Sun Belt Predictions

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Originally Posted by racajun54

_ I am sure they are especially with their success so far. As far as the Texas State going FBS that is old news. That has been around for about 2 or 3 years now. I am not sure what is delaying it I figured they would have been gone by now. FCS football has been great for McNeese and we are pleased with the decision that was made in the 1980's just as I am sure UL is pleased with the decision they made in the 80's. Just to clarify again since I guess being a UL fan you don't understand Texas State and McNeese are in FCS or the old Div 1AA. Schools like Northern Alabama (you guys should remember them) are in D2 or the proper designation is D II. But like most overblown UL fans you can't keep your facts straight. _

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Have fun in the FCS (formerly known as div. 1AA). That is really where McNeese belongs. Just not a large enough program to make the move up. Also, if you made the move up then for a few years your team would likely get worse because you could not recruit the transfers from the major FBS teams that want to play right away, rather than sit out a year. It would be great for Cajun football and Louisisana football if McNeese could make the jump up and join sunbelt and be competitive but it is not going to happen unfortunately. There are not many state schools that small in FBS, especially from financially distressed states, which did not make the move to D1A a long time ago.

Trying to make the argument that McNeese's football program is better than UL today is quite silly. There is so much more upside for UL and it is already a much better program. McNeese can't get much better than it is now, a team that competes very well in FCS. UL has a lot of room to grow and may or may not do that (but at least UL fans can realistically hope and plan and dream for bigger and better things, like bowl games and such). McNeese is hitting a ceiling of mediocrity (when compared to FBS teams) unless they make the move up to FBS and there is almost no chance that will happen.

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Originally Posted by MiamiCajun32

_ Have fun in the FCS (formerly known as div. 1AA). That is really where McNeese belongs. Just not a large enough program to make the move up. Also, if you made the move up then for a few years your team would likely get worse because you could not recruit the transfers from the major FBS teams that want to play right away, rather than sit out a year. It would be great for Cajun football and Louisisana football if McNeese could make the jump up and join sunbelt and be competitive but it is not going to happen unfortunately. There are not many state schools that small in FBS, especially from financially distressed states, which did not make the move to D1A a long time ago.

Trying to make the argument that McNeese's football program is better than UL today is quite silly. There is so much more upside for UL and it is already a much better program. McNeese can't get much better than it is now, a team that competes very well in FCS. UL has a lot of room to grow and may or may not do that (but at least UL fans can realistically hope and plan and dream for bigger and better things, like bowl games and such). McNeese is hitting a ceiling of mediocrity (when compared to FBS teams) unless they make the move up to FBS and there is almost no chance that will happen. _

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McNeese signs very few transfers from FBS schools. On average they might sign 2 a year. Some years 3 or 4 sometimes none. We did sign 5 or 6 this year but that is the most they have signed over the last 20 odd years in Div 1AA. These guys were orginally recruited by McNeese but elected to sign elsewhere and now want to come back. FBS transfers to FCS would be the equvialent to UL signing Jr. College transfers. I would guess UL signs 2 or 3 a year on average.

You may have more upside I would say that is debatable based on your lack of success since staying in FBS. Programs are based on won loss records and the Cowboys no matter what division they have been in has better win loss record than the Cajuns. As far as mediocore after getting eliminated in the post season the last 3 or 4 times we have gone may not be far from the truth. Since SE LA has come back to football and with Lamar coming in they are not getting some of those recruits which I think will hurt them. If you will note McNeese does get to go to a post season or at least a good shot at it. How long has it been since UL has been to the post season ie a bowl game? I think its been around 30 to 35 years. McNeese's last appearance in a bowl game was only about 20 years ago in the Independence Bowl against Southern Miss. We are having fun in FCS because if you win you keep playing.

So you can knock us thats okay we can take it along with our success in football.

