Date Posted:20:02:54 07/13/03 Sun Author: perry c Subject: Football Conference?
SUU likes concept of new conference
By Jay Hinton
Deseret News sports writer
CEDAR CITY ? Although talks of creating a new Division I-AA football-only conference are still in the infancy stage, Southern Utah University athletic director Tom Douple likes the direction they are heading.
If the talks involving North Dakota State, South Dakota, Northern Colorado, UC Davis, St. Mary's and Cal Poly continue to go smoothly, the new yet-to-be-named conference could begin play as early as 2004, but most likely in 2005.
"I don't see any major hurdles, but it could be (other) conference affiliations," Douple said. "But I can't speak for my peers."
Currently, Southern Utah, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and St. Mary's are I-AA independents, while North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado and UC Davis are in the process of moving up to Div. I-AA in football from Div. II.
"With those schools it will be a very formidable Div. I-AA football conference," Douple said.
The T-Birds haven't been affiliated with a football conference since 1995 when they were a member of the short-lived American West Conference.
Southern Utah has extended scheduling agreements with Northern Colorado and St. Mary's ? including games this year ? to make the transition to conference play easier should it occur.
"That's been the goal ? try to establish something ? so we've started scheduling with anticipation that it could happen," Douple said.
With the formation of the new conference, the T-Birds will partake of all the benefits of playing in a conference ? increasing attendance, developing rivalries, recruiting and, most importantly, playing for a conference title.
As an independent, the T-Birds can earn an at-large bid to the Div. I-AA playoffs, but a schedule that includes several Big Sky and Gateway Conference schools only makes earning the bid that much more difficult.
Eventually down the road the new conference could apply for an automatic bid to postseason.
During the Matt Cannon era, the T-Birds averaged close to 6,000 fans per game, before falling to 3,500 to 4,000 during last year's 1-10 campaign.
"Once you get into a conference and establish some rivalries that will obviously help attendance," Douple said.
Douple hopes the new affiliation would increase the numbers to the 8,000 range.
All of Southern Utah's other sports, except gymnastics, are affiliated with the Mid Continent Conference, and the new football agreement would have no affect on those affiliations, Douple said.
The T-Birds lost their last 10 games in 2002 and suffered losses to Cal Poly (27-21) and St. Mary's (24-14).
Southern Utah opens the 2003 season at Nevada Aug. 30. The T-Birds are scheduled to play Northern Colorado Nov. 8 and St. Mary's Nov. 15.
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Re: Football Conference? -- weber fan, 10:28:30 09/02/04 Thu
I cannot believe an athletic director would accually hire a coach with no experience. he puts down in his bio he was a track coach. He is also a liar and will not honor scholarships that were offered to several student atheletes. How do they expect to complete the mission statement of the school when they have no honor.
