Hmmm...WT appears to have a stay small attitude???

[west-texan]

From the D2 football message board.

It truly appears that the misguided bunch trying to push WT toward a smaller football stadium...

that includes the WT AD...Mike McBroom...

are truly part of the bunch working to keep WT from growing...and keep the WT student enrollment from going up.

Got to say I completely disagree on the not wanting to move up in WT athletics.

It's time for WT to start playing some non-conference games up a level to D1AA.

D2 Abilene Christian was going to do just that...but has recently had D1AA Stephen F. Austin back out...because the ACU program is stronger right now...than the SFA program.

I have to completely disagree on the attempt to downsize WT football...and believe all WT efforts should be geared toward moving back up a level to D1AA.

WT has a non-conference schedule opening...and the reports are...that they have had 15 D2 schools turn them down...and now we're getting reports that WT is only looking at playing D2 schools.

Hell...even every single HS football program in the Panhandle area...plays at least 1 non-district game...up a UIL level...

But no...WT wants to stay small.

I would love to drop-kick the stay small WT bunch into the next state...

along with the stupid smiley face...that says WT is small and we want to stay that way.

www.d2messageboard.com/showthread.php?t=8417

[saltfork]

Is it really feasable for West Texas to be competitive at the Div 1 level be it 1A or 1AA?

[west-texan]

saltfork said:

Is it really feasable for West Texas to be competitive at the Div 1 level be it 1A or 1AA?

Nice to see you back on the board...and I was thinking about you the other night.

Yes...I believe that in a few years...with non-stop nationwide recruiting...we could be back at D1AA...and much more competitive than we were in the early 80's at that level.

Remember...we have time on our side...because it's going to be a few years before the NCAA lets anyone start moving up again.

It will take an all-out commitment...but we have a few years to start getting our ducks in a row...and get the funding in place.

WT does not have trouble winning...as long as we recruit nationwide...and don't get too many local kids on the roster.

[west-texan]

We could have made it at D1AA in the early 80's...but Don Davis screwed it all up...by trying to go with local only recruiting...which never works at WT.

At WT...to have winning seasons...we've got to go out...and bring in the big and fast guys from somewhere else.

The last time we were at D1AA...Davis recruited a lot of locals...and we really only got 3 who were winners...and that was Tod Mayfield and Kevin Brown and Clark Pylant.

Also...the last time at D1AA...Davis killed us in 1983 and 1984...with David Harbin from Canyon at Quarterback.

The local recruiting killed us the last time at D1AA...and we couldn't win again...until Bill Kelley came in and mostly cleaned house...and brought in a LOT of transfers.

[west-texan]

When Bill Yung left WT for UTEP after the 1981 season...which was WT's last year at D1A...

We were ahead of where Boise State was at that time.

I believe that with nationwide recruiting and proper funding...WT could be extremely competitive at the D1AA level...

and be back playing with the old gang from that time of McNeese St and New Mexico St and Southern Illinois and Indiana St and Illinois St for non-conference...

and be able to compete in the Southland Conference.

D1AA SFA just backed out from playing D2 ACU in 2008...because ACU is above their level...and so is WT.

WT right now...could probably beat Texas State and SFA and maybe Sam Houston...and could compete with McNeese.

[west-texan]

About WT going back to D1AA...all sports at the school would be involved...

And while WT football has shown a HUGE improvement in the last 3 seasons...

These observations made on the D2 board...show that WT basketball has actually been hurt a lot by WT dropping to D2 from D1.

These statements show a dramatic drop in WT basketball revenue and season tickets holdings...since WT dropped to D2.

Going back to D1...appears that it could actually benefit WT basketball.

Anyone else have any comments on this?

[west-texan]

Grand Valley St University?

Ok...so it may help WT's SOS...strength of schedule...a tiny bit for the D2 playoffs...

But from the common WT fan's viewpoint in Amarillo...

Who gives a rat's ass about seeing WT play some D2 team from way up north...

From a school that very few WT fans in Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle have ever heard of?

I admit to having heard of Grand Valley St from being on the D2 football board...

But even I have no idea what their mascot is...or even what town this obscure school is in.

Playing in Canyon...this unknown team will not get WT a big home crowd...

Because most WT fans in Amarillo...barely care about D2...and certainly don't care about schools they never heard of.

Grand Valley State? Gag...barf...Yawn!

From a WT fan viewpoint...a very lame and ho-hum opponent...that will not get Kimbrough more than half full.

But GVSU apparently plays in a small micro-stadium...so all the WT small stadium pushers...and the Keep WTAMU and Canyon Small crowd...are just salivating over this choice of opponent.

