SLC Media Day: Weighing in on Lamar Football [Archive]

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TexasTerror

July 27th, 2006, 06:27 AM

Article includes a quote from the SLC Commish where he says he's hearing the same rumors we all are. The head of SLC officiating believes if Nicholls can do it, so can Lamar. I still think football at Lamar is further away than A&M-CC or UT-Arlington, but surprises are around every corner...

At SLC media day, execs weigh in on the possible rebirth of Lamar football
By PERRYN KEYS, The Enterprise
07/26/2006
WESTLAKE, La. - A smile widens on the face of Jim Harvey when someone mentions Cardinal Stadium.

The place reminds him of home.

"Cardinal Stadium," he said, repeating the name of Lamar University's football stadium.

"Yes, I saw quite a few games there."

Harvey, now the Southland Conference director of officials, doesn't wear his class ring from South Park High School anymore, and his fashion sense doesn't give away any allegiance to Lamar University.

But Harvey cracked a grin when he said he'd tricked Lamar into giving him three degrees before he left Southeast Texas.

On Wednesday afternoon, at the Southland Conference Kickoff Celebration, Harvey remembered way back when Lamar played its games at South Park. He happily recalled the handful of games he officiated at Cardinal Stadium - some between Hebert and Charlton-Pollard, some of involving Lamar.

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16972608&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512556&rfi=6

GeauxColonels

July 27th, 2006, 09:05 AM

"Look at Nicholls State," Harvey said. "I mean, if you can do it at Nicholls, you can do it anywhere."
According to the NCAA Financial Reports Database, Nicholls State's football budget in 2004 was about $930,000, far smaller than most of its rivals. Stephen F. Austin, for example, spent almost $1.8 million on football that year, and Texas State spent more than $2.1 million.

In other words, for every dollar Nicholls spent on its football program, Texas State spent $2.31.
It REALLY pains me to see how underfunded our athletics department is. :( :( :( : smh : : smh : :( :( :(

Which brings us to a person like Cory Vavala.

When Vavala was still a high school kid in San Antonio, the Colonels were the joke of the league. Barely anyone, in fact, bothered to attend games at Guidry Stadium, preferring to drive to LSU or stay home.

"We started winning at the end of the season, and we had people coming up to us in Chili's, telling us they saw us play and how awesome the games are," said Vavala
Let's just hope people continue to go through the good times and the bad. I've been there ever since I began attending Nicholls State and try to make every game I can. Hell, my parents still have season tickets for the Colonels even though they live an hour away from Thibodaux and have no kids attending the school anymore.

Retro

July 27th, 2006, 10:30 AM

McNeese72

July 27th, 2006, 11:29 AM

The big difference is that starting up a program and maintaining one are 2 different things.. Lamar still has to work on their stadium, sell enough season tickets up front and so on..... I doubt it will happen at lamar, unless a big donor forks over a few million especially for that cause.

Yes, they would have to have some people to step up with some money to help fund the startup expenses like SLU did when they restarted football.

Doc

Cat79

July 27th, 2006, 11:42 AM

It would take $250,000 just to clean their stadium up. They would need to make improvements to the stadium just to meet what others have in the SLC.:D

I hope they make the investment. They would need to build up their fan base. The last time we played them in Beaumont our fans outnumbered the cardinal fans.

Freightliner

July 27th, 2006, 11:49 AM

It would take $250,000 just to clean their stadium up. They would need to make improvements to the stadium just to meet what others have in the SLC.:D

Its gonna take more than that to clean that stadium up Cat....the place is a disaster....even BEFORE they shut the program down!

I hope they make the investment. They would need to build up their fan base. The last time we played them in Beaumont our fans outnumbered the cardinal fans.

Ahh...the infamous Ron Rittiman touchdown pass....geesh...did you have to bring that up?

Oh well...we got revenge in 89! :D

Cat79

July 27th, 2006, 12:12 PM

TD swing pass :D in the rain to AJ Johnson for I believe 98 yards.:hurray:

GeauxColonels

July 27th, 2006, 02:56 PM

TexasTerror

July 27th, 2006, 07:08 PM

Sadly, that sounds like a Nicholls/McNeese game in Thibodaux. :( :( : smh : : smh :

GeauxColonels, you going to invite me down to Thibodaux for a game? We should get together and have a good ole time with some SLC action down here in this neck of the woods...:thumbsup:

McTailGator

July 28th, 2006, 07:04 PM

Sadly, that sounds like a Nicholls/McNeese game in Thibodaux. :( :( : smh : : smh :

I wonder what Lamar fans would think when McNeese fans started showing up on Friday nights after making the <40 minute drive from SW Louisiana.?? :smiley_wi

TexasTerror

July 28th, 2006, 08:20 PM

Lamar is and always has been a basketball school...

With all the hoopla of having Billy Tubbs, they never accomplished a single thing during his most recent tenure. Maybe Roc will turn things around, but I think until they get their act together as a basketball playing institution, they won't look to football.

Roc has been recruiting well, but can that translate? Tubbs apparently recruited well and he never got further than the SLC semifinals...

golionsgo

July 28th, 2006, 08:37 PM

Roc has been recruiting well, but can that translate? Tubbs apparently recruited well and he never got further than the SLC semifinals...

If Lamar doesn't dominate the Southland Conference in BB over the next couple of years with the recruiting class they just brought in, there's not much hope for those guys. They've got the talent to not only get to the NCAA tournament, but win a game or two. They outrecruited a lot of high majors.