yet. Official announcement later today.

https://youtu.be/Kcr19v69VKk

[ElCid]

Interesting. Not sure I have even heard of them and I was stationed outside of St Louis. But they are a good size school with over 6K undergrads. Looks like it was a long term strategy considering their movement through NAIA to NCAA.

[FUBeAR]

Interesting. Not sure I have even heard of them and I was stationed outside of St Louis. But they are a good size school with over 6K undergrads. Looks like it was a long term strategy considering their movement through NAIA to NCAA.
FUBeAR used to work for a company focused on current & former Student-Athletes and their Careers. We had schools in our portfolio from P5 to D3…and Lindenwood had the largest population of Student Athletes in the system. They sponsor almost 30 sports. They are INTO sports there! May be a great add to FCS.

[wapiti]

Seeing their move from NAIA to NCAA 2 it made me think...

Which division has the better football product, NAIA or Div 2??? I think it would be interesting to see the NC from each league play each other. I would guess it would be even.
The two leagues are fairly equal in their sport products quality.

[Mocs123]

In my (very limited) experience D2 is far superior to NAIA, though perhaps it's not like that everywhere.

[Laker]

Seeing their move from NAIA to NCAA 2 it made me think...

Which division has the better football product, NAIA or Div 2??? I think it would be interesting to see the NC from each league play each other. I would guess it would be even.
The two leagues are fairly equal in their sport products quality.

I've seen hundreds of D2 games. Maybe dozens of NAIA games (MN has none). Football- Morningside, Grand View could probably play with the big boys. Some of the basketball teams could too. Top to bottom D2 is better.

[FUBeAR]

In my (very limited) experience D2 is far superior to NAIA, though perhaps it's not like that everywhere.
Dunno…but be careful not to disparage FUBeAR’s Reinhardt Eagles as you pursue this line of thinking.

[JALMOND]

Seeing their move from NAIA to NCAA 2 it made me think...

Which division has the better football product, NAIA or Div 2??? I think it would be interesting to see the NC from each league play each other. I would guess it would be even.
The two leagues are fairly equal in their sport products quality.


Back in the day when I was at Rocky Mountain College (NAIA-Frontier Conference), when people asked us about affiliation that is comparable to the NCAA, we always said we were between DII and DIII. NAIA should be expected to beat any DIII, and not really win against DII.

[BS50]

Back in the day when I was at Rocky Mountain College (NAIA-Frontier Conference), when people asked us about affiliation that is comparable to the NCAA, we always said we were between DII and DIII. NAIA should be expected to beat any DIII, and not really win against DII.

Good a time as any to make my first post I guess. I've been following Lindenwood for 2 decades now, so I'm pretty familiar with the differences in divisions.

From an aggregate perspective, putting NAIA in between D2 and D3 is probably accurate. However quality of teams vary wildly in the NAIA because of the rules and enforcement (or lack of). Some NAIA institutions have a knack of getting guys on the field that the NCAA has shunned. A few of those FBS level guys playing at that level really stick out and make a difference. Sometimes it looks like a star senior playing on their schools JV team.

The top NAIA teams can hang with most of the top 25 in D2 in most years. This year, Morningside (NAIA champ) would get run off the field by Ferris State (D2 champ). The difference, as is the case with most divisional comparisons is line talent and depth. Good NAIA will compete well and beat good D2 in one off games. Over the course of a full season, the top 5 of the NAIA probably finish just inside the top 25 of D2.

Not a clear cut answer, but it changes quickly in the NAIA.

[OhioHen]

Good a time as any to make my first post I guess. I've been following Lindenwood for 2 decades now, so I'm pretty familiar with the differences in divisions.

From an aggregate perspective, putting NAIA in between D2 and D3 is probably accurate. However quality of teams vary wildly in the NAIA because of the rules and enforcement (or lack of). Some NAIA institutions have a knack of getting guys on the field that the NCAA has shunned. A few of those FBS level guys playing at that level really stick out and make a difference. Sometimes it looks like a star senior playing on their schools JV team.

