I'm an outside lurker to this forum, but with the rumor mill running with the WAC, I wanted to resurface an idea I've had for a while. The Southland needs to split into two conferences.

It's time. The current version of the conference isn't working. 13 teams. No divisions. Terrible RPI. Multiple non-division 1 games in basketball per team.

Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference TIAC:

1. SFA
2. UT Arlington (Sun Belt)
3. SHSU
4. Lamar
5. Dallas Baptist (Missouri Valley baseball, d2 other sports)
6. ACU
7. TAMUCC
8. UTRGV (WAC)
9. Tarleton State (WAC)
10. UIW
11. HBU

The Southland should really be two conferences (at least for non-football sports) for multiple reasons:

1. Scheduling- 9-11 team conferences could schedule round robin schedules, determining a true regular season champion, and maximizing scheduled games. This also opens up non-conference scheduling of AR and LA teams currently in conference, cutting down on the need for non-D1 opponents. Currently almost all regional D1 peer schools are in conference, which makes non-conference home games almost impossible.
2. Round robin scheduling plays into the next pro, rivalry. Fans in Texas want to see their team beat other Texas schools. More engaged fan bases increase attendance, giving, sponsorship, etc.
3. Competitiveness. Basketball gets better by dropping dead weight, adding another strong mid-major in UTA, and adding a strong up-and-comer in Tarleton. Baseball adds a perennial power in DBU and can be a regular two bid league with SHSU and DBU.
4. Recruiting. Texas teams recruit Texas. Texas players want to play in Texas. Stop losing Texas talent to out of state mid majors by giving them a conference schedule with as many Texas games as our Texas teams.
5. Travel. Cut down on conference travel costs and let that investment be placed elsewhere (facilities, coaching, etc).
6. Add a Dallas market.

TAMUCC already has new baseball/basketball facilities in their master plans. Gain further basketball commitments from UIW, HBU, and DBU. Gain baseball facility commitments from HBU, Tarleton, and SFA.

TIAC Growth (only if defections, in order of priority): Prairie View, Texas Southern, West Texas A&M, St. Mary's, Angelo State

Plan for Southland non-Texas leftovers- LOAC (Louisiana Oklahoma Arkansas Conference). Obviously one conference keeps the Southland name.

1. McNeese St
2. Southeastern Louisiana
3. New Orleans
4. Northwestern St.
5. Nichols St
6. Central Arkansas
7. Arkansas- Little Rock (Sun Belt)
8. Oral Roberts (Summit)

Possible D2 adds for growth or replacement of defections, in order of priority- Central Oklahoma, Arkansas Fort Smith, Harding, Drury, Southwestern Oklahoma St, Southeastern Oklahoma St

Other possible additions- Xavier Louisiana (NAIA), Centenary (D3), or D1 HBCUs: Southern, Grambling, Arkansas Pine Bluff

On the surface, this makes sense for most Southland teams. The biggest questions is why the two Sun Belt teams would leave their conference for this setup. The answer is simple, they benefit in most of the same ways the Southland schools do. They cut travel cost, stay in a competitive league, and build local rivalry. Post-COVID, I think the financial realities that college athletic programs are going to face will lead to some surprising shakeups. Additionally, the Sun Belt is a one bid league that these two teams compete well in, but rarely win. They could be conference powers in their new D1 mid-major leagues, the TIAC and LOAC. Ask anyone, would you rather be an SFA or Southern Illinois in the current college athletics climate? SFA gets regular national exposure as an NCAA tournament team. You can't beat that in these leagues.

I like it. This is better than the WAC plan even if I'd still drop HBU.

Louisiana schools can keep the Southland name. We'll take Southwest conference, which is no longer trademarked.

TallTexan said:

---

I like it. This is better than the WAC plan even if I'd still drop HBU.

Louisiana schools can keep the Southland name. We'll take Southwest conference, which is no longer trademarked.

---

Didn't realize Southwest Conference wasn't trademarked anymore. The SWC would be perfect.

It's not a bad plan, but probably several too late on some teams, too early on DBU probably.

UTA is doing fine in the Sun Belt from my perspective. They have worked hard for 20 years to leave these other teams behind. SFA can only try to catch them not reel them back.

UIW, HBU, and DBU are dead weight. Baseball unfortunately isn't bringing any money in to schools, and like HBU and UIW, getting to play basketball in a high school gym doesn't help the look. We're too late on UTRGV and Tarleton for at least a couple of years. They have the most intriguing relevance to the conversation because of their dramatic growth, but they are gone for now.

SFA has few legitimate options as long as we're committed to both football and basketball. The Southland like you say has even fewer. It's a train wreck, but we're going to have to wait until wide scale realignment across the south in maybe 3-4 years. But, then this plan will probably have a lot more validity to it.

As a close follower of the Southland, I get the frustration SFA fans have. I think you might be severely underestimating what DBU is capable of. With their success and investment in baseball (stadium would immediately be the best in Southland), I could see them doing well in basketball too. They have more resources and are much less of a commuter school than HBU. UIW on the other hand has potential, the investment just needs to go into facilities. They are a decent sized Catholic university in a major city. No reason they can't be better.

UTA is the one you're probably right on, but if every other piece fell into place, I think you could make a hard sell.

UTRGV and Tarleton have been quietly begging the Southland to invite them to the party for years- I don't see them being the reason this doesn't work.

Post-COVID, the financial realities of WAC travel vs SWC or whatever we call this, is going to be a big deal. Some realignment is coming.

If anyone is interested, I went into a more depth (including mapping and backup school options) with these ideas on twitter:

Nac. Your perspective is similar to my own. I have a little divergence in that I think it is "possible", I repeat "possible" to a reasonable WAC solution that achieves to aims. 1) More competitive basketball landscape, NM St would do that right off. 2) Possibility of a cogent FCS football conference that would have some upside. If the "divisions" are set up with good geographic glue than it could be a good growth period Cost containment is really the only major issue. The SLC is stale and rotten. If said earlier that a dream WAC - Southwest Division of ACU, Lamar, Sam, SFA, Tarleton and UTRGV would be fairly appealing. First it retains a couple of solid rivalries (Lamar and Sam). More Sam of course. I see Tarleton as potential budding rivalry and ACU has its unique qualities. We could still schedule plenty of NW St or McNeese to maintain some of those relationships. A month ago when the WAC talk started I was a true skeptic. After ruminating I've made a 180 and if done properly (geography geography) and with the correct travel partners it could be a very good move.