UTPA to announce conference affiliation within weeks

[star2city]

UTPA conference news

Dr. John Edwards, the (UTPA) vice president for enrollment and student affairs, helped kick off and close the ceremony, which began with the retirement of Al Ogletree's number and ended with the promise that an announcement regarding conference affiliation would be made within the "next couple weeks."

So is Centenary annoucing a DIII move, and UTPA is the core member replacement? The Summit would need to act immediately if this happens. Would the Summit go to 12 members for 2009-2010?

The Southland is at 12 and may have a need to go to 13 if Texas St or UTSA leave in a few years. But with 11 core members, there shouldn't be any rush.

Is UTPA announcing some kind of independent league?

[star2city]

UTPA conference news

Is UTPA announcing some kind of independent league?

There may be two answers:

First, UTPA Men's Track and Field Joins Ohio Valley Conference The OVC needs a sixth men's T&F team to remain qualifed (SIE-E doesn't count). With them joining the OVC in men's t&F only, it would'nt appear that an invite from the Southland or the Summit is imminent, as both those conferences sponsor outdoor T&F

Second, there may be some type of baseball independent league undergoing formation to gain an automatic qualifing spot. All these schools will be meeting NCAA requirement for post-season play with a couple of exceptions:

Dallas Baptist (at large selection this year)

UTPA

No Colo

Utah Valley St

NY Tech (DI in baseball only)

NJIT

LeMoyne (Di in baseball only)

Longwood

Chicago St

Savannah St (doubtful)

North Dakota*

Seattle*

Houston Baptist*

* - ineligible for post-season

Hawaii-Hilo dropped DI baseball back to DII

[BrickTamland]

UTPA conference news

So is Centenary annoucing a DIII move, and UTPA is the core member replacement? The Summit would need to act immediately if this happens. Would the Summit go to 12 members for 2009-2010?

The Southland is at 12 and may have a need to go to 13 if Texas St or UTSA leave in a few years. But with 11 core members, there shouldn't be any rush.

Is UTPA announcing some kind of independent league?

1. Why would UTPA be at the head of forming an independent league?

2. I have heard that Centenary is not going D-3 for at least three years.

3. Southland will not add anyone until Texas State is gone. They just started their "drive" and have a grand total of 120 season tickets sold. They aren't good for FBS until 2012, so it will be at least four years til Southland adds.

4. From the next post on the thread. Even if they did form an independent conference....I believe the NCAA rules stipulate that a brand new conference must be a full-fledged conference for 13 years before gaining any form of automatic berth.

5. DBU isn't joining an independent league. For some time now they have had their sites set on bigger and better. As a power in the NAIA, baseball was and still is their marquee sport, where they put their money and efforts. All those said efforts are directly focused on being a top-flight Division I power in baseball. They had delusions of getting into the Big 12, and have approached the WAC as well, even going to the lengths of scheduling a plethora of their teams.

Bottom line is that they proved that they don't need no stinking conference to make it to the regionals. Their m.o. obviously works. Schedule the toughest comp you can and win. Bottom line. Until a "real" conference calls on them.

6. Summit isn't in any hurry to add anyone....including the Dakotas. Don't mean to burst any bubbles, but it's true. Sorry.

7. How many of the transition schools are trying to go RPI-counter this season and in what sports are they trying? I do believe that most are staying the way they are for one more year with the exception of Bryant and HBU?

As Charles Barkley would say......"I may be mistaken, but I'm never wrong."

Welcome any thoughts or critiques. Rarely post, but enjoy reading the board.

[Hammersmith]

Don't disagree with anything BrickTamland wrote, except...

The DI rules for conference autobids changed a few years back. With the exception of men's basketball(which takes five years), it currently takes two years for a conference to become eligible for an autobid. Because baseball is sponsored by more than 50% of DI members, a baseball-only conference would need to follow the more stringent multi-sport conference requirements rather than the less stringent single-sport requirements. The multi-sport requirements include having six core members(full DI for eight years). Given the names on that list, I don't think there are enough to qualify even after the two years are up. I think only UTPA, Chicago State and Savannah State have reached core member status.

[star2city]

1. Why would UTPA be at the head of forming an independent league?

For baseball only, not for all sports.

2. I have heard that Centenary is not going D-3 for at least three years.

That may well be true, but why would they rumors of three years? That just makes thes situation worse for recruiting.

The Southland will not add anyone until Texas State is gone. They just started their "drive" and have a grand total of 120 season tickets sold. They aren't good for FBS until 2012, so it will be at least four years til Southland adds.

They need at least a year notice and maybe more. If UTSA is also moving up, the Southland could be short. Granted, the time frame is more likely 2010.