The top NAIA teams can hang with most of the top 25 in D2 in most years. This year, Morningside (NAIA champ) would get run off the field by Ferris State (D2 champ). The difference, as is the case with most divisional comparisons is line talent and depth. Good NAIA will compete well and beat good D2 in one off games. Over the course of a full season, the top 5 of the NAIA probably finish just inside the top 25 of D2.

Not a clear cut answer, but it changes quickly in the NAIA.

We have our first Lindenwood fan!!!

Welcome to the Forums and thanks for your perspective.

[Baron Sardonicus]

How fast will they get to 63 scholarships?

[BS50]

How fast will they get to 63 scholarships?

Immediately

Edit: they'll have them to offer immediately. Getting them filled will take a minute obviously, but they'll be ready to roll out of the gate.

[BS50]

We have our first Lindenwood fan!!!

Welcome to the Forums and thanks for your perspective.

Thanks....

Been doing the message board thing supporting Lindenwood since 04 on the NAIA forums. Moving on up!

[Hammerhead]

Didn't the conference that includes MSU-Moorhead, SW Minnesota State and others move "up" to NCAA Division II from NAIA Division I? That was probably around the time scholarships for D-II football dropped.


I've seen hundreds of D2 games. Maybe dozens of NAIA games (MN has none). Football- Morningside, Grand View could probably play with the big boys. Some of the basketball teams could too. Top to bottom D2 is better.

[Laker]

Didn't the conference that includes MSU-Moorhead, SW Minnesota State and others move "up" to NCAA Division II from NAIA Division I? That was probably around the time scholarships for D-II football dropped.

MSU joined the NCC back when I was an undergrad, then dropped out due to football, then got back in again. The timeline for D2 isn't as easy to define.

North Central Conference - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Central_Conference)

NCAA Division II - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_II)

[BisonFan02]

I went to Jamestown back when it was in the old DAC10....they are in the GPAC now. Their football is a hot mess.....men's bball is pretty good yet. I would put their baseball against some even at the D1 level though.....they would give NDSU all they can handle.

[Libertine]

Immediately

Edit: they'll have them to offer immediately. Getting them filled will take a minute obviously, but they'll be ready to roll out of the gate.

This may sound counterintuitive but filling out that 63 by offering them to incoming freshmen is actually not the best plan because it swamps your roster with freshmen. This diminishes the team's experience level and many won't make the two-deep so there's a better than average chance that those will turn around and transfer out in 1-2 years which could cause an APR problem. Also, those that stay will graduate en masse in 4-5 years meaning that you'll have a really experienced team with 35-ish seniors in Year 4 and a wildly inexperienced and inconsistent team in Year 5.

You're almost better off hitting the transfer market as well as giving some -- not all, obviously -- of the new scholarships to your less athletic but more academically successful players. That will help get to you counter status for $$ games at a quick pace but also keep your roster classes from being wildly unbalanced.

[atthewbon]

They played South Dakota st this past year. Seems like a solid addition to the OVC and the FCS. I hadn't heard of them beforehand but a quick google search shows they are the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River which is pretty interesting

[dgtw]

They could also hit up juco grads for older experienced players.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JALMOND]

I went to Jamestown back when it was in the old DAC10....they are in the GPAC now. Their football is a hot mess.....men's bball is pretty good yet. I would put their baseball against some even at the D1 level though.....they would give NDSU all they can handle.

It seemed strange to me that Jamestown did not join the rest of the NAIA North Dakota schools in the North Star. I know why they did it, with the GPAC usually rated as near the top of NAIA in football and the North Star near the bottom, but it still seemed odd to me.

[WestCoastAggie]

TSU may be out the door.

[ASU33]

TSU may be out the door.

Seems like that's a strong possibility

[SDFS]

What are the potential landing spots for TSU?

[WestCoastAggie]

What are the potential landing spots for TSU?

The SWAC.