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Originally Posted by HOUCajun

_ Wait, McNeese isn't D2? :D _

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No we aren't D II but maybe UL should be. OH wait maybe you shouldn't do that I forgot UL couldn't even beat North Alabama a true D II or D2 school.

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Originally Posted by DestinCajun

_ Taco, tell us about the 8 sports at Ryan St. Hi that didn't meet the NCAA APR requirements.

Wow, a new NCAA record!

We aren't great but we aren't in that class!

:/\: _

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I have to admit you got us there. Good call but we will overcome it. Just like you guys over came the death penalty in basketball back many years ago. You guys did a better job over coming it than SMU football has.

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Originally Posted by racajun54

_ McNeese signs very few transfers from FBS schools. On average they might sign 2 a year. Some years 3 or 4 sometimes none. We did sign 5 or 6 this year but that is the most they have signed over the last 20 odd years in Div 1AA. These guys were orginally recruited by McNeese but elected to sign elsewhere and now want to come back. FBS transfers to FCS would be the equvialent to UL signing Jr. College transfers. I would guess UL signs 2 or 3 a year on average.

You may have more upside I would say that is debatable based on your lack of success since staying in FBS. Programs are based on won loss records and the Cowboys no matter what division they have been in has better win loss record than the Cajuns. As far as mediocore after getting eliminated in the post season the last 3 or 4 times we have gone may not be far from the truth. Since SE LA has come back to football and with Lamar coming in they are not getting some of those recruits which I think will hurt them. If you will note McNeese does get to go to a post season or at least a good shot at it. How long has it been since UL has been to the post season ie a bowl game? I think its been around 30 to 35 years. McNeese's last appearance in a bowl game was only about 20 years ago in the Independence Bowl against Southern Miss. We are having fun in FCS because if you win you keep playing.

So you can knock us thats okay we can take it along with our success in football. _

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90% of recruits that get offers from McNeese and UL are going to choose UL. Those that choose McNeese is due to purely geographical reasons, connection to school, or better chances of playing time early. Same goes in comparing UL to Ole Miss or Miss. St. for example. 90% of recruits are going to choose Ole Miss or Miss. St. over UL if they have offers from both. And that would not change if Cajuns happen to go to Ole Miss or Miss. St. and beat them (in a year when Ole Miss is not top 10 type team like this year).

I think it is much better to be playing for bowl game in present and (even if it is just a dream) possibilities of being nationally ranked in future, than on the other hand to be making playoffs in FCS year after year. I would rather go 6-6 and not get bowl invite than dominate FCS. Most teams that dominate FCS (such as Marshal for example) eventually move up to next level anyways and McNeese is hardly dominating FCS, just a winning program as it should be in a sea of smaller schools where for many football is not at all a priority in athletic department.

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Originally Posted by MiamiCajun32

_ 90% of recruits that get offers from McNeese and UL are going to choose UL. Those that choose McNeese is due to purely geographical reasons, connection to school, or better chances of playing time early. Same goes in comparing UL to Ole Miss or Miss. St. for example. 90% of recruits are going to choose Ole Miss or Miss. St. over UL if they have offers from both. And that would not change if Cajuns happen to go to Ole Miss or Miss. St. and beat them (in a year when Ole Miss is not top 10 type team like this year).

I think it is much better to be playing for bowl game in present and (even if it is just a dream) possibilities of being nationally ranked in future, than on the other hand to be making playoffs in FCS year after year. I would rather go 6-6 and not get bowl invite than dominate FCS. Most teams that dominate FCS (such as Marshal for example) eventually move up to next level anyways and McNeese is hardly dominating FCS, just a winning program as it should be in a sea of smaller schools where for many football is not at all a priority in athletic department. _

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I think your 90% is a little high but I won't agrue about that since there is no way to track it. But you are dealing with 17 and 18 year olds so you never know what goes through their minds when it comes to selecting a school. If you think its better to be playing for a bowl game fine. I like the playoffs and wish FBS would do it. If high schools can do it and the pros can do it why can't they? If you are satisifed with 6-6 more power to you. You are correct we aren't dominating FCS but at least we are winning most of the time. Football is the priority at McNeese you can tell that by the way our men's basketball and baseball teams play. I have gotten to know some people from App. State and Georgia Southern and let me tell you football is the priority of the athletic department. The size of the school has no bearing on what the priority of the athletic department is. Look at Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky its all about basketball.

