New Orleans to stay D-I, possibly add football, possibly join Southland

[ccd494]

http://www.wwltv.com/home/Sources-UNO-to-return-to-Division-I-athletics--141931013.html


Fos also said UNO aspires to field a Division 1 football team, possibly by 2015 0r 2016.
"All supporters of football need to understand the the university needs an additional 3-4 million dollars a year to have a competitive football program. These are monies that I do not have. The Privateer Athletic Foundation an all supporters will have to step up to help in this initiative."


He also said UNO is now negotiating with two athletic conferences. Sources say the school is leaning toward the Southland Conference, which also includes Southeastern, Nicholls State and McNeese State.

[DFW HOYA]

He also said UNO is now negotiating with two athletic conferences. Sources say the school is leaning toward the Southland Conference, which also includes Southeastern, Nicholls State and McNeese State.

Which is the other conference? Someone at UNO ought to be calling the Pioneer.

[tourguide]

Which is the other conference? Someone at UNO ought to be calling the Pioneer.
If u read between the lines he is saying pioneer without saying pioneer. They can have a competitive team in southland if they can raise the money. Otherwise they can just have a team and suck and be in the pioneer

[dbackjon]

Yo - Texas Terror

[ccd494]

If u read between the lines he is saying pioneer without saying pioneer. They can have a competitive team in southland if they can raise the money. Otherwise they can just have a team and suck and be in the pioneer

My understanding of the wording was that this was discussions regarding an all sports conference. I think if UNO develops football, discussions with the Pioneer would happen down the road. They need to get basketball and the other sports that already exist situated first, while possibly doing some football fundraising.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Atlantic Sun?

[Seawolf97]

Good for them. From what I understand they were on the financial ropes for awhile and were looking at D-2 or D3 with no football. Hope they pull it off.

[Sly Fox]

Yo - Texas Terror

I seriously doubt he is able to say anything about this topic.

[bonarae]

From what I understand they were on the financial ropes for awhile and were looking at D-2 or D3 with no football.

They were the more impacted of the two NOLA Division I schools after Katrina. I heard years back that they were planning to start football as a D-III. Good thing they're staying in D-I and hope they will start the football program and join us in the FCS.

[dgtw]

You have to have (I think) 14 sports to be Division I. Their website says that right now they have ten sports..baseball, volleyball as well as basketball, golf, tennis and cross country for both sexes. Wikipedia says they have a indoor and outdoor track program for both as well, which would give them 14 sports.

But if they went scholarship football, they'd have to set up a bunch of women's sports for Title IX balance.

The GSC had this to say on their website.


"We are surprised and disappointed by this announcement. UNO made a full commitment to us when we granted its request for membership in the Gulf South Conference this past June. Based on that commitment, and the fact that it paid its non-refundable initiation fee, UNO is in all of our GSC schedules for 2012-13 and 2013-14.

We are aware that the independent consultant hired by the President of the U of L System unequivocally recommended in his January report that UNO should continue on the path to Division II and the Gulf South Conference. We believe this was based at least in part on the challenges UNO faces if it stays D-I: competitive budgets, scheduling as an independent, minimum numbers of athletic grants-in-aid, APR deficiencies and minimum sport sponsorship requirements.

With that in mind, we are closing no doors because we are convinced that UNO is a great fit in D-II and the GSC. We think the D-I road will be a lot more difficult than some people currently believe and we want the opportunity to revisit this in the future.

Dr. Fos has stated that UNO will honor its commitments to the GSC, including the 2012-13 schedule, and we fully expect them to do so."



I wonder how much the non-refundable fee was?

I didn't think UNO was much of a fit for the GSC anyway. A major market city in a league of small town schools?

With all the times they've changed their minds in the last few months, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were the Southland or Pioneer League. They don't seem to know what they were doing and screwed up leaving the sun Belt.
http://www.gscsports.org/news/2012/3/8/GEN_0308124044.aspx

[RabidRabbit]

The have a brand new, beautiful pool and Diving well. Should have those M&W swim/dive also.

They'd make just another wonderful addition to the Great West Conference.

Wouldn't be a good addition for the Summit. UNO was already added last year xlolx

Mavs and Privateers in the same conference? Nah.