[Mike296]

With the SWAC having added Bethune Cookman and FAMU would they even think about adding another school like TSU without at least giving them a travel partner of sorts? TSU would have to Fly to everyone I’d think and I don’t think that would be advantageous to the SWAC’s travel budgets that are already stretched from Texas to Florida. UAPB I think is the closest SWAC school to TSU(correct me if I’m wrong)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ASU33]

With the SWAC having added Bethune Cookman and FAMU would they even think about adding another school like TSU without at least giving them a travel partner of sorts? TSU would have to Fly to everyone I’d think and I don’t think that would be advantageous to the SWAC’s travel budgets that are already stretched from Texas to Florida. UAPB I think is the closest SWAC school to TSU(correct me if I’m wrong)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Alabama A&M is the closest SWAC school to Tennessee State. Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State are both closer to Tennessee State than UAPB. Under the current set up schools rarely travel cross conference and if they do it's only once or twice.

[BisonFan02]

It seemed strange to me that Jamestown did not join the rest of the NAIA North Dakota schools in the North Star. I know why they did it, with the GPAC usually rated as near the top of NAIA in football and the North Star near the bottom, but it still seemed odd to me.

Peer schools in the GPAC....the north star is a train wreck

[Ridge1982]

I'm also a Lindenwood fan and am pretty excited about the move. I hope they, along with Mizzou, can help fill the void that was left behind by the Rams. We used to be the only metro in the top 50 with no pro football or division 1 football closer than 2 hours away. No more. I hope they're able to use the TWA/Edward Jones Dome for special OOC games.

Harlen C. Hunter Stadium was originally the St. Louis Football Cardinals' training facility from 1976-81 and later the Rams in 2000; 2009-12.

[Ridge1982]

...and they're the first D1 school to have football at the D1 level in the STL MSA since Saint Louis University last had it in 1949. SLU invented the forward pass in the 1900's.

[Ridge1982]

Interesting. Not sure I have even heard of them and I was stationed outside of St Louis. But they are a good size school with over 6K undergrads. Looks like it was a long term strategy considering their movement through NAIA to NCAA.
They're in St. Charles. Were you at Scott AFB ?

[ElCid]

They're in St. Charles. Were you at Scott AFB ?

Yup. Four years at AMC Headquarters. Nice area. It was during the height of the McGuire craze in late 90s. Didn't get over the river a huge amount, but some.

[Ridge1982]

I miss the STL area sometimes. Particularly that part of it.

[BS50]

Yup. Four years at AMC Headquarters. Nice area. It was during the height of the McGuire craze in late 90s. Didn't get over the river a huge amount, but some.

That was when I was at Lindenwood as a student athlete. They had only had football for about 10 years at that point. Bounced around the NAIA as an independent, AMC, then finally the HAAC where they stayed until 2012 when they moved to the MIAA in D2.

[Ridge1982]

Woah
https://lindenlink.com/176174/sports/wachler-out-as-vice-president-of-intercollegiate-athletics/

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Woah
https://lindenlink.com/176174/sports/wachler-out-as-vice-president-of-intercollegiate-athletics/

This doesn't seem good.

[ElCid]

This doesn't seem good.

Or they might have decided on an experienced Div I AD. Might not be bad.

[Ridge1982]

Or they might have decided on an experienced Div I AD. Might not be bad.
Hope so.

[Go...gate]

I see they are going Division I in hockey, too. Good news; the more the merrier!

[Ridge1982]

I see they are going Division I in hockey, too. Good news; the more the merrier!
The women’s program has been D1 for 11 years. Only the men’s team remains in club status and pending the completion of fundraising the university will add them to the NCAA side of the athletic department…a department that’s one of the largest in the country. Then they would need to find a conference that would take them.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

This isn't good. This wasn't a planned resignation; this was a sudden Friday afternoon news dump a couple weeks after the guy was front and center for the biggest move in school history.

[Libertine]

This isn't good. This wasn't a planned resignation; this was a sudden Friday afternoon news dump a couple weeks after the guy was front and center for the biggest move in school history.

