Texas Wesleyan moving up to NCAA D2

[Finchwidget]

To you guys in the know of such things, when would these folks have to apply for LSC membership in order to be able to participate in 2027?

In theory, they could apply for D2 membership by February 1, 2027 and be on the LSC schedules that August if they and the conference wanted. It's a moot point though, as in their press release, Texas Wesleyan said they're aiming to begin D2 competition in 2028.

[Rambunctious1]

Gotcha. Thanks. Do y’all feel CWU and/or Western Oregon may have a couple of years to plan their exit even if A&M Texarkana comes on in 2027?

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

Gotcha. Thanks. Do y’all feel CWU and/or Western Oregon may have a couple of years to plan their exit even if A&M Texarkana comes on in 2027?

This is just strictly my opinion but I think they should have had an exit strategy available at all times.

The LSC has made it clear the whole time they intended to expand their footprint in Texas after the defections from former schools to FCS.

My gut is they are gone after this year and the LSC will try to find 3 non conference games.

Small chance they keep them in 2027 and the LSC needs to only find 1 non conference game.

[tsull]

Gotcha. Thanks. Do y’all feel CWU and/or Western Oregon may have a couple of years to plan their exit even if A&M Texarkana comes on in 2027?

Yes, I would hope we'd have a long-term plan we have a nice window here to figure things out. Like I said in the past not trying to be too mean but don't trust our administration with some of their previous basketball hires when they had no clue on who to hire, and so they reached for the east coast women's coach and a guy you had no previous experience coaching in the Northwest. Coach Orton was a nice change from that.

I'm giving my thoughts on this and have been shot down numerous times. I think the best option is to go independent and see what lands after that. I don't mind the NAIA, I was in school when they were in that division but it doesn't fit them anymore with small Bible colleges. I'm not sure the travel is that much better than the Lone Star when you have to take 17 hour one-way trips to Montana by bus to play games.

In talking with fans on game day, most of them want to stay division 2, some don't care, others wondering why we are playing Texas schools all the time. I don't think there would be a major uprising if they went independent. Like I said, we've been to exactly zero division 2 football playoffs, last year was the closest we had come. My goal is to keep football on campus in the fall and not cut the sport. It's a great event for the school, for the alumni, for the community.

* Just for clarification before someone says it as I repeated this a number of times: The division 3 conference in the Northwest is private school only, they have it written into their contract.

[ASUPops]

Personally, I want to keep CWU & WOU in the LSC. I know for a fact players love the flight games.....some coaches too.

It brings a nice tool to recruiting as well. I am sure it probably helps CWU & WOU with recruiting also...but they can answer that better than I.

In my opinion, we should sign a 3-5 year deal in 2026 to keep them in the LSC. Again, I LOVE both being in conference. And certainly love having them on the LSC board. It would be absolutely dead without them....well other than The non-sense by self proclaimed "Mr D2 Football" Buffalo/Islander Alum 😉

[tsull]

Personally, I want to keep CWU & WOU in the LSC. I know for a fact players love the flight games.....some coaches too.

It brings a nice tool to recruiting as well. I am sure it probably helps CWU & WOU with recruiting also...but they can answer that better than I.

In my opinion, we should sign a 3-5 year deal in 2026 to keep them in the LSC. Again, I LOVE both being in conference. And certainly love having them on the LSC board. It would be absolutely dead without them....well other than The non-sense by self proclaimed "Mr D2 Football" Buffalo/Islander Alum 😉

I've greatly enjoyed Western Oregon playing football on the Lone Star conference. I was wondering if we could keep up with our small stadium and low scholarship numbers. I have no idea what the numbers are today but last year the Wolves had a great season. The talent just seems great in the Lone Star and the coaching is excellent. I've never seen a Lone Dtar team come to Monmouth and just mail it in. I remember a couple years ago Kingsville had a great goal line stand against the Wolves. They were extremely determined to leave with the victory and they did just that. This year Western Oregon was equally determined to beat UTPB, hung on and did it. It was a tremendous game as was the CWU at WOU game

I's an excellent football conference and I hope Western Oregon and Central Washington can stay in it as long as possible. I know the trips can be brutal for each school but I think it's better than 17-hour one way bus rides to Montana for NAIA football.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

Personally, I want to keep CWU & WOU in the LSC. I know for a fact players love the flight games.....some coaches too.

