A&M Texarkana headed to the GAC?

[Mavchamp]

https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...tion%3A%20Texa s%20A%26M%20University%2DTexarkana%20has,membershi p%20by%20fall%20of%202027.

Pretty significant news coming out of Texarkana. It has been rumored well over a decade....looks like it's official now.

They are currently in the NAIA competing in the Red River Conference.

Is Texarkana headed to the Great American Conference?

Maybe the Lone Star Conference?

Geographically it's a no-brainer that they would go to the GAC with almost all of the schools in the conference within 2-3 hours of Texarkana.

Would be some serious travel for them to go to the LSC.

Which leads to other questions.....

If they join the GAC.... that puts them at an odd numbers of schools...... which makes rumors of either Mary Hardin Baylor or ETBU from D3's collapsing ASC joining seem more real.

A&M- Texarkana and ETBU in Marshall are only about an hour and a half apart from one another.

Could be interesting!

[OldBison]

AM - Texarkana Eagles don’t have football. Doesn’t create an odd number there. Having odd number in other sports usually create an issue during transition time. Just means the GAC would probably add another non-football school at some point.

[Mavchamp]

AM - Texarkana Eagles don’t have football. Doesn’t create an odd number there. Having odd number in other sports usually create an issue during transition time. Just means the GAC would probably add another non-football school at some point.

They are starting a football program. Along with several other sports.

[Mavchamp]

https://x.com/txkgazette/status/1895...ARqIkvrz1OcZPA

[OldBison]

Interesting. If the Oklahoma schools all stay in the GAC, we could be looking at East and West football divisions down the road for GAC expansion. That would be great. Could make a stronger football conference, especially if we could add Delta State.

[debergfan]

If you add only one team, won’t that eliminate the GAC advantage of closed scheduling for football?

[the Northeasterner]

Could also see northeastern State who's playing independent in football this year next match up as the Oklahoma contribution.

There's another one of those bills floating around in Oklahoma legislature about making all the D2 all be in the same conference. So who knows.

On a personal note I'm super stoked that this is happening is it ambitious yes. But the school has been super ambitious since it start up when they left one campus and started their own brand new campus with two buildings. It's still a work in progress but there's a niche there and they're making it happen for higher ed in far East Texas. They could potentially be very successful in basketball

[OldBison]

If you add only one team, won’t that eliminate the GAC advantage of closed scheduling for football?

The GAC won’t add just one football school. One of the existing schools would have to leave or the Oklahoma state schools would have to all exit before the GAC would take 1-4 additional schools.

Silo scheduling is not the advantage you think it is. It does make it easier on ADs and coaches but it hurts the GAC’s SOS when it comes to playoff seeding.

[OBUGrad]

The GAC won’t add just one football school. One of the existing schools would have to leave or the Oklahoma state schools would have to all exit before the GAC would take 1-4 additional schools.

Silo scheduling is not the advantage you think it is. It does make it easier on ADs and coaches but it hurts the GAC’s SOS when it comes to playoff seeding.

And budgets...which is the main reason for the silo scheduling in the first place and why it will stay, despite all the complaining on the boards.

[the Northeasterner]

Oh and one more thing I'm not sure some of you guys remember or not but the GAC had this core sport requirement for its membership and that included football. Is there any unique position there they could go to the lone Star they could go to the gulf South both of conferences would love some more football playing members.

[OldBison]

I didn’t know about the core sport requirement. That’s yet another reason I don’t see anything changing in GAC football until someone leaves.

[Redwing]

The GAC won’t add just one football school. One of the existing schools would have to leave or the Oklahoma state schools would have to all exit before the GAC would take 1-4 additional schools.

Silo scheduling is not the advantage you think it is. It does make it easier on ADs and coaches but it hurts the GAC’s SOS when it comes to playoff seeding.

Just had to butt in... They could be starting the season in week 0. I'm not saying it's a great option, but that would allow a bye week for one team to make up that odd number.

[Tech Boys]

The GAC core sports are:
a) Men - football, basketball, and baseball.
b) Women - volleyball, cross country, basketball and softball.

An article a week ago about the all Oklahoma Conference Bill included this:
"Multiple sources told The Oklahoman the push to have the Oklahoma Legislature step into the conference membership business came after presidents of the GAC's Arkansas members declined to allow Northeastern State and Oklahoma Christian, along with two out-of-state schools, into the league. OC and one of the out-of-state schools do not sponsor football programs."

Northeastern State does not have Women's Volleyball and Women's Cross Country. It would be interesting to know who the two other schools are.

[OldBison]

The GAC core sports are:
a) Men - football, basketball, and baseball.
b) Women - volleyball, cross country, basketball and softball.

An article a week ago about the all Oklahoma Conference Bill included this:
"Multiple sources told The Oklahoman the push to have the Oklahoma Legislature step into the conference membership business came after presidents of the GAC's Arkansas members declined to allow Northeastern State and Oklahoma Christian, along with two out-of-state schools, into the league. OC and one of the out-of-state schools do not sponsor football programs."

Northeastern State does not have Women's Volleyball and Women's Cross Country. It would be interesting to know who the two other schools are.

AM - Texarkana and ???

[Inkblot]

The GAC core sports are:
a) Men - football, basketball, and baseball.
b) Women - volleyball, cross country, basketball and softball.

An article a week ago about the all Oklahoma Conference Bill included this:
"Multiple sources told The Oklahoman the push to have the Oklahoma Legislature step into the conference membership business came after presidents of the GAC's Arkansas members declined to allow Northeastern State and Oklahoma Christian, along with two out-of-state schools, into the league. OC and one of the out-of-state schools do not sponsor football programs."

Northeastern State does not have Women's Volleyball and Women's Cross Country. It would be interesting to know who the two other schools are.

Also worth noting Delta State doesn't have volleyball.