Interesting. Lindenwood bio page is already 404 and his school-related Twitter account (@Lindenwood_AD) has been already deleted. The last tweet there was identical to one posted from his personal account (@BradWachler):

It is bittersweet to announce that I stepped down from my position at Lindenwood University today. I am so proud of what our team accomplished over the last 6 years, culminating with a monumental announcement of an NCAA DI transition. I am excited for the next opportunity.

Identical statement posted to his personal Facebook account late Saturday night. No explanation, comment or additional detail on any of them.

Very suspicious. Seems like Lindenwood is burning the boat that brought them and he's either OK with that or obligated (read: NDA) to let them.

[bonarae]

Looks like the NCAA should be brought in and penalize Lindenwood for their handling of Wachler?

Or I think Wachler will sue the school soon.

[BS50]

Looks like the NCAA should be brought in and penalize Lindenwood for their handling of Wachler?

Or I think Wachler will sue the school soon.

I'm not following you on this. What authority would the NCAA have to penalize Lindenwood for how this went down? Follow up: If they do have that authority, why/how are you concluding that Lindenwood did something here worth penalizing?

Regarding the litigation.... Missouri is an "at will" state. Employers can fire without cause.

[ElCid]

I'm not following you on this. What authority would the NCAA have to penalize Lindenwood for how this went down? Follow up: If they do have that authority, why/how are you concluding that Lindenwood did something here worth penalizing?

Regarding the litigation.... Missouri is an "at will" state. Employers can fire without cause.

Yeah I was wondering that. NCAA has zero authority in a matter such as this. And we don't even know what the real situation is. Just speculation.

[Ridge1982]

Wachler speaks
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2022/03/15_Former-Lindenwood-AD-Clears.php

[Libertine]

Wachler speaks
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2022/03/15_Former-Lindenwood-AD-Clears.php

I'm still not buying that everything's kosher here. It's certainly not NCAA investigation-worthy (seriously??) but, to date, this (https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2022/3/11/general-lindenwood-announces-athletics-leadership-change.aspx)is the entirety of Lindenwood's official word on Brad Wachler leaving the university:


Lindenwood University President, Dr. John Porter, announced on Friday that Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler has left the University.

If this was truly voluntary on Wachler's part and the split was really amicable, Lindenwood would have been far better served by raising money for a quality Media Relations department as opposed to hockey. By any metric, the university's flat out ignoring -- other than the above single terse sentence consisting of fewer words than the average Amazon shipping notification -- the departure of the guy who oversaw the single most important development effort in school athletic history is a bad, bad look.

[BS50]

3 months later and Lindenwood has their new AD to lead them into Division 1.

https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2022/6/6/Jason_Coomer_Named_Vice_President_for_Intercollegi ate_Athletics.aspx

Jason Coomer, former deputy AD from just across the river at SIU-Edwardsville. Coomer was there to help navigate SIUE's transition into D1 about 10 years ago. From all accounts, it looks like LU landed a good one here. Folks that I've talked to in the know seem to be pretty excited as well.

[FUBeAR]

3 months later and Lindenwood has their new AD to lead them into Division 1.

https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2022/6/6/Jason_Coomer_Named_Vice_President_for_Intercollegi ate_Athletics.aspx

Jason Coomer, former deputy AD from just across the river at SIU-Edwardsville. Coomer was there to help navigate SIUE's transition into D1 about 10 years ago. From all accounts, it looks like LU landed a good one here. Folks that I've talked to in the know seem to be pretty excited as well.
May be great.

No Football experience (not counting the 1 year, 20 years ago at Ohio State). That would concern FUBeAR.

[BS50]

May be great.

No Football experience (not counting the 1 year, 20 years ago at Ohio State). That would concern FUBeAR.

I won't lie, it would've been more comforting to nab someone with some D1 football experience, but landing the right leader is more important. You have to find the right balance between leadership ability and experience. John Porter, current president for LU was a VP at IBM prior to his current role. He's been outstanding so far. The president he replaced, Michael Shonrock came from Emporia State as their president. He was unceremoniously ousted by the board with no warning. No specifics were given on why, but in just a few years he cemented himself as one of the most unpopular characters in LU history.

