|
|
Post by buffalorunning on Oct 30, 2010 18:11:24 GMT -5
At a Buffalo Club function I discussed going to D1 (Southland Conference) with a WT coach. This was not a football coach thats all I will say to protect the name of the coach.
The coach told me that WT will not ever go to D1. He stated funding as the first reason. He believes that the athletic budget would need to be doubled to go to D1 Southland. When I asked if fund raising would be easier with more excitement and corporate involvement at the D1 level and big payouts from playing Big 12 teams in non-conference, he agreed that would bring in more money. Then he gave me the real reason that WT will never go D1.
When WT was D1 in the past WT had cancelled several other sports like baseball, softball, women's basketball ect... Now they will not do that and those teams would have to compete in the whole D1 arena, Only Football gets to be D1-AA or (FCS). That means that all the other athletic teams would never be nationally ranked. The mens basketball team will be ranked against Duke, USC, Texas, Kansas, and never ranked in the top 25.
So in a nut shell. The boosters, admin, and non-football coaches like D2 because all the athletic teams have a shot at a national championship and in D1 not so.
|
|
|
|
Post by west-texan on Oct 31, 2010 13:07:53 GMT -5
When WT was D1 in the past WT had cancelled several other sports like baseball, softball, women's basketball ect... Back in the mid-80's. WT dropped bowling and riflery and tennis and track and softball. And that was because the athletic department was in a mess. Because WT had gone from 1971 to 1985 without a full-time athletic director. And if I remember correctly...they dropped those sports before Bruce Grimes was hired as AD. WT has never dropped basketball of any sort ever. Bruce would have fixed the problems but dumb decisions were made before he was hired. Lack of proper management caused the financial problems back then. That has nothing at all to do with the present time. |
|
|
|
Post by west-texan on Oct 31, 2010 13:40:02 GMT -5
So in a nut shell. The boosters, admin, and non-football coaches like D2 because all the athletic teams have a shot at a national championship and in D1 not so. That is liberal Democrat Obama logic that is nothing more than a lame excuse. That same coach probably believes in Obama wealth redistribution from rich to the poor. Keep everyone at the same level...and give out participation trophies. Softball or soccer or volleyball tail trying to wag the WT dog.  Using that logic: A big brother in a family can't have a car or drive. Because little brother is not old enough to get his driver license. >>>>> You don't hold your big sports and university down because of small sports. We don't hear the softball team at Tech wanting the school to drop to D2...so Tech softball could win a national championship. D1 and D2 are about a lot more than just sports. D1 schools get more students and more state funding and donations for academics. D2 labels a school as 2nd rate. And D2 schools gets less students and less academic funding from the state. D2 hurts WT. D2 causes WT to get less students and less state funding and less academic donations. The small size and D2 reputation on WT...causes wealthy students in Amarillo to go to D1 Tech. If that coach wants to hold WT down for his small sport that makes no money. Then I will be glad to help that coach move out of his office. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by west-texan on Oct 31, 2010 13:47:02 GMT -5
So in a nut shell. The boosters, admin, and non-football coaches like D2 because all the athletic teams have a shot at a national championship and in D1 not so. Also... The D2 people seem to forget that at D1...you recruit better athletes period. So you can be competitive at D1. Remember Butler basketball playing for the D1 national championship last year? And the D1 academic requirements are higher...so you recruit better students as players. There is a very good reason why D1 schools have a higher athlete graduation rate than D2. D1 is better for a school than D2. |
|
|
|
Post by west-texan on Oct 31, 2010 13:53:17 GMT -5
At a Buffalo Club function I discussed going to D1 (Southland Conference) with a WT coach. This was not a football coach thats all I will say to protect the name of the coach. The coach told me that WT will not ever go to D1. He stated funding as the first reason. He believes that the athletic budget would need to be doubled to go to D1 Southland. Doubling the current WT athletic budget is nothing.....it would be easy. WT dropped season ticket prices for football and basketball when they dropped to D2. So WT dropping to D2 was more about politics than funding. ;D WT charges less for season tickets than they did 25 years ago. And 25 years ago...WT had probably 10 times as many basketball season ticket holders. Most of the arguments for D2 at WT...don't stand up to scrutiny. |
|
|
|
Post by west-texan on Oct 31, 2010 14:01:02 GMT -5
When I asked if fund raising would be easier with more excitement and corporate involvement at the D1 level and big payouts from playing Big 12 teams in non-conference, he agreed that would bring in more money. That right there is why funding is really not the reason WT is at D2. The "funding" is not keeping WT out of D1. |
|
