Which is why McNeese wanted it in Lake Charles. It was a heck of a negotiation on McNeese's part. Hate us if you want. Look the league was about to fail without McNeese. It's no secret the game plan has been to invest in basketball, our president understood athletics is the marketing arm to enhance enrollment. AD knew Will Wade and we gambled on the risk. Beating Clemson was estimated to be the equivalent of $50 million in advertising. Yeah we host, we win two games we are in the Big Dance. No secret and the league AD and Coach meetings were tense. Our AD said you could thank us in a few years, and now If anything the league is investing more in basketball, last I checked the league was 18th best in the country from the usual 30's. The first few tourney games fans are lacking, early day games and the league charges like $40 for a ticket or more locals would watch the early round games. LC is centrally located as well. Show up, have a good time and see y'all can beat us.
SFA / McNeese (2)
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Last: 1 hr ago by djsfw57
Geauxcowboys07 said:
Which is why McNeese wanted it in Lake Charles. It was a heck of a negotiation on McNeese's part. Hate us if you want. Look the league was about to fail without McNeese. It's no secret the game plan has been to invest in basketball, our president understood athletics is the marketing arm to enhance enrollment. AD knew Will Wade and we gambled on the risk. Beating Clemson was estimated to be the equivalent of $50 million in advertising. Yeah we host, we win two games we are in the Big Dance. No secret and the league AD and Coach meetings were tense. Our AD said you could thank us in a few years, and now If anything the league is investing more in basketball, last I checked the league was 18th best in the country from the usual 30's. The first few tourney games fans are lacking, early day games and the league charges like $40 for a ticket or more locals would watch the early round games. LC is centrally located as well. Show up, have a good time and see y'all can beat us.
Allow me to translate: "Yeah. You other SLC schools have been and will continue to be screwed by that deal."
Well, at least the guy is honest.
I agree with you, it's a hell of a deal, especially this season, with how the cowboys suck on the road.
The SLC sold their soles to McNeese, and hitched their wagons to ride the blue and gold every season to the NCAA Tourney, they probably even pull for the Cowboys to get in every season as well.
McNeese basketball will flourish because of it, incentive for top recruits (or portal transfers), seeing that the road goes through Lack Charles to the big dance, revenue stream, ESPN, etc.
Bravo to the pokers, who wouldn't want this deal? Job well done!
It will be interesting to see the cause and effect over the years, (you already stating the positive) but to see if any of the negatives come back to bite the conference.
Time will tell.
The SLC sold their soles to McNeese, and hitched their wagons to ride the blue and gold every season to the NCAA Tourney, they probably even pull for the Cowboys to get in every season as well.
McNeese basketball will flourish because of it, incentive for top recruits (or portal transfers), seeing that the road goes through Lack Charles to the big dance, revenue stream, ESPN, etc.
Bravo to the pokers, who wouldn't want this deal? Job well done!
It will be interesting to see the cause and effect over the years, (you already stating the positive) but to see if any of the negatives come back to bite the conference.
Time will tell.
Geauxcowboys07 said:
Which is why McNeese wanted it in Lake Charles. It was a heck of a negotiation on McNeese's part. Hate us if you want. Look the league was about to fail without McNeese. It's no secret the game plan has been to invest in basketball, our president understood athletics is the marketing arm to enhance enrollment. AD knew Will Wade and we gambled on the risk. Beating Clemson was estimated to be the equivalent of $50 million in advertising. Yeah we host, we win two games we are in the Big Dance. No secret and the league AD and Coach meetings were tense. Our AD said you could thank us in a few years, and now If anything the league is investing more in basketball, last I checked the league was 18th best in the country from the usual 30's. The first few tourney games fans are lacking, early day games and the league charges like $40 for a ticket or more locals would watch the early round games. LC is centrally located as well. Show up, have a good time and see y'all can beat us.
Its funny how this worked out because in the past SFA was the lifeblood of the conference keeping it relevant in the basketball world. I don't think the Conference was ever going to die. Its good to sponsor a certain sport but in the end you it helps to make sure all is a cohesive bunch. We feel you on the upsets and putting the name on the map. There's a reason we jumped to the WAC for stronger play because we wanted that recognition we deserved not just be in a one bid SLC. So honestly in a way us leaving gave your AD a wake up call to take those reigns of the SLC and put money into it.
Happy we both are in the same conference on the top. Just remember being successful as a small mid major always hurt you in the end because your coach will be poached and the process will rinse and repeat.
I hope eventually we have a more mutual site in the future or let the first seed. SFA and Nacogdoches is more than capable of hosting a tournament. Others not so much but as long as we both are on top it shouldn't be a worry.
I just watched the game on ESPN Plus. What really stood out that I didn't notice last night at the game was the kid screaming in the background. Wow!
Geauxcowboys07 said:
Which is why McNeese wanted it in Lake Charles. It was a heck of a negotiation on McNeese's part. Hate us if you want. Look the league was about to fail without McNeese. It's no secret the game plan has been to invest in basketball, our president understood athletics is the marketing arm to enhance enrollment. AD knew Will Wade and we gambled on the risk. Beating Clemson was estimated to be the equivalent of $50 million in advertising. Yeah we host, we win two games we are in the Big Dance. No secret and the league AD and Coach meetings were tense. Our AD said you could thank us in a few years, and now If anything the league is investing more in basketball, last I checked the league was 18th best in the country from the usual 30's. The first few tourney games fans are lacking, early day games and the league charges like $40 for a ticket or more locals would watch the early round games. LC is centrally located as well. Show up, have a good time and see y'all can beat us.