Anyways..... time will tell. Super excited by the move!

[Ridge1982]

Yeah, we didn’t expect a Joe Castiglione and he has experience in transitioning from the lower levels to D1. There’s more to this than football.

[Ridge1982]

Jason Coomer, the new VP of intercollegiate athletics, was on a local radio talk show this morning.

7-27 Segment 1 Coomer

https://590thefan.com/radio-shows/high-noon/

[Ridge1982]

https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2022/8/1/football-coaching-staff-set-for-2022.aspx

[Ridge1982]

https://mobile.twitter.com/LU_Lions/status/1554628349099737089

[Libertine]

https://mobile.twitter.com/LU_Lions/status/1554628349099737089

That probably looks pretty good. Kind of hard to tell in the dark though. ;)

[Ridge1982]

That probably looks pretty good. Kind of hard to tell in the dark though. ;)
https://mobile.twitter.com/LindenwoodFB/status/1559028252655734785

[Libertine]

https://mobile.twitter.com/LindenwoodFB/status/1559028252655734785

I stand corrected. That looks VERY good.

[Ridge1982]

Coach Jed Stugart and AD Coomer on the radio
https://mobile.twitter.com/LU_Lions/status/1562502257064935424

[Ridge1982]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0w5EladBKo

[Ridge1982]

https://www.scoopswithdannymac.com/inside-the-lines-lindenwood-university-athletics-august-31-2022/

[Ridge1982]

https://mobile.twitter.com/CoomerJason/status/1565699027437592576

[Ridge1982]

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/quarterback-cade-brister-leads-lindenwood-football-into-new-era/article_4c7b5b20-70f8-5c94-a060-be4a54d6e6f7.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_STL_SportsNews

Lindenwood University football coach Jed Stugart was just days into making the move from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota to St. Charles when a coaching friend mentioned quarterback prospect Cade Brister.

And the more he heard, the more the coach liked.


A two-way standout at nearby Fort Zumwalt North High, Brister earned Post-Dispatch All-Metro honors following both his junior and senior seasons. He led the Panthers to the Class 5 title game as a senior in 2016, playing the final few games of that season with a torn ACL.


That fall, Brister ran for better than 2,000 yards and led the St. Louis area with 44 rushing touchdowns. He also threw for nearly 1,500 yards and had 13 TD passes. On defense, he had 71 tackles and 10 interceptions.


“The more I heard about Cade, the more I wanted him,’’ Stugart recalled.

The Lions won the recruiting battle and have been on an upward surge ever since. They closed out their final seasons at the NCAA D-II level with back-to-back undefeated conference championships and a pair of playoff appearances. This fall, in Brister’s final college season, Lindenwood makes the step up to compete as part of the Ohio Valley Conference in the Football College Subdivision.


The Lions will play a mixed schedule this fall. They’ll open the season 6 p.m. Saturday at FCS rival Houston Baptist and will compete in the OVC against Tennessee Martin, Southeast Missouri, Eastern Illinois, Murray State and Tennessee State. The 10-game slate also includes games against former Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals William Jewell and McKendree and a game against Keiser (Fla.), a top-10 NAIA squad.


Lindenwood’s move to Division I wasn’t announced until late February.


“We had to scramble a little bit, but now we’re ready for the football season,’’ Stugart said, noting that the Lions took on FCS squads Eastern Washington in 2019 and South Dakota State last fall as part of their non-league schedule. “We’ve always prided ourselves on recruiting D-I-level athletes, but we definitely stepped it up to prepare for this season.”


In his career with the Lions, Brister, 23, has thrown for nearly 8,000 yards and 70 touchdowns while rushing for more than 1,400 yards and 20 TDs. He was the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and was on track for more postseason honors a year ago when he suffered a season-ending leg injury in a Week 7 win at the University of Indianapolis.




