What’s ahead for the Southland Conference in 2019?

[Catatonic]

2018 was an unusual year. UIW and Lamar went to the playoffs. UCA, Sam and McNeese didn’t. ACU had a winning record, including a W over SLC champion Nicholls.

What’s ahead for 2019? Was 2018 the new norm or do we return to the old normal in 2019?

Are there more surprises ahead as SFA and McNeese bring in new coaches? Will NWLA and SLU step up following a full season playing in new systems under first year coaches?

[TheRevSFA]

Looks like SFA hires Colby Carthel from a&m-commerce

[Catatonic]

Looks like SFA hires Colby Carthel from a&m-commerce

A coach who actually knows how to take advantage of all that talent SFA seems to attract could turn the Jacks into a force. If Carthel stays out of hot water with the NCAA, this could be a great hire for y’all.

[katss07]

The Southland is going to become a premier FCS conference very soon. This is a conference deep unlike any orher outside of the top 3 (Big Sky, CAA, MVFC). Our conference showed off that depth this year. When a UIW can come out and be competitive that really does show the kind of talent we have. This season was the second year in a row we’ve had three in the playoffs. That should be the new normal. Think about the parity in this league. ACU beat Nicholls, the conference champions. That speaks to the depth better than any result IMO.

I expect Sam and UCA to be better. Nathan Brown has something going up in Conway. I think the UCA did a good thing hiring him. The Bears have a great quarterback and should get back on track next year. If their quarterback wouldn’t have went down they might have been a playoff team. Sam’s defense will continue to improve. I’m optimistic about next year.

UIW will improve. Many of their impact players are young and won’t be graduating. I’m not sure what they’re losing but I think they’re going to build off of this year. NWST, SELA and ACU all played great down the stretch. Hell, the Wildcats were a team quietly mentioned as a team that could get in during conversations late in the night before Sunday.

I think we can expect Nicholls to be better.

McNeese and SFA have new coaches. We’ll see what they do.

I couldn’t name one player for HBU. I hope I see them in the playoffs before I die or the world ends or whatever.

[cx500d]

The Southland is going to become a premier FCS conference very soon. This is a conference deep unlike any orher outside of the top 3 (Big Sky, CAA, MVFC). Our conference showed off that depth this year. When a UIW can come out and be competitive that really does show the kind of talent we have. This season was the second year in a row we’ve had three in the playoffs. That should be the new normal. Think about the parity in this league. ACU beat Nicholls, the conference champions. That speaks to the depth better than any result IMO.

I expect Sam and UCA to be better. Nathan Brown has something going up in Conway. I think the UCA did a good thing hiring him. The Bears have a great quarterback and should get back on track next year. If their quarterback wouldn’t have went down they might have been a playoff team. Sam’s defense will continue to improve. I’m optimistic about next year.

UIW will improve. Many of their impact players are young and won’t be graduating. I’m not sure what they’re losing but I think they’re going to build off of this year. NWST, SELA and ACU all played great down the stretch. Hell, the Wildcats were a team quietly mentioned as a team that could get in during conversations late in the night before Sunday.

I think we can expect Nicholls to be better.

McNeese and SFA have new coaches. We’ll see what they do.

I couldn’t name one player for HBU. I hope I see them in the playoffs before I die or the world ends or whatever.

UIW needs to be worried about somebody else picking off Eric Morris...

[BEAR]

2019: UCA wont likely make the playoffs. 2 FBS road games. As much as I want to see a shot at the playoffs, it likely isn't happening because of that. I'd like to say well at least we got tailgating, but we don't even have that. Only one home game the first 6 calendar weeks of the season and our fans will check out. Next year I will likely be a lurker...

[Thumper 76]

2019: UCA wont likely make the playoffs. 2 FBS road games. As much as I want to see a shot at the playoffs, it likely isn't happening because of that. I'd like to say well at least we got tailgating, but we don't even have that. Only one home game the first 6 calendar weeks of the season and our fans will check out. Next year I will likely be a lurker...

I don’t know about that. 2 FBS games aren’t nearly as bad next year in a 12 game season. You aren’t scheduled out of the playoffs just yet, unless you have a DII in there as well.


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[MR. CHICKEN]

.....KEELER'S REVENGE.............BRAWK!

[katss07]

I think us non SFAers have forgotten the late 2000s. SFA can really be a good program. It’s too bad Conque mever really did anything after the playoffs in 2013. So much talent in that program just wasted.

Maybe next year the Lumberjacks show some progress. Would definitely be good for our conference as a whole. Unless you’re playing Sam, best of luck to Jack Nation.

[Hood]

Going on 20 years I still forget about SFA when thinking of teams in the conference. Including the butt whoopings they laid on us.