I for one...hope this does not happen...

and that since WT has been kicking ass at D2...that we will step our game up...

and try to schedule an opponent that is a D1AA school closer to home...that the WT fans actually care about...and will fill our stadium to watch.

Let's try to schedule someone like Stephen F. Austin or Sam Houston or McNeese St or Texas St.

The only WT fans who give a d**n about seeing WT play Grand Valley are those on the D2 football board.

[west-texan]

I'm a longtime WT follower...

Going back to the late-70's...I have seen dozens and dozens of WT home games...and will show up to support regardless.

But even I have absolutely no interest in seeing a school I know nothing about...come to play at WT.

The marginal WT fans who want to see a football game that weekend...will probably be trying to get Tech tickets...to see an opponent they actually care about watching.

[west-texan]

Hmmm...very interesting.

We'll have to wait and see if this gets any comment from the WTAMU crowd...

About WTAMU possibly moving up to D1AA...and maybe pursuing Southland Conference membership.

I doubt this move by Texas State will get any coverage in the Globe News...because it appears that the We Want WT To Stay Small bunch has control over what the AGN sports writers publish in the paper.

www.d2messageboard.com/showthread.php?t=9323

[west-texan]

Why the direction for WTAMU...needs to be UP...and not stay small.

Now is the time for WT to start preparing for a move to D1 athletics.

This is from the strategic plan of WT's fellow Lone Star Conference member...University of Central Oklahoma...

All of these are points that WTAMU needs to strive toward...and I believe that a move to Div. 1 in athletics would also do WTAMU a lot of good as far as growth and moving forward.

Also...WT has no published strategic plan available on its website for the public.

You can search www.wtamu.edu and find lots of talk about creating a strategic plan...but you can't find the WT strategic plan.

If anyone knows of a link to the WT strategic plan...please let me know.

administration.ucok.edu/ucostrategicplan/execSummary.php

Highlights of the UCO G2G Plan

UCO will become a Top 10 Metropolitan University in the U.S., providing the OKC metro area with excellent higher education leadership for its growth.

UCO will become The Leadership University in the U.S.

UCO will be committed to a transformative educational experience, one that integrates classroom, student life, and experiential learning.

UCO will take the leading role in the arts in the OKC metro area.

UCO will prepare for a move to Division I athletics.

UCO will be committed to providing a robust global experience for our students, whether they are able to study abroad or are domestically bound.

UCO will be innovative in our approach to gathering the financial resources needed to reward our outstanding faculty and staff and to give each student the educational experience they deserve

More on UCO's plans for D1 athletics...that would be a great model for WTAMU...

administration.ucok.edu/ucostrategicplan/24Visions.php

D-I Athletics

Note: As of August 11, 2007 the NCAA has placed a moratorium on any new admissions into D-I. UCO will use this time period to prepare to go to D-1 when the moratorium is lifted in 2012.

Goals:

1. Increase visibility and prestige of UCO
2. Increase the student life experience for UCO students and alums
3. Respond to high student demand for D-I experiences

Suggestions:

1. Consider moving two sports to D-I to generate excitement for an eventual move to D-I
2. Build resources at D-II level to best in nation to expidite the move to D-I
3. Build full business plan to accomplish this move

Seek conference affiliation

Measure of Success:

Division I Athletic status

Champion: n/a

Time Frames:

Fully prepared for a D-I conference invitation by 2012

********************************************************

This is why it would be a huge mistake for WTAMU to move from a large stadium...to a smaller stadium...

When WT has shown several times over....that Kimbrough can be filled to capacity with football fans.

A move to D1A or D1AA would be a great way to raise the profile and school size of WTAMU...

And increase the WT enrollment...which has not grown significantly since 1971...when a 29 year growth trend slammed to a halt.

AISD completely renovated Dick Bivins Stadium...which is almost identical in construction to Kimbrough...for only $5.7 million...with all new pressbox and concessions and restrooms and dressing facilities and handicapped access.

Also...Dick Bivins Stadium is 10 years old than Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

This proves that it would be much more economical to renovate Kimbrough...than waste more money on building a smaller stadium...just because some want to forever lock WT into D2 athletics.

It's time for WT to start growing significantly again...and D1 athletics...and NOT a smaller stadium...is a great way to kick-start that growth for WT.

In addition...it is also time for the size and population of little Canyon, TX to show some growth.

Just think of the incredible economic benefits for the Amarillo/Canyon area from a much larger WTAMU...with say 12,000 to 13,000 students.

Texas Tech drives the Lubbock economy...and it's time for Amarillo to start seeing a lot more economic and social benefit from WTAMU.

Now is the time for WT to start preparing for a move to D1 athletics.