4. From the next post on the thread. Even if they did form an independent conference....I believe the NCAA rules stipulate that a brand new conference must be a full-fledged conference for 13 years before gaining any form of automatic berth.

That's only for men's basketball. For other sportsm the requirements are much less strict. If there are six core members, an auto berth is available in at least three years.

5. DBU isn't joining an independent league. For some time now they have had their sites set on bigger and better. As a power in the NAIA, baseball was and still is their marquee sport, where they put their money and efforts. All those said efforts are directly focused on being a top-flight Division I power in baseball. They had delusions of getting into the Big 12, and have approached the WAC as well, even going to the lengths of scheduling a plethora of their teams.

NoCol and UVSU have approached the WAC as well. The baseball conference could be structured so that all teams do not have to play each other, but a post-season tournament will determine an autobid. Dallas Baptist could still gain an at-large berth and play tough competition non-conference (just like Oral Roberts).

Bottom line is that they proved that they don't need no stinking conference to make it to the regionals. Their m.o. obviously works. Schedule the toughest comp you can and win. Bottom line. Until a "real" conference calls on them.

An autobid helps for bad years.

6. Summit isn't in any hurry to add anyone....including the Dakotas. Don't mean to burst any bubbles, but it's true. Sorry.

If Centenary is leaving (as you state) and Southern Utah is also possible to leave, they'd be foolish not to be looking.

7. How many of the transition schools are trying to go RPI-counter this season and in what sports are they trying? I do believe that most are staying the way they are for one more year with the exception of Bryant and HBU?

Bryant, Seattle, UND, and USD will not be RPI counters. Not sure about HBU. The rest are counters.

[star2city]

Don't disagree with anything BrickTamland wrote, except...

The DI rules for conference autobids changed a few years back. With the exception of men's basketball(which takes five years), it currently takes two years for a conference to become eligible for an autobid. Because baseball is sponsored by more than 50% of DI members, a baseball-only conference would need to follow the more stringent multi-sport conference requirements rather than the less stringent single-sport requirements. The multi-sport requirements include having six core members(full DI for eight years). Given the names on that list, I don't think there are enough to qualify even after the two years are up. I think only UTPA, Chicago State and Savannah State have reached core member status.

LeMoyne, NY Tech, and Dallas Baptist would all qualify under the old "core" member rules, even though they are single DI sport schools.

[BrickTamland]

Bryant, Seattle, UND, and USD will not be RPI counters. Not sure about HBU. The rest are counters.

So Bryant joining the NEC doesn't take affect until 09-10? I was thinking that they were in it already and would get the conference schedule for the second half, making them only need a first-half schedule.

Don't think HBU has a choice, since they have no conference affiliation to fall back on for a second-half schedule, coming from NAIA. The were the only school in that situation.

[star2city]

So Bryant joining the NEC doesn't take affect until 09-10? I was thinking that they were in it already and would get the conference schedule for the second half, making them only need a first-half schedule.

Don't think HBU has a choice, since they have no conference affiliation to fall back on for a second-half schedule, coming from NAIA. The were the only school in that situation.

Bryant, in its second year of transition, will be viewed as a DII opponent even within the NEC. The rest of the NEC needs to consider this during their scheduling so they don't exceed the allowed non-DI games. Next year, Bryant will be viewed as a DI school and will be an RPI counter.

[star2city]

Up a Creek: UTPA athletics lacks leadership

A highly critical article in UTPA's local paper.

"UTPA is a place that has no mission in athletics," the 65-year-old Schnall said. "They don't know what they're doing."

The current state of Broncs athletics seems to bear that out.

UTPA has been without an acting athletic director since Scott Street resigned three weeks ago, a compliance officer since Pegjohngy Moses left for Delaware State two months ago or a full-time sports information director since Joe Monaco went to Texas Christian in October, 2007.

On a broader scale, UTPA has languished in the Independent Division I ranks for one decade - thanks to a resum

[MplsBison]

I think the best they can ever hope is to pair up with A&M Corpus Christi.

But even CC is a 3 hour drive for a charter bus.

They just don't have a real great situation to work with. Perhaps going down to DII and getting into a Texas league is the only realistic option for them?

[BrickTamland]

Maybe that guy should stick to scouting and fishing.

I am not sure either what OFFICIAL capacity he has with UTPA, except designated WHINER.

1. "It's probably the independent thing, which would be useless," Schnall said. "You're dealing with New York Tech and New Jersey Tech and perhaps Northern Colorado and that school in Chicago. Name one of those schools where we have anything in common or that's geographically in close proximity."

Just shows how much he probably knows....if he thinks that the only teams UTPA is dealing with are the teams that were down there for the independent baseball tournament.