I think there is one thing we can agree on. No matter whether a player is in FBS, FCS, Div II, or Div III they all do 2 a days in August, scarifice during the week, and off season to go out and try to win on Saturdays. I am pretty sure UL, McNeese, and LA College players are working just as hard as LSU players during August camp.

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Originally Posted by racajun54

_ I think your 90% is a little high but I won't agrue about that since there is no way to track it. But you are dealing with 17 and 18 year olds so you never know what goes through their minds when it comes to selecting a school. If you think its better to be playing for a bowl game fine. I like the playoffs and wish FBS would do it. If high schools can do it and the pros can do it why can't they? If you are satisifed with 6-6 more power to you. You are correct we aren't dominating FCS but at least we are winning most of the time. Football is the priority at McNeese you can tell that by the way our men's basketball and baseball teams play. I have gotten to know some people from App. State and Georgia Southern and let me tell you football is the priority of the athletic department. The size of the school has no bearing on what the priority of the athletic department is. Look at Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky its all about basketball.

I think there is one thing we can agree on. No matter whether a player is in FBS, FCS, Div II, or Div III they all do 2 a days in August, scarifice during the week, and off season to go out and try to win on Saturdays. I am pretty sure UL, McNeese, and LA College players are working just as hard as LSU players during August camp. _

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As crazy as it is, a lot of the potential of a program has to do with 17 and 18 year olds because recruiting is king in college football.

Yes, of course football is a priority at McNeese to a certain extent, relative to other sports, but not enough to make the huge financial investment to move up to highest division.

Of course, it is ridiculous that there is not a playoff system in major college football. Ridiculous and pathetic, but it is what it is...

Sunbelt is weak of course, but vastly improving and I think better than MAC, for example. I don't think the North Texas team that dominated the conference the first few years of sunbelt football would finish any better than 3rd today.

If UL does not start raising private money for football program it will eventually fall well behind half the sunbelt teams that are throwing money into their program. And if UL ultimately does not get funds to compete with other programs, then argument could be made that it should not have moved to highest division. But odds are the funding will come. What is helping motivate is seeing other supposedly "lowly" sunbelt programs making strides and in part because of $$ into program.

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Originally Posted by racajun54

_ I have to admit you got us there. Good call but we will overcome it. Just like you guys over came the death penalty in basketball back many years ago. You guys did a better job over coming it than SMU football has. _

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FWIW, you have a fine football program. In fact I think McNeese along with Grambling and LState have the highest winning percentages among all football programs in Louisiana. But why let that get in the way of a little fan skat&fun fest?

Your fellow cowpie fan, "StongeGE" used to come to our forum time and time again with charts, statistics, equations, data, ZEM quotes, and this and that and try to prove how great D2 is over where we are. He did not convince one UL ticket buying, game attendee that UL ought to change directions. And, he never will.

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Originally Posted by DestinCajun

_ FWIW, you have a fine football program. In fact I think McNeese along with Grambling and LState have the highest winning percentages among all football programs in Louisiana. But why let that get in the way of a little fan skat&fun fest?

Your fellow cowpie fan, "StongeGE" used to come to our forum time and time again with charts, statistics, equations, data, ZEM quotes, and this and that and try to prove how great D2 is over where we are. He did not convince one UL ticket buying, game attendee that UL ought to change directions. And, he never will. _

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GSU and SU rank 1 & 2 in the state as far as "winning percentages" are concerned.

According to that Cajun poll bout the 5 sports I see here sometimes, a win is a win is a win....right.;) So..............