It brings a nice tool to recruiting as well. I am sure it probably helps CWU & WOU with recruiting also...but they can answer that better than I.

In my opinion, we should sign a 3-5 year deal in 2026 to keep them in the LSC. Again, I LOVE both being in conference. And certainly love having them on the LSC board. It would be absolutely dead without them....well other than The non-sense by self proclaimed "Mr D2 Football" Buffalo/Islander Alum 😉

Well that could be a possibility if the LSC wanted to do a closed off silo like the GAC does and call it a day. Unfortunately just like everything in life, money talks and bull$hit walks. That alone will be the demise of CW and WO in the LSC regardless of how coaches, players, family, self-proclaimed former successful coaches😉, etc. feel about it.

[JavsFan]

With the news out of UWF, maybe some GSC games open up.

[tsull]

With the news out of UWF, maybe some GSC games open up.

What news is that? I couldn't find anything online.

[tsull]

This is just strictly my opinion but I think they should have had an exit strategy available at all times.

The LSC has made it clear the whole time they intended to expand their footprint in Texas after the defections from former schools to FCS.

My gut is they are gone after this year and the LSC will try to find 3 non conference games.

Small chance they keep them in 2027 and the LSC needs to only find 1 non conference game.

One, how do you know they don't have an exit strategy planned? Two, never go on your gut, that's not logical thinking, it's emotional thinking. You need to go on logic not feelings.

Three, the conference itself has never come out with the public statement about ditching Central Washington and Western Oregon. That may be the plan, we don't know. There's no official statement on it. Will it happen? I'm not sure. Again go on data, logic, and official statements, not feelings.

[JavsFan]

What news is that? I couldn't find anything online.

Nothing official, but reports have them announcing move to FCS soon, move would happen this fall.

[debergfan]

Imagine WO and CWU join the RMAC and the RMAC goes closing scheduling. LSC is forced to only play the MIAA.

[debergfan]

Imagine WO and CWU join the RMAC and the RMAC goes close scheduling. LSC is forced to only play the MIAA.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

One, how do you know they don't have an exit strategy planned? Two, never go on your gut, that's not logical thinking, it's emotional thinking. You need to go on logic not feelings.

Three, the conference itself has never come out with the public statement about ditching Central Washington and Western Oregon. That may be the plan, we don't know. There's no official statement on it. Will it happen? I'm not sure. Again go on data, logic, and official statements, not feelings.

First statement is pretty much me saying passive aggressively that an exit strategy should and is already there.

Even Hellen Keller could probably sense that the Central Washington/Western Oregon days were coming to an end when they started adding schools like Sul Ross.

Data: The LSC will have 10 Texas/New Mexico football schools by the start of the 2028 season not including CW/WO.

Logic: The LSC is likely not going to continue with the partnership with CW/WO due to financial reasons and when there are MIAA and RMAC schools nearby to schedule non conference games with. The option will still be open to play LSC schools as non conference independent games.

Official Statement: Is likely to be made by the start of the 2027 season.

Feelings: My gut usually steers me in the right direction and will be sad to see the PN schools gone from the schedule.

[ASUPops]

I've greatly enjoyed Western Oregon playing football on the Lone Star conference. I was wondering if we could keep up with our small stadium and low scholarship numbers. I have no idea what the numbers are today but last year the Wolves had a great season. The talent just seems great in the Lone Star and the coaching is excellent. I've never seen a Lone Dtar team come to Monmouth and just mail it in. I remember a couple years ago Kingsville had a great goal line stand against the Wolves. They were extremely determined to leave with the victory and they did just that. This year Western Oregon was equally determined to beat UTPB, hung on and did it. It was a tremendous game as was the CWU at WOU game

I's an excellent football conference and I hope Western Oregon and Central Washington can stay in it as long as possible. I know the trips can be brutal for each school but I think it's better than 17-hour one way bus rides to Montana for NAIA football.

Agree!!!