[FormerPokeCenter]

They were the more impacted of the two NOLA Division I schools after Katrina. I heard years back that they were planning to start football as a D-III. Good thing they're staying in D-I and hope they will start the football program and join us in the FCS.

I'm not sure you can say that any of the NOLA schools was less impacted than the others....

UNO caught plenty of wind damage and wind blown water coming in off of Lake Ponchartrain, some of the buildings weren't that impacted.....Tulane had water in some of the dorms and their practice fields. The Superdome was famously abused during the storm and Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park was deluged by the failure of the London and 17th Street outfall canal walls....

La. Tech and SMU both hosted Tulane Athletes in various sports....

[major095]

I would think the swac would be interested. would give them a continual presence in new orleans.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

I would think the swac would be interested. would give them a continual presence in new orleans.

Is UNO a HBCU?

[lionsrking2]

Is UNO a HBCU?

No

[aztecjim]

Would a school be allowed to join a conference just to get its foot in the D-I door then join/create a new conference? I was thinking UNO, TAMU-CC, UT-Arl, UT-PA, Oral Roberts, UA-LR, possibly HBU, (I know they are adding football) Oklahoma City,...

[DFW HOYA]

I would think the swac would be interested. would give them a continual presence in new orleans.

The SWAC wouldn't go beyond the HBCU's for a variety of reasons. The CIAA did, however.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3163407

[Sly Fox]

Would a school be allowed to join a conference just to get its foot in the D-I door then join/create a new conference? I was thinking UNO, TAMU-CC, UT-Arl, UT-PA, Oral Roberts, UA-LR, possibly HBU, (I know they are adding football) Oklahoma City,...

TAMU-CC, ORU & HBU have already joined a stable FCS conference in the Southland while UTA just left that league for the WAC.

[TheRevSFA]

Would a school be allowed to join a conference just to get its foot in the D-I door then join/create a new conference? I was thinking UNO, TAMU-CC, UT-Arl, UT-PA, Oral Roberts, UA-LR, possibly HBU, (I know they are adding football) Oklahoma City,...

TAMU-CC hasn't been worth anything in athletics in awhile.

Now, UNO would be a great SLC fit, and would have a travel partner in Southeastern Louisiana.

[aztecjim]

TAMU-CC hasn't been worth anything in athletics in awhile.

Now, UNO would be a great SLC fit, and would have a travel partner in Southeastern Louisiana.


I just have this weird thing. I like football playing and non football playing schools in separate conferences. I also wish the A-10 plus 4, the CAA, America East, and the non football schools in the Big East would re-align.

[TheRevSFA]

If UNO joined the SLC, it would make perfectly alligned divisions

West
SFA
Sam Houston
Lamar
Oral Roberts
A&M Corpus Christi
HBU

East
UNO
UCA
NW State
McNeese
Nicholls
SELA

[Sly Fox]

That would be assuming there weren't more departures to keep the WAC afloat.

[TheRevSFA]

No one from the SLC can really aford to jump now

[DFW HOYA]

So why, exactly, did the SLC say no all those years to Centenary?

[LouiseBFree]

Centenary never brought anything to the table. In D3 now, where they always should have been.


So why, exactly, did the SLC say no all those years to Centenary?

[LouiseBFree]

And if we're talking about the WAC, there's going to be nothing to "jump" to in a few months.

[MplsBison]

And if we're talking about the WAC, there's going to be nothing to "jump" to in a few months.

Merge with the Sun Belt, then replenish teams from the Southland after some are taken by Mount USA.

Lamar and McNeese as a pair?

[LouiseBFree]

Not. Gonna. Happen.

No more of a chance of that than the MAC replenishing from the MVFC.


Merge with the Sun Belt, then replenish teams from the Southland after some are taken by Mount USA.

Lamar and McNeese as a pair?

[Sly Fox]

Let's say the MWCUSA & Sun Belt folks both pass on UTSA & Texas State. Then the MWCUSA adds Utah State & San Jose State to pacify the western schools in the alliance. The the Sun Belt adds Louisiana Tech. Here is what the WAC would like for football before any expansion:

Idaho
New Mexico State
Texas State
UTSA

Can you explain to me why it wouldn't be appealing for Sam & Lamar to want to move over to the WAC under those circumstances? Yeah, I know it costs money that isn't coming out of the state coffers. But it is not crazy talk.