A&M-CC Joins SLC - Football Next?

[TexasTerror]

Well they are in and will join pretty quickly. Question remains, will football be added? UCA should be announcing their joining soon, I figure...
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Southland Conference Extends Membership Invitation to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Islanders set to join league in 2006-07 academic year.

Sept. 7, 2005

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Southland Conference Board of Directors has extended an invitation of full membership to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, effective July 1, 2006.

Board chairman Dr. Randy Moffett, president of Southeastern Louisiana University, made the announcement Wednesday. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi president, Dr. Flavius Killebrew accepted the invitation on behalf of the university.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are extremely pleased and happy to invite Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to join the Southland Conference," Moffett said. "This is an outstanding university with great leadership, and we welcome them as a competitive addition to the Southland Conference."

"We are elated at the news that we have been accepted into the Southland Conference," Killebrew added. "Over the years, this university has made great strides in academic achievement, and our athletic program has also made great strides since its inception. Our athletics department staff has worked hard to help us achieve this conference affiliation, and we are proud of their work. Membership in this well-regarded conference will elevate the athletic program and the university to the next level of accomplishment and success."

http://southland.collegesports.com/genrel/090705aaa.html

---www.southland.org---

[Sly Fox]

Its a smart move by the Southland for the long run.

[Ronbo]

I thought I read somewhere that it would take ten years to ramp up and field a football team. Thought that was a long time. How long did it take Southeastern Louisiana from the time they decided to field a team again?

[TexasTerror]

SELA moved along quickly. I am sure one of the Lions fans will say something...

I think we'll see UCA announced tommorrow. I also believe A&M-CC will add mens' golf and/or women's soccer.

[Green Cookie Monster]

SELA moved along quickly. I am sure one of the Lions fans will say something...

I think we'll see UCA announced tommorrow. I also believe A&M-CC will add mens' golf and/or women's soccer.

SELA played football before it was disbanded and reformed more recently. CC is starting from scratch.

[golionsgo]

I thought I read somewhere that it would take ten years to ramp up and field a football team. Thought that was a long time. How long did it take Southeastern Louisiana from the time they decided to field a team again?


From the time we officially announced the decision to reinstate football to the time we played our first game was less than two years. Of course there was a fundraising drive that raised 5 million dollars prior to that which took a couple of extra years. Since we were already I-AA when we dropped football in 1985, we didn't have to go through the transition period to be playoff eligible.

[TexasTerror]

GoLions,

Saw you guys swapped home games for your first weekend of SLC volleyball with the teams that were set to come to Hammond (and to Nicholls in Thibodaux). What's the latest with your program?

[GeauxLions94]

From the time we officially announced the decision to reinstate football to the time we played our first game was less than two years. Of course there was a fundraising drive that raised 5 million dollars prior to that which took a couple of extra years. Since we were already I-AA when we dropped football in 1985, we didn't have to go through the transition period to be playoff eligible.

If you want to be specific, it was 14 months from the time we announced the program was reinstated to the time of the first game. The Capital Campaign, started by former President Sally Clausen, took about a year to complete.

[gokats85]

One big question is where would the Islanders play? Buccaneer Stadium is the most logical choice, but CCISD has at least 5 high schools sharing that field, along with Cabiness Field in southwest Corpus Christi. TAMU-CC doesn't appear to have enough room for a football stadium as the entire campus is on a small island.

[Sly Fox]

I believe the initial plans would have them at Buc which undoubtedly would be adequate in the early going of the program.

There is ZERO room left on the island to build a stadium. So it would have to be build elsewhere in town (most likely on Southside or Flour Bluff).

But the capital investments required just to start the program will make building a stadium unlikely anytime soon. It certainly doesn't help that the city has just forked over quite a bit of jack to build high-ticket baseball & basektball/hockey facilities.

Again, I think the league will benefit from the addition of this school regardless of football participation.