CubanMustGo
09-26-2008, 04:58 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/local_colleges/NCAA_Division_I_an_option_for_UIW.html
John Whisler - Express-News
He's the mastermind, the unquestioned leader of the school's unprecedented growth in recent years.
So when University of the Incarnate Word president Louis Agnese, awash in pride over his new football team, suggests taking UIW's athletics programs into NCAA Division I by 2012, it's not a surprise.
“We're not that little college at the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand anymore,” he said.
UIW and Division I?
Agnese says it's possible, but only as a last resort if the school fails to gain admittance to the Division II Lone Star Conference.
If the invitation comes, the Cardinals would play their first football season in 2009 as a Division II independent before joining the LSC in 2010.
“We'd be perfectly happy with the Lone Star if everything works,” Agnese said. “But the ball's in their court, not ours. We will not be league-less.”
The school has been turned away by the LSC before. Agnese said he has been talking to the conference since 2005.
In 2006, Agnese offered to start a football program if the LSC extended an invitation, but the conference tabled the issue.
Undeterred, Agnese announced in April 2007 that the university, backed by millionaire businessman and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, was starting a program anyway.
The school hired a coach, recruited its first class of players and, earlier this month, unveiled a new, $6-million, 3,000-seat stadium and athletic complex, both funded by Benson.
So, what if the LSC fails to act this time?
Agnese made it clear that Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) would be the only option because of the pitfalls of playing as a Division II independent. [yeah you're gonna play D1 football in a 3000 seat stadium....]
“We'd have no choice,” he said. “Your chances of getting an outside bid (to the Division II playoffs) as an independent are slim and none.”
Agnese said UIW would be able to support a Division I program by 2012. He said by then the school is projected to be the largest private university in the state.
Current enrollment at the Catholic institution is 6,800, up 13 percent from a year ago, Agnese said, making it the fourth-largest private university in Texas. The only private universities in the state with more students are Baylor (14,541), SMU (10,941) and TCU (8,936). so UIW will more than double in size in four years??
Thirteen of UIW's 19 teams play in the Division II Heartland Conference. If the bid to join the LSC falls through and the school follows through on a plan to explore membership in Division I, it likely would lead UIW to the Southland Conference, of which UTSA and Texas State are members.
Currently, the Southland has 12 members. Texas State and the other football-playing Southland programs vie annually for the conference title and the accompanying automatic bid to the national Championship Subdivision playoffs.
All Southland programs, including non-football playing UTSA, have a shot in men's basketball for an automatic bid to the lucrative NCAA Division I tournament.
UTSA athletic director Lynn Hickey said she was unaware of any plans by the Southland to expand, but that her school would welcome UIW to the fold.
“I applaud anyone with that kind of vision,” she said.
Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said he has not had any contact from Agnese or UIW. He said expansion of the league “simply is not on our radar at this point.”
He noted that the NCAA a year ago placed a four-year moratorium on teams moving between division and subdivisions, which means it would be 2011 at the earliest before UIW could apply for Division I membership.
In addition, Burnett said there is a five-year transition period from the time a school applies for membership in a new division and acceptance by the NCAA.
So the earliest UIW could become a full-fledged Division I member would be 2016.
A move from Division II into the FCS and the Southland would be costly.
Central Arkansas has recently executed a jump similar to what UIW is considering and has increased its annual budget by about $2.5 million in three years.
The budget for athletics at Central Arkansas was $4.5 million in 2005-06 in its last year in Division II. Now in a transitional phase to full Division I-FCS membership in the Southland, the athletics budget has increased to $7 million, athletic director Brad Teague said.
Everything in Incarnate Word's athletics future apparently hinges on the LSC.
Agnese said conference presidents “have been dragging their feet on letting us in,” but added he expects a positive vote on expansion when the LSC convenes in January.
Stan Wagnon, commissioner of the LSC, said he had no argument with Agnese's assessment that the conference has been reluctant to add Incarnate Word as a member.
