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http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/local/deals_could_mean_bigger_things_for_lu_athletics.html

Deals could mean bigger things for LU athletics
By CHRISTOPHER DABE
April 24, 2010
Posted: April 24, 2010, 10:29 PM CDT

this is a bit of old news, but, here it is anyway...

http://www.lamar.edu/newsevents/news/207_8687.htm

Billy Tubbs takes new role, Tidwell to serve as interim AD
6/14/2010

Lamar University Athletic Director Billy Tubbs will step down as athletic director, university officials announced today.

Tubbs, who has served as AD since 2002, will become a special assistant/consultant to the president for athletics, providing assistance in fund raising and other areas. Larry Tidwell, head coach of the women's basketball team, will serve as interim AD.

Tubbs, who had spent 18 years as a player, assistant coach, head coach and faculty member at Lamar University, returned to his alma mater as director of athletics May 27, 2002. The following year, he began filling the dual role as AD and head coach of men's basketball, guiding the Cardinals through three successful seasons. In March 2006, Tubbs resigned as head coach of Lamar but remained the athletic director. He was succeeded as head coach of the men's basketball team by Steve Roccaforte, his three-year assistant...


*** here's Katfans.com's look at it as well...
http://katfans.com/newforum/index.php?topic=412.0

It won't happen. Lamar does not have the tools to be successful at the next level. It's my opinion that Texas State is the best school to move up to the FBS level. The have prepared themselves for such a move. UTSA moving up is a horrible idea I think.

And why is that?

They're in the biggest city in the league (not to mention one of the biggest in the nation, one with no other big-time football teams), have an outstanding facility (The Alamodome) at their disposal, a big name coach with a national championship under his belt, the league's biggest athletics budget already, a huge enrollment base, etc.

How is that a horrible idea for them to move up? They've got a lot of things in place to be a legitimate program. If anything I'm surprised it's taken them this long to get it all together and make the leap.

I think they're too close to Austin, College Station and San Marcos.

I can't tell - was that sarcasm or no?

The only things I can see Texas State having a leg up on UTSA at this particular time is the fact they do have an established football program at least, although winning only 1 or 2* SLC titles in 20 something years isnt too much to sneeze at. I'd also give the nod to Texas State is terms of overall athletics facilities. Yes the Alamodome will be huge for UTSA no doubt, but other than that, their other facilities are quite bland to borderline terrible for what I would perceive FBS schools should be. The Convocation Center for basketball isnt terrible, but it isnt great, and the rest of the facilities are subpar for sure. Texas State's facilities are great in all sports, especially with the renovation they have completed with the baseball and softball complexes. IF UTSA builds a new baseball/sofball complex like has been rumored, then Id say UTSA has the best shot for all the reasons Beary mentioned above obviously.

As for Lamar, it wouldnt shock me to see them FCS in the future, they definitely have the facilities for it. I dont like their campus, but that's just me.

I was told that if a conference, as a whole, stepped up to FBS status that there is no wait period. Anyone else heard this?

It's a football move, so non-football facilities don't really matter much. Their basketball facility is more than serviceable and would fall in line with much of their conference competition if they end up in CUSA or the WAC. After that - it's pretty much a non-issue.

Baseball's crappy? A year or two of FBS football money can help take care of that. And it's not even that big a deal if you don't do a whole lot with it - a lot of places have less than glamorous baseball facilities and get by fine. And really it's not even about baseball. You're not going to make a decision on making that move based on your baseball/softball facilities one way or the other.

Facilities can be built - that's not nearly as important as being in a position to be of relatively high profile and generate a lot of revenue through money games, conference payouts, increased sponsorship ad revenue, etc. And UTSA is in a prime position to do all of that - which then gives you money to upgrade facilities. It's a lot quicker solution than waiting around to upgrade your all of your facilities (even in non-revenue sports) with a smaller revenue stream before making the leap.

UTSA's got a much higher earning/exposure potential than Texas State, and the established football program isn't really that big of an asset. UTSA will build a fan base and it'll be on even footing pretty quickly. FIU and FAU neither one started football until the 2000s, South Florida hasn't been around 15 years and they've already become a solid program, Central Florida started their program 30 years ago and they've done alright. They're in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Boca Raton and have Florida as a recruiting base. San Antonio is a similarly sized metropolitan area and Texas isn't a bad state to be recruiting in - needless to say, they've got good positioning.

You can't move up as a conference because you cannot meet the FBS criteria (5 home games vs. FBS schools, and minimum of 8 FBS opponents) playing a league schedule.

Pending NCAA regulation will prohibit moving from II to I or FCS to FBS unless you've got an invitation to join an existing conference (replacing old rule requiring that show you have signed contracts to meet the next few years of schedule requirements).

from Lamar's new? Fan Site: Bigredinsider.com Here's a look at the things at LU's football facilities.

http://bigredinsider.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=173&catid=1

Very nice.
Have you seen a price tag on all that?

No, they pulled it off before they let anybody see it.