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Sept. 18 2021 UAPB at UCA. Does anybody know about the details? Can Estes hold the event? The last game was at WMS and a hefty crowd was there.

Ooooo. This will be a good thing and should become an annual thing. Like a home and home deal.

FUTURE CENTRAL ARKANSAS NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
2020
08/29 - vs Austin Peay (in Montgomery, AL)
09/05 - at Missouri
2021
09/04 - at Arkansas State
09/11 - at Missouri State
09/18 - Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2022
09/01 - Missouri State
09/10 - at Ole Miss
2023
09/02 - at Oklahoma State

I like it!

UAPB is a no-gain game......playing the #250+ D1 team gets you no strength of schedule points and not winning by 30 hurts in the rankings...……...others look great....Mo State home and home will be a challenge.....do not let their win/loss records fool you....they are a MVC team who plays pretty well but normally not enough to win....

I think most fans like seeing UCA play teams like UAPB and A-State, just because they can relate with them better. Not going to lie, I hate UCA as a whole being in the Southland Conference. To me it's just a wierd fit.

Interesting. I've had this thought before as well. Are you talking competition wise or geographically? Which conference do you think would be a better fit? (FCS Conferences)

I am talking competition wise. It's an absolute geographic fit. We have good competition overall, I think it would help if say Harding was in D1 FCS or something. Or any other Arkansas School that could step up to FCS (Take UAPB out of the equation for a second). I wonder if UCA could handle being an independent?

Not sure I know many people who like us playing UAPB.....and please stay away from playing them in LR.....Missouri State from MVC is really good as we get home and home.......as for A-State most people I know would like to see this every year..

As a former athlete, getting to compete for a conference title is huge..an independent only has NCAAs (harder to make without a conference since you have to have an at large bid)…..not sure why Southland seems odd...…..geography can be a challenge with some of the Texas schools but the traditional SLC schools get you street cred in NCAA and, as we know, we do not go undefeated each year....so competition is good.....plus getting exposure in Texas and LA is good for recruiting...

The only other FCS conferences that would make any sense are MVC and OVC....who volunteers to take on MVC travel and football competition...…...OVC probably has similar travel to SLC and comparable competition level....but without the exposure to TX and LA …..

If UCA got its financial affairs (ie, enrollment, attendance and donations) strong enough to support being in a FBS conference.....who would go for C-USA or Sunbelt someday? This will be very tough to do.....

According to the NCAA rules you have to have a stadium that can accommodate 20,000 people. UCA would also be required to have a 20,000 fans in attendance for a certain period of time, I am not sure but I think it's 3 years. A-stAte has had their fair share of less than 5 win seasons. Was A- stAte a bad team? Absolutely not. It was part of the transition to D-1A. To be a part of D-1A you have to play D-1A teams. Yes there is down falls moving into D-1A but look at stAte from where they came from and now today. It's going to take support from the community, business people, local media, and promotions of the area around us. It will be a long hard road. Just ask Crump because he knows what I am talking about. What do you all think? Are you for it? I would like to see it.

Go Bearsssss

I would argue that it’s not that great of a geographical fit. We’re the lone school outside of Texas and LA in the conference and most of those schools are near the coast. MS has no FCS schools (that count anyway) OK has no FCS schools. The only other fits would be the OVC with MO and TN schools as close as the south land.

This hurts attendance at games and interest. There are no natural rivals in the FCS.

+1 I agree completely.

Agree 100%...UCA doesn't need rent a win teams like other programs in the
state.

I agree, but we need to have a team that feels like a rival that plays in Conway. The only game I get excited about in conference really is Sam Houston, SFA (when they were good), McNeese and sometimes Nichols. We need a quality out of conference team that is in the Top 25 of D1FCS to play regularly. The playoffs are always fun of course. Was really looking forward to Austin Peay, untill that was moved.

Can't see a rivalry with UAPB......Missouri State is a good match......as would be APU.....not likely to get a home and home on an ongoing basis out of conference....only FCS will come to a FCS stadium.....SEMO would also be a good match.....Go Bears!!