Give McNeese credit, they took full advantage of a crumbling league and used that leverage to maximum advantage.
The problem with the conference tournament format is that it rewards second place to the same degree as first. The second place team should go through a third game to claim the auto bid. There's no difference between the 1 and 2 seed. There should be more emphasis on winning the regular season title.
It becomes more important for SFA to continue rebuilding the brand to take that leverage away going into 2028 when the league will determine the future of the league tournament in Lake Charles.
Really strange way to admit that you spent the whole time in Nacogdoches focusing on male dancers instead of the basketball game, but hey, to each their own.
Giving McNeese the conference hosting rights was a weak move by the SLC born entirely out of desperation. Gloat all you want about it while it lasts because once that built in advantage is gone you'll be right back on level ground with the rest of the conference. And between now and then, every conference tournament game you lose on your home court will be twice as embarrassing.
Giving McNeese the conference hosting rights was a weak move by the SLC born entirely out of desperation. Gloat all you want about it while it lasts because once that built in advantage is gone you'll be right back on level ground with the rest of the conference. And between now and then, every conference tournament game you lose on your home court will be twice as embarrassing.
As said above, the deal is probably what saved the SLC after SFA and Sam Houston Institute of Technology left. If they lost McNeese too there's no way the conference would've financially survived. I don't blame the SLC for the decision at the time.
But now that the SLC is stronger across the board than it's ever been, I think it's a no brainer that after 2029 the tournament should be moved to the neutral site once again.
Katy was a great venue, as it allowed for easy access for all fanbases, had plenty of nearby hotels and entertainment, and is somewhat centralized for the schools, especially now with the SLC stretching down the Valley. Also thoroughly enjoyed 95% of the stadium being purple for championship games.
I do enjoy the trash talk bleeding into our boards. On the field and courts SFA vs McNeese has been very fun lately, the fanbases going at it just makes it a little more fun. ,
But now that the SLC is stronger across the board than it's ever been, I think it's a no brainer that after 2029 the tournament should be moved to the neutral site once again.
Katy was a great venue, as it allowed for easy access for all fanbases, had plenty of nearby hotels and entertainment, and is somewhat centralized for the schools, especially now with the SLC stretching down the Valley. Also thoroughly enjoyed 95% of the stadium being purple for championship games.
I do enjoy the trash talk bleeding into our boards. On the field and courts SFA vs McNeese has been very fun lately, the fanbases going at it just makes it a little more fun. ,
Maybe I'm a little slow but how the heck can they warrant that much power? Their five year record prior to the
23-24 season in basketball was 56-98 (we were 99-47 during the same time)! Why were they so important to the league? They are a relatively small school as well. Do they have casino money etc?
And they have sucked in football as well (no winning seasons in the last five years)! They must have a lot of wealthy donors with power somewhere!
23-24 season in basketball was 56-98 (we were 99-47 during the same time)! Why were they so important to the league? They are a relatively small school as well. Do they have casino money etc?
And they have sucked in football as well (no winning seasons in the last five years)! They must have a lot of wealthy donors with power somewhere!
jboy93 said:
Maybe I'm a little slow but how the heck can they warrant that much power? Their five year record prior to the
23-24 season in basketball was 56-98 (we were 99-47 during the same time)! Why were they so important to the league? They are a relatively small school as well. Do they have casino money etc?
Wealthy alumni/donors helps. They're in by far the best shape of the FCS Louisiana Schools. If the SLC had lost McNeese the conference would've been held afloat likely by UIW essentially(remember Lamar had left already at that point), so the conference was in panic mode. It was either offer the house to keep 1 of the 3 most prolific schools in conference history or lose all 3 in one offseason.
jboy93 said:
Maybe I'm a little slow but how the heck can they warrant that much power? Their five year record prior to the
23-24 season in basketball was 56-98 (we were 99-47 during the same time)! Why were they so important to the league? They are a relatively small school as well. Do they have casino money etc?
And they have sucked in football as well (no winning seasons in the last five years)! They must have a lot of wealthy donors with power somewhere!
Excellent comments, jboy. Right on!
Meanwhile, back on the court...
The term "trap game" is thrown around loosely. But, IMO, the game vs. Lamar this weekend is the definition of a trap game.
Lamar is playing well right now. Lost to us by 7, lost to McNeese by 1, blew out ETAM in their last three games.
Our guys are floating on a cloud after a win over McNeese with big implications for the conference tournament.
It'll be se easy for our fellas to take their eyes off the big prize of a conference regular season title. But I've seen enough of Brauerer this season to know the he's going to hammer them every day this week to keep looking forward and to not look back.
The term "trap game" is thrown around loosely. But, IMO, the game vs. Lamar this weekend is the definition of a trap game.
Lamar is playing well right now. Lost to us by 7, lost to McNeese by 1, blew out ETAM in their last three games.
Our guys are floating on a cloud after a win over McNeese with big implications for the conference tournament.
It'll be se easy for our fellas to take their eyes off the big prize of a conference regular season title. But I've seen enough of Brauerer this season to know the he's going to hammer them every day this week to keep looking forward and to not look back.
8 games remaining 4 at home and 4 on the road with a 2 game lead on first place and the #1 seed.
Geauxcowboys07 said:
There were SFA students and a set of football players laughing at their own male dancers last night. Wasn't just us getting a good laugh.
Doesn't make it right. Or appropriate.
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