Magnolialeague.com?

[magnolialeague]

You only see the economics from one side...turn the situation around and you will see that economics is actually forcing the reverse of what you stand for. I spelled it out for you in my last post about the arms race but you are only reading into it what you what to hear.

The gravy train will end. Time for the academics to set themselves up in a position where they guarantee a shared piece of the pie. Otherwise they will all be Rice and Tulane and questioning whether they ought to be Div 1A at all.

My solution is to build fan bases and jump start community networking through football. It would have to be very grass roots. Don't mock the Ivies. They have the largest endowments and attendence at their games is respectable given that they have no bowls, no conference championship game, and no hope for playoffs. Fanbases can be created.

Baylor, Rice, SMU, and TCU in a cage match for a title. I'd pay for that. SMU celebrating a conference championship over natural rivals after a playoff round is good stuff. Face it, if it were once every four years, you'd be in the stands cheering your team along. You might even be excited if you won.

[EastStang]

You are selling really a watered down vision for SMU which is probably reality, but one many are not going to accept. You are talking about a program that has a Division 1-A national championship (or two), a Heisman Trophy winner, many in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, several SWC championships and you are telling us that we want to be in a conference with all private schools like the Ivy League (which de-emphasized football), and we should be happy about it. This debate is one that many current 1-AA programs in the east had. There is a bit of a difference, many of these schools had natural rivals that all went 1-AA together and made it positive. William and Mary, VMI, Richmond, and Delaware for example all declared 1-AA at the same time. They have been rivals for years. But don't kid yourself that we are going to be happy that we are challenging for the 1-AA title against Texas State. We won't. And not only that, we still wouldn't challenge for the 1-AA title. Why? Because schools like Texas State (like UT, OU, and others) can still admit academic risks. We can't. But hey, we'd win the Magnolia League, got Kool Aid? Now go wet kiss a few professors.

[magnolialeague]

Eaststang, I get your point. The reason I advocate this concept is because I truly like these schools. The tide is turning against us if we allow our fans bases to be devoured for a paycheck. I do not want to send SMU or any other school to Div 1AA. However, I do admire the Ivies for realizing that the BCS system is crap.

According to this site you have at least 3 national championships (1935 & 1981, 1982). Congrats. I loved the Pony Express, and still like those uniforms better. I can still see Dickerson with gigantic hip pads and neck guard blazing through the hole. It was a sight of beauty.

Vanderbilt has 2 national championships (1904 & 1906) according to this site http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_footb ... hamps.html
but I have heard it has been as high as four national championships. Hopefully, SMU won't have to wait as long as Vanderbilt to repeat.

Last night I watched Richmond vs Furman and Army vs Navy and those were great games having everything that is great about college football. Our schools need to go into the cities and surrounding areas and tie the fans to the game and not just the team or the school. SMU is a great school, has great students, and is in a great city. Cable, satellite, and the internet are all ways to add relevance to college football played by real college students between real college students.

Anyway, I thank the fans on this board for their feedback and honest remarks. I hope to make it to an SMU game sometime.

[Water Pony]

Commissioner

I enjoyed your posts, primarily for their entertainment value. After seeing Army & Navy play yesterday and having a daughter go to Vanderbilt, I hold your proposed membership in very high regard.

If there was any justice, Vandy, Northwestern, Duke, Rice, Tulane, SMU, W&M, etc, would be among the elite. The problem of course is that Vanderbilt, NW, and Duke wouldn't unilaterally forfeit the BCS.

Spread the revenue among the Div. 1A schools and that might make it possible. But, as example, Vanderbilt's attendance, never that large, 30-40K, would dive in such a league.

But it is fun to think about your League because of the quality of the schools. Do it right like Army and Navy.

[magnolialeague]

Thank you Batman. LOL

Commissioner...that's a first. LOL

I was present for the Vanderbilt vs MTSU fiasco, and I've heard from those that attended the Richmond game. Vanderbilt has 30K fans in the Nashville area ready to attend if given something to cheer about.

My assupmtion is that Dallas, Houston, Waco, etc can learn to love these teams if approached correctly. However, if we serve as doremats, than we'll just keep catering to the BCS crowds.

Make it once every four years and you'll see the BCS Schools picking favorites to win the tournament.