2. The only way to do that, he says, is to start playing football, something he doesn't see happening under the current regime. With a football program, Schnall believes UTPA could become a legitimate candidate for the Division I Southland or Division II Lone Star conferences.

Yeah.....obviously he believes that UTPA is interested in DROPPING down to Division 2 in the near future.

3. Up until this season, he'd recommended at least one player to be drafted every year, and he's helped three former Broncs land with the Reds' farm system. This season, the only players he saw and recommended at UTPA were on visiting teams.

WOW!....he got THREE players into the Reds farm system. He is good!!!

This guy obviously has not a clue about what really is happening.

What conference isn't better than the one that UTPA is in currently?

What conference is gonna have anyone that has anything in common whatsoever geographically or ideologically?

The only schools close to Pan-Am in distance are Monterrey Tech, Texas A&M INternational, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville.

So your choices are....

1. Join the MCAA....the Mexican Collegiate Athletic Association.

2. Join the NCAA Division II Heartland Conference (with or without adding football)

3. Gripe a little longer about how Corpus and Central Arkansas were both able to get into Southland before them.

or.....

4. Take the best available option at this moment.

USELESS?

What is more useless....staying the same, or changing the course somewhat in an effort to make things better?

All that being said....I have no idea what conference they are wanting to join or start.

Sounds to me as if our boy should go back to hunting javelinas and lay off talking in public after sipping out of Aunt Betty's pickle jar.

[Hansel]

looks like UTPA may be joining UND

http://www.themonitor.com/sports/conferenc.../west_utpa.html

[dakotadan]

I was kind of surprised that we hadn't heard more about a formal basketball scheduling alliance. It appears they have just taken it a step further and are looking at a more formal all sports scheduling aliance. Not a bad idea. At least if you can do as many sports under one banner it would seem to give it a little more credit/importance.

Obviously Cal Poly and UC Davis are in the Big West and SUU is in the Summit for their other sports. That leaves just UND and USD for Great West schools looking at this.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Chicago State and Utah Valley State confirmed their interest Tuesday, and Longwood AD Troy Austin said his school has discussed the idea but declined to quantify his level of interest.

So that gives us UND, USD, UTPA, UVSU, NJIT, CSU and possibly Longwood that are interested.

While the article doesn't mention Seattle I would assume they would be interested. Unless they are in more serious discussions with the WCC now and already know what their future holds. Plus there may be some schools that may be interested in joining in just one sport such as Idaho State in softball.

"Obviously you wouldn't get an automatic bid from the NCAA out of it right away, but I think there is some interest in having the games mean something at least on a conference level since we all play each other anyway," Camp said.

The new conference likely would include UTPA's basketball, baseball and volleyball teams, and possibly women's tennis, golf and track & field. The men's track & field team is joining the Ohio Valley Conference for 2008-09, the men's golf team is in the American Sky Conference and the men's tennis team competes in the Southland Conference.

Grom said if the independents do join together in the Great West, they likely wouldn't begin a conference schedule until at least 2009-10.

Grom has been busy. I always thought he saw the Great West FC as someday being closely tied to the Summit. A wrench was thrown into that plan when the SUs left for the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

[dakotadan]

Anyone else think this should be a thread of it's own? I'm going to split it off.

[star2city]

looks like UTPA may be joining UND

http://www.themonitor.com/sports/conferenc.../west_utpa.html

Been traveling today and didn't expect this news.

What it does indicate is that the Summit is concerned enough about its future to sponsor a feeder conference. This will ensure schools are available when others (SUU, Centenary etc) leave. The only good thing for UND is some level of actual conference overview, with schedules, officials for games, and player awards.

A blurb on Utah Valley State"]A blurb on UVSU in a Nevada paper indicates that the Summit isn't even on their radar. Does that mean that SUU is leaving the Summit soon? If SUU stays in the Summit, UVSU would be an obvious choice as a treavel partner.

As far as adding UVSU to the WAC, that's almost absurd. The state of Utah is already represented by Utah State. The WAC needs a school in So Cal, the Sacramento area, Washington (Seattle?), Oregon, Arizona, or Colorado.

The (WAC) conference desperately needs another member, especially for men's and women's basketball and baseball.

The WAC has just nine basketball programs, which is hard to deal with in terms of scheduling. Baseball has seven teams presently and could use another. Boise State is adding softball, giving the conference an even number of schools now.

A school the WAC should keep its eye on is Utah Valley University, which just passed its first NCAA certification peer review. The second phase of the certification process will take place a year from now when the NCAA Division I membership committee considers whether to recommend Utah Valley in active Division I membership after six years as a provisional school.

Adding UVU would make great sense. The school doesn't have football, but the conference doesn't really need a school that plays football. Presently, the school offers 15 sports, which is the same as what Nevada currently offers.