“I’d never been hurt and unable to play, so it was a tough time for me,’’ Brister recalled. “But my teammates were there for me.”


And so were the Lindenwood coaches, who looked to Brister as a key resource for fellow quarterbacks Cole Dugger and Alex Faddoul late last season. Brister enjoyed the experience enough to have discussions with Stugart about the possibility of joining the Lindenwood staff at some point in the future.


“Coaching is definitely something that interests me and I’d love to be able to do it here at Lindenwood,’’ said Brister, the first four-year captain in Stugart’s coaching career. Brister graduated last December with a degree in history and education and he's currently working toward a master’s in leadership, administration and education.


“After getting hurt, Cade was definitely a little more grumpy than usual,’’ Stugart joked. “But he put that aside and did everything he could to help his team move forward. We’ll do everything we can to keep him here, but after talking with some of the pro scouts who’ve watched us practice, I’m not so sure Cade’s playing days are over.”




Brister, who stands 6 feet and weighs 220 pounds, is excited about the challenge of stepping up in competition this season.


“There’s more pressure obviously, but I feel like with our team and our culture we can find a way to deal with that,’’ he said.


Brister was joined on the preseason All-OVC squad by safety Kai Ross, who finished last season with 64 tackles and a team-best six interceptions. Named as a newcomer to watch was wideout Kobe Smith, a 6-foot-2 transfer from San Diego State. In 2019, Smith enjoyed his best collegiate season in 2019, when he caught 58 passes for 691 yards and four touchdowns.


Other key returnees include wideout Payton Rose (45 catches, 707 yards, 9 TDs) and offensive line anchor Blake Rogenhofer (Ritenour) on offense. On defense, where the squad is less experienced, key leaders include safety Lloyd Lockett and defensive lineman Moses Ale.


“Our players understand the step up, and they’ve responded well to it,’’ Stugart said. “At this point, because of experience, the offense is leading the way. But the guys on defense are working hard and they’re getting better every day.”




Tennessee Martin, which was ranked 15th to start the season, was picked ahead of SEMO, Murray State, Tennessee State, Eastern Illinois and Lindenwood in the OVC preseason vote.

[Ridge1982]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FcEi9-AXgAQEiQO?format=jpg&name=medium
https://twitter.com/stugfb/status/1567572597407088641

[Ridge1982]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc1p3525sy0

[Ridge1982]

Harlen Hunter Stadium through the years
Training facility of the NFL St. Louis Cardinals (1976-1981)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FcD0G4xWYAAAD_V?format=jpg&name=largehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/FcD0G4aX0AAI_BB?format=jpg&name=large

[Ridge1982]

St. Louis Rams, 2000, 2009-15
https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/600x600/1544107_tKVD0ZC1hgU_rf_k_F2Y0UwqoVjsKNcvSzrG7SECey s.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/RamsatLU8710.jpg/220px-RamsatLU8710.jpg

[Ridge1982]

Pierre Desir
https://www.si.com/.image/ar_4:3%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_aut o:good%2Cw_1200/MTY4MTk5NjA1ODg1MjE2NjQx/pierre-desir-lindenwood-senior-bowl-cornerback-defensive-sleepersjpg.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

Jonathan Harris
https://static.hudl.com/users/temp/4039332_4fdcd7fb94fc498e8780bb386b41a4ce.JPG

[BS50]

So cool seeing those historic photos. I got to LU in 98, and it wasn't that much better than those original STL football cardinal photos. The school started investing with renovations in the early 2000's, so I've got to witness the glow up first hand. It's a beautiful stadium to take in a game and the school has been serious about creating a fun lively game day atmosphere.

I think I might cry when I see the video board in person, no lie.

[UNHWildcat18]

Looks great!

[Ridge1982]

For the first time since November 24, 1949 when the Billikens lost to the Houston Cougars at long gone Walsh Stadium (present day site of the relatively new science center), a STL area team will play a Division I football game. Elizabeth was three years away from becoming the queen.

