Impact of Lamar on McNeese

[TexasTerror]

Gary Laney is in Beaumont and already talking about the impact Lamar will have on his prior school, McNeese. Nice read by Laney, who talks about the SETX players that are on squads in the Big 12, SLC and even brings up Prairie View A&M!


While no college team has more of a Southeast Texas feel than McNeese, the area's real team, Lamar, will be able to recruit this year.

It'll be interesting to see if the Cardinals are able to land players in recruiting who might have otherwise gone to McNeese. It's worth noting that the Cowboys' current run of success started shortly after Lamar dropped football in 1989.

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/local/college_football_season_has_a_southeast_texas_flav or_08-03-2008.html

Lamar fan thinks they'll put a huge dent in McNeese. Some of the people on KatFans think the same.

For LU, you can not solely build a team from SETX (as a few of the narrow-minded fans from LU have stated) and secondly...

McNeese is preparing for this and will maintain their recruiting levels. They may not bring in as many players from SETX, but that's not just because of Lamar, but because more and more FCS teams are coming in to the state and more FBS teams. They'll still win recruiting wars in the area on a routine basis, just as they do head to head in the city of Lafayette against ULL, an FBS program.

SHSU has changed their recruiting habits in recent years because of how many teams are on the ground here in the state, it's ridiculous. This past year, we started heading further west and further south. We even plucked a few more kids from out of state this past year than we have in the past. There were years when we had no one from out of Texas! This year, we have 12...

[houtexan]

Do you really need to post everything from the LU forum on this forum? SETX is a hotbed for FBS, FCS, all the way to the Juco ranks. Again, you will always have folks that are going to be narrow-minded. There are far more grounded, reality based fans than the other. In any case, to think that Lamar will not make a dent in McNeese State in the future, SHSU, SFA or any other FCS, Southland school would be foolish and vice-versa. McNeese will retain a good number of recruits in the near future, but the facilities, excitement, and upgrades are going to make dent.

[McNeese72]

McNeese will retain a good number of recruits in the near future, but the facilities, excitement, and upgrades are going to make dent.

Just a note here. McNeese is making quite a few upgrades, also. We just put down the turf and the big Field House project will probably start after this next football season.

Doc

[TexasTerror]

In any case, to think that Lamar will not make a dent in McNeese State in the future, SHSU, SFA or any other FCS, Southland school would be foolish and vice-versa. McNeese will retain a good number of recruits in the near future, but the facilities, excitement, and upgrades are going to make dent.

It's 63 more scholarships in the state of Texas. Of course, it is going to hvae an impact, which is why schools are changing their recruiting habits. As I said above, the increasing amount of schools coming into the state (FBS and FCS) is really changing the game...there's more and more programs coming into the state yearly and everyone has so many schools on them if they are a Division I talent.

Now, Lamar is going to have some edge with the "new" factor, but if they can not build a winning atmosphere quickly, that will cause some problems. As will, facilities. We're hearing a lot of talk about facilities, which will help Lamar catch up with the rest of the Southland where just about everyone will soon have suites, videoboards, etc. If Lamar can't keep up with the rest of the conference and FCS in facilities, that could hurt the program. Nothing has led me to believe they won't...

As we all know, LU has historically been the worst program in SLC history (more years in the cellar than any other program in conference history). They have to do things right and win pretty quickly, if they want to avoid that. The "new" factor only can last so long. The money will definitely be there compared to the Louisiana schools because of the financial structure, but they got to win and show a commitment to facility upgrades...

It will be fun to have another school in the conference...just got to ponder how good a team they will have.

[houtexan]

As we all know, LU has historically been the worst program in SLC history (more years in the cellar than any other program in conference history). They have to do things right and win pretty quickly, if they want to avoid that. The "new" factor only can last so long. The money will definitely be there compared to the Louisiana schools because of the financial structure, but they got to win and show a commitment to facility upgrades...

It will be fun to have another school in the conference...just got to ponder how good a team they will have.

True, however the landscape of the SLC is much different now than it was "historically". Many of the schools in the SLC from Lamar's previous venture in FCS (I-AA at the time) have moved on to FBS in the Sunbelt. SHSU, SFA, TXSt were in the LoneStar Conference back then which was considered by the Southland at the time a much weaker conference. Upstart SeLouisiana, UCA moving up, etc. are not a good comparison. I believe that LU will be very competitive in the SLC in relatively short-order (a few years). The historical "cellar-dweller" no more.

[TexasTerror]

True, however the landscape of the SLC is much different now than it was "historically". Many of the schools in the SLC from Lamar's previous venture in FCS (I-AA at the time) have moved on to FBS in the Sunbelt. SHSU, SFA, TXSt were in the LoneStar Conference back then which was considered by the Southland at the time a much weaker conference. Upstart SeLouisiana, UCA moving up, etc. are not a good comparison. I believe that LU will be very competitive in the SLC in relatively short-order (a few years). The historical "cellar-dweller" no more.

Not sure how much things have changed. Lamar will be the one who will have to change.

The schools in the Sun Belt, that were in the SLC are not doing so hot against the schools in their former conference -- there was a year in which ULM lost to two SLC schools in one year and I believe ULL may have lost their last three or four against SLC schools which includes McNeese, SHSU and NWST.

SHSU got two wins against Lamar in their last two years of Div II and won 3 of 4 when they moved into I-AA. Southwest Texas won their last two against Lamar as a Div II while going 3-3 against the Cards as a I-AA member. Even SFA, who struggled against Lamar early, went 3-1 against the Cards in I-AA.

[centexguy]

Back in the early 1980s Lamar's basketball team was very successful, but Lamar had a limited athletic budget. They chose to focus on basketball instead of football. When Tubbs left for Oklahoma, Lamar brought in Pat Foster as head coach and also made him AD so they could pay him more. Football was an afterthought back then.

Things are a lot different on campus now. Lamar has a larger budget with a student fee dedicated for football. Even though the AD (Tubbs) is an ex-basketball coach, one of his main goals was to bring football back and make it successful. Nobody knows how successful football will be at Lamar, but it's good for the University and it's going to be nice having football back at Lamar.