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I have read all the threads here about LSC schools moving on up to D1. Tarleton State, TAMUC, WTAM etc. The only LSC school not talking about it is Texas A&M Kingsville. This is a University that would probably benefit the most in moving to D1. The Javelinas have been in the top of all D2 schools when it comes to attendance. The Javs have a great history, save for the last 5 or 6 years. I ask the powers that be, what gives? There has already been talk about merging Texas A&M Kingsville with Texas A&M Corpus Christi but went array due to talk behind closed doors. The Islanders already have a D1 program but no football. The Javelinas have all the sports but are in D2 with many players from the Corpus Christi High Schools. If they merge, the football team would not have to wait to compete in the playoffs due to TAMUCC being already in D1. UTRGV is about to start football and UTSA just started their football program a few years ago and they are encroaching on the two Universities in the Coastal Bend. If the A&Ms merge the student body will be about 22k and growing! This needs to happen! Now, what to do about the mascot? The colors can be blue, green and gold. Your thoughts?
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Re: Moving on up to D1
This should work -
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Re: Moving on up to D1
We need facility improvements just to remain competitive in the LSC and Division II before we jump into Division I.
We are WAYYYYYYY behind our counterparts in the LSC. Look at what WTAM is building and that is what we would need to get noticed down here in D1 or the FCS division. We need a major renovation or a totally new stadium which include all the bells and whistles you see with the WTAM stadium. Tarleton is doing some good things too and it won't be too long before Midwestern gets into the new/renovation thing too.
Our "arena", AKA the Spec is also dated and needs a replacement. And the baseball program deserves some love too. They need their own locker facilities and indoor batting cages and it would be nice to get a real material type netting around the backstops and baselines so you can watch a game through it vs the chain link fencing.
BUT it's going to take an AD with a vision and willingness to engage the community, alumni, business, and current students to get this done. We have lacked that type of person in that position. We've had one that thought spending athletic fees on intramural fields and for fancy beach volleyball courts was priority vs the bread and butter sports. Our counterparts such as Angelo, WTAM, Tarleton, Commerce, and even Eastern New Mexico have managed to find that person who has either started the ball rolling or completed the job for another person who started the process. I hear about capital campaigns for this and that at the school, but yet they don't exclusively focus on the athletic program.
So until we bring that type of person in, we will not be able to give every tool to our coaches need to recruit and bring the best student athletes down here to play those bread and butter sports. And it's a shame because I feel right now we have some good coaches in those particular programs. Thanks to the world we live in (social media driven), in order to recruit you have to have bling whether you like or not. The NAIA championship banners from 40 years ago displayed on the stadium walls are irrelevant to most kids today. The first question from them is " What the heck is the NAIA?" Kind of like them looking a rotary telephone or type writer. Many have never, ever seen one.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
Their current stadiums SUCK EGGS for college use. They would have to build a whole new facility.
One is in the middle of refinery row in Corpus (Buc Stadium). While the stadium itself is big ( holds 23k) and was a WPA project during the Great Depression, like I said, it's in refinery row and the neighborhood isn't exactly the best one in the city. Once upon a time it was the better part of the city. The other stadium they could use is OK for a class 4A or 5A high school.
When the merger was discussed, the plan floated was to build a new stadium in Kingsville and to purchase an existing baseball field in Robstown (up the road from Kingsville and borders Corpus) that was used by an independent league baseball team before the Ryans/Astros and the CC Hooks opened Whataburger Field on the Ship Channel. Actually that would of been a good deal because the county wanted to unload for 100K and it's a decent facility that needs a few updates here and there . If the merger would of occurred and we went Southland, that baseball facility would be the best in the Southland hands down. And Sammy Houston has a very nice one from what I've seen.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
Not saying you are wrong, but CC has the population and political clout. This would look bad on their politicians. In saying all of this, I think the merger is inevitable some time down the road. Things have to be more dire than they are at the present with enrollment and state funding.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
I don't disagree. When this last proposal went down in flames, it only went down because some movers and shakers who have ruled the roost here in Corpus for decades (IE Old Money families) made sure it was killed by the same politicians and other community activists who were almost 100% on board when discussions were held in College Station, Corpus and Kingsville before the details were released by one of those Old Money families. The same old money interests who have torpedoed things they didn't like here for decades. We call it the Real Estate Cartel.Originally posted by Techster88 View PostComment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
One would think that the Southland Conf would open up the door & let em in based on this information.Originally posted by El-Hoggie View PostComment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
[QUOTE=El-Hoggie;2236281If they merge, the football team would not have to wait to compete in the playoffs due to TAMUCC being already in D1. [/QUOTE]Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
I agree with others. We should not consider a move to D1 unless we merge with CC, and as LSC Fan said, that merger will only happen if CC gets the better end of the deal. In other words, CC gets all sports, the mascot, colors, and most of the colleges move to CC. But, YAY, we'll be D1.:doh:Originally posted by El-Hoggie View Post
Our beloved Javelina Stadium will soon be dead last in the LSC as everyone has built/is building new facilities. Even ENeMa U is finally moving out of Blackwater Draw. I'm a bit surprised we have not heard anything about capital projects since the announcement by Gines at the Tarleton game last year. We need to make major improvements to our facilities.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
My grandpa used to say be careful what you wish for. If the merger occurs, my bet is that FB team becomes the Islanders and maybe keeping Javs school colors.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
HAHAHA...."What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula"?Originally posted by AngeloFan View Post
This should work
https://youtu.be/Etkws_5mexg
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Re: Moving on up to D1
Or they could do what UTPA and UTB did when they merged a few years ago to become UTRGV and dump the mascot altogether for both and start new. The merger in itself and rename of the combined campus didn't cause as much a stir than dumping the Bronc mascot. UT-Brownsville had a very small athletic program that was either NAIA or D3 and really didn't make a name for itself which made some of the UTPA/Pan Am alums scratch their heads about changing the mascot and not just carrying it over to the new school. They did keep some of the color scheme from UTPA, but added more orange. I wonder if that is a mandate from the mother school since off the top of my head, it seems all the UT system schools have orange in the color schemes. I really think if the UTPA athletic program was stronger in the sense they were in a stable conference and winning, they might of been able to retain the mascot.Originally posted by Techster88 View PostLast edited by LSC Fan; 07-26-2018, 09:46 AM.Comment
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Re: Moving on up to D1
HA! Dressing in drag is reserved for ASU Ram fans from Allen and Wall, Texas. Along with ACU fans from around the globe.Originally posted by ASUPops View PostComment
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