[Ridge1982]

Porter and the curators give off a vibe that they give a damn about sports because, contrary to popular belief, they pay the bills and put your institution in the national spotlight.

It'll only get better from here: https://universitybusiness.com/are-these-the-50-best-small-college-areas-to-live-and-study-in-the-u-s/

[Ridge1982]

Looks great!
Thanks !

[Ridge1982]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O68q2PqkTK0

[Ridge1982]

https://www.101espn.com/episode/lindenwood-hc-jed-stugart/

[BS50]

Pretty cool to see the buzz around town. After the performance Mizzou had against K-State, I saw a few folks on twitter move their allegiances to St. Charles lololol...

[BS50]

Lindenwood vs Kieser (NAIA) Thoughts
When I first saw this on the schedule I was a little confused. But given that the coaching staff had a few months to put together a schedule when the move was announced in February, it made more sense. Because we’re barely 10 seasons out from when LU was playing in the NAIA, I know all too well how much of a crap shoot playing an NAIA team can be. Defunct FBS talent has a funny way of unexpectedly popping up on NAIA rosters (any LU fans remember Jamere Holland?!).
Keiser seems to at least be a high-quality NAIA team. They gave Valdosta State, a perennial D2 power a scare. Although it looks like VSU might be struggling a little this year with their latest loss to Virginia Union.
Truth be told, considering the hype in the STL around the LU football team right now, I think it’s most important to put on a good show with a W than anything else. Outside of the two D2 schools on our schedule, this is probably our only other real great shot at a win.
I hope to see the passing game get into a better rhythm than what was shown last Saturday. We looked great on the short and medium stuff, but missed on every single deep attempt badly. Hope to see us continue to open up holes for G-mo and Martin, and looking forward to seeing even more out of our defensive front who impressed last game with their sideline to sideline pursuit and pressure on the QB.
Looking forward to a great atmosphere on Saturday! GO LIONS!

[Ridge1982]

Pretty cool to see the buzz around town. After the performance Mizzou had against K-State, I saw a few folks on twitter move their allegiances to St. Charles lololol...
Can’t blame them. I’m also a Mizzou fan and almost at my wits end with them. Drinkwitz should’ve stuck with the “ I screwed up it’s on me” line and moved on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s shown the door. This program can’t afford to have another 1984-96 run of terrible football.

[Ridge1982]

I would like to see LU schedule a H-H with WashU in the future. How cool would it be to see a televised game at Francis Olympic Field ?

[BS50]

I would like to see LU schedule a H-H with WashU in the future. How cool would it be to see a televised game at Francis Olympic Field ?

D3 Wash U?

It might be cool to get their product on display in the heart of the city, but from a competition stand point I don't see it as being beneficial for either team.

[Libertine]

D3 Wash U?

It might be cool to get their product on display in the heart of the city, but from a competition stand point I don't see it as being beneficial for either team.

Yeah, you're schollie D1 now. You do NOT want to be playing H&H with a D3, much less televising it. That sends the wrong message entirely.

[Ridge1982]

Well, I stand corrected. They can play at St. Chuck once a decade then.

[Ridge1982]

Receiving votes already
https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2022/9/19/football-receiving-votes-in-latest-fcs-poll.aspx

[Libertine]

Lindenwood is going to make a little noise in the FCS here the next couple years. They have a nice setup and "jumping up" is a great recruiting sell.

Now, is it sustainable? Absolutely not in the OVC but it should be a fun ride for Lions fans in the meantime.

[Ridge1982]

I believe they have the largest athletic budget in the OVC and most definitely the largest market in the conference. They can use those including their fertile recruiting base to do more than win it in the future.

[BS50]

Lindenwood is going to make a little noise in the FCS here the next couple years. They have a nice setup and "jumping up" is a great recruiting sell.

Now, is it sustainable? Absolutely not in the OVC but it should be a fun ride for Lions fans in the meantime.

New to the FCS, why isn't it sustainable in the OVC?

