New ULM Head Coach

[MelRock]

Playing down to FCS would take away 2.5 million in their athletic budget.

[Ragin9221]

I say the biggest problem for ULM is that they are not consistent in putting together winning seasons. Worse thing for Tech is if ULM started winning. It isn't good for UL either, but even worse for Tech.

I honestly believe that ULM has more support then Tech does around Monroe. Problem is people support a winner, and gets great support for high school football. They need to focus there energy in winning games, and you would see attendance rise, more than Tech.

[Turbine]

ULM will not drop football, this is their only marketing exposure angle.

Nothing else comes close to football in getting a schools name out there.

If they drop football the student body will begin to contract within 5 years.

[CajunEXPRESS]

No. I don't think the trend moves the other way. Teams with financial problems can't afford to move down to the FCS. See some of the above posts.

It's gonna get worse. Fewer and fewer FCS opportunities for big paydays as those games hurt the teams trying to get into playoffs

[California Cajun]

That's correct. Looks like it will be Viator, unless he turns it down, too.
Viator is the guy Bruno wanted.

But in reality, it doesn't matter. Unless ULM (and it starts with Bruno) is willing to make more than a lip service commitment to athletics (and he isn't) then this is a graveyard job, just as ours used to be.

Is this a Keasler II scenario?

[CharlieK]

Well they lose 3 money games a year, tv revenue, and bowl distributions if they move down.

Ok but they can't close the financial gap with those things to compete in fbs. So lose them, recalibrate, and attempt to compete at the lower level. Or better yet, go back to being a JC like they should be.

[ZoomZoom]

I honestly believe that ULM has more support then Tech does around Monroe.

Neither has the support WMHS football has.

[AstroCajun]

ULM will not drop football, this is their only marketing exposure angle.

Nothing else comes close to football in getting a schools name out there.

If they drop football the student body will begin to contract within 5 years.

What do you mean "begin"?

Their enrollment has been on a slow steady decline.

They've also closed or consolidated a number of their colleges.

[LaCajunsFan]

What do you mean "begin"?

Their enrollment has been on a slow steady decline.

They've also closed or consolidated a number of their colleges.

True, as has good old Ryan St High: it too is in a death spiral from which it will be extremely difficult to recover from.

We should move to consolidate both into UL: the broke-backs due to proximity, and ULM because it is only logical that we are the only uni that could handle the growth.

Names could be UL-Mickeyneese, and ULM could keep thier present name.

[Turbine]

What do you mean "begin"?

Their enrollment has been on a slow steady decline.

They've also closed or consolidated a number of their colleges.

If they didn't have the sports program that they do (however lacking) you would have seen a landslide of non growth.

The atrophy they have experienced is State budget induced.