Also, rumors are that the OVC could be adding an additional large metro area school in the University of Indianapolis. Would that possible change the trajectory of OVC football?

[Libertine]

New to the FCS, why isn't it sustainable in the OVC?

First, because the OVC membership isn't stable enough. Conference re-alignment and re-shuffling over the years between the OVC, the Pioneer, the Missouri Valley and the A-Sun has basically turned the OVC into a giant game of membership musical chairs where there's always an extra chair or two left over. This then creates an environment where the competition level within the conference isn't consistent enough to build on long-term. This is the exact same problem that has plagued the Big South since, well, forever. Eventually, programs that might otherwise have built-in competitive advantages over their peers can't maintain their upward momentum and find themselves getting dragged back down toward the mean so they either choose to accept the year-in, year-out fluctuations between promise and mediocrity or they choose to move on.

Don't get me wrong. The OVC is a perfectly fine gateway to D1 for Lindenwood and can be an excellent stepping stone to bigger and better things. Just ask Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, AP, Middle Tennessee, Youngstown, Jacksonville State, Samford, Murray State and Belmont.

[Ridge1982]

New to the FCS, why isn't it sustainable in the OVC?

Also, rumors are that the OVC could be adding an additional large metro area school in the University of Indianapolis. Would that possible change the trajectory of OVC football?
Not to mention there have been rumblings of a possible OVC Big South merger.

[Ridge1982]

Don't get me wrong. The OVC is a perfectly fine gateway to D1 for Lindenwood and can be an excellent stepping stone to bigger and better things. Just ask Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, AP, Middle Tennessee, Youngstown, Jacksonville State, Samford, Murray State and Belmont.

Knowing the history of the program and athletic department as a whole, a transition to FBS in a decade or two or maybe sooner wouldn’t be surprising.

[BS50]

Knowing the history of the program and athletic department as a whole, a transition to FBS in a decade or two or maybe sooner wouldn’t be surprising.

I'm not saying that won't ever happen, but I'm 42 y/o and I don't think it would in my lifetime. D1 was the goal from a university standpoint since the late 90's early 2000's.
They would need to MASSIVELY grow the football program support to even think about something like a jump to FBS. That will probably take at least a generation's worth of sewing support into the STL community.

[Ridge1982]

Making an FCS championship game or knocking off a ranked FBS program would do wonders for the program and the STL community. No other Missouri football program, nor the Illini, have made it to nor won a D1 football title. Only Mizzou has come close to playing for it twice in their history. If LU does that, then they’ll change the landscape forever.

[Ridge1982]

Here’s another photo from around the early 90’s
https://www.anygivensaturday.com/blob:https://www.anygivensaturday.com/4328f1eb-5b82-4bec-ae6e-2cf7e41309d7https://www.anygivensaturday.com/blob:https://www.anygivensaturday.com/3c46e8e0-0eb9-45e6-af18-622524def95ehttps://mobile.twitter.com/Go2LindenwoodU/status/847802814499827713

[BS50]

Here’s another photo from around the early 90’s
https://www.anygivensaturday.com/blob:https://www.anygivensaturday.com/4328f1eb-5b82-4bec-ae6e-2cf7e41309d7https://www.anygivensaturday.com/blob:https://www.anygivensaturday.com/3c46e8e0-0eb9-45e6-af18-622524def95ehttps://mobile.twitter.com/Go2LindenwoodU/status/847802814499827713

Why do the gotta make this photos black and white as if we didn't have color photos back in my day?!

[Ridge1982]

Oh they had both lol

[Ridge1982]

Tomorrow
https://mobile.twitter.com/LU_Lions/status/1575908619408662529

[Ridge1982]

https://mobile.twitter.com/SEMORedhawks/status/1575909597285695490

[Ridge1982]

LU, -18.5 underdog
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/lindenwood-vs-semo-football-betting-line-over-under-point-spread/article_a1745756-4783-5246-a4cc-4a87177606ed.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_STL_SportsNews

[Ridge1982]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8SwkfcLCrQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A %2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&featur e=emb_title