He said the issue all along with Lone Star-member schools has not been inclusion of UIW, but one of overall expansion.
Wagnon said the conference decided in 2005 when Agnese first made his pitch that it wasn't ready to expand. He said the league felt it had to make changes in its bylaws and strategic plan in order to expand, a process that took considerable time.
He added that an expansion committee was formed in June and that a report was due to league presidents, who are scheduled to meet Jan. 16 at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.
But Wagnon said he couldn't predict the outcome of the vote, or if there would even be a vote.
“I know the mood in the room (at the June meeting) was positive with regard to Incarnate Word,” Wagnon said. “We have some new presidents in the conference now, so that means a little different dynamic. But if they do choose to expand, we're ready.”
John Whisler - Express-News
He's the mastermind, the unquestioned leader of the school's unprecedented growth in recent years.
So when University of the Incarnate Word president Louis Agnese, awash in pride over his new football team, suggests taking UIW's athletics programs into NCAA Division I by 2012, it's not a surprise.
“We're not that little college at the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand anymore,” he said.
UIW and Division I?
Agnese says it's possible, but only as a last resort if the school fails to gain admittance to the Division II Lone Star Conference.
If the invitation comes, the Cardinals would play their first football season in 2009 as a Division II independent before joining the LSC in 2010.
“We'd be perfectly happy with the Lone Star if everything works,” Agnese said. “But the ball's in their court, not ours. We will not be league-less.”
The school has been turned away by the LSC before. Agnese said he has been talking to the conference since 2005.
In 2006, Agnese offered to start a football program if the LSC extended an invitation, but the conference tabled the issue.
Undeterred, Agnese announced in April 2007 that the university, backed by millionaire businessman and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, was starting a program anyway.
The school hired a coach, recruited its first class of players and, earlier this month, unveiled a new, $6-million, 3,000-seat stadium and athletic complex, both funded by Benson.
So, what if the LSC fails to act this time?
Agnese made it clear that Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) would be the only option because of the pitfalls of playing as a Division II independent. [yeah you're gonna play D1 football in a 3000 seat stadium....]
“We'd have no choice,” he said. “Your chances of getting an outside bid (to the Division II playoffs) as an independent are slim and none.”
Agnese said UIW would be able to support a Division I program by 2012. He said by then the school is projected to be the largest private university in the state.
Current enrollment at the Catholic institution is 6,800, up 13 percent from a year ago, Agnese said, making it the fourth-largest private university in Texas. The only private universities in the state with more students are Baylor (14,541), SMU (10,941) and TCU (8,936). so UIW will more than double in size in four years??
Thirteen of UIW's 19 teams play in the Division II Heartland Conference. If the bid to join the LSC falls through and the school follows through on a plan to explore membership in Division I, it likely would lead UIW to the Southland Conference, of which UTSA and Texas State are members.
Currently, the Southland has 12 members. Texas State and the other football-playing Southland programs vie annually for the conference title and the accompanying automatic bid to the national Championship Subdivision playoffs.
All Southland programs, including non-football playing UTSA, have a shot in men's basketball for an automatic bid to the lucrative NCAA Division I tournament.
UTSA athletic director Lynn Hickey said she was unaware of any plans by the Southland to expand, but that her school would welcome UIW to the fold.
“I applaud anyone with that kind of vision,” she said.
Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said he has not had any contact from Agnese or UIW. He said expansion of the league “simply is not on our radar at this point.”
He noted that the NCAA a year ago placed a four-year moratorium on teams moving between division and subdivisions, which means it would be 2011 at the earliest before UIW could apply for Division I membership.
In addition, Burnett said there is a five-year transition period from the time a school applies for membership in a new division and acceptance by the NCAA.
So the earliest UIW could become a full-fledged Division I member would be 2016.
A move from Division II into the FCS and the Southland would be costly.
Central Arkansas has recently executed a jump similar to what UIW is considering and has increased its annual budget by about $2.5 million in three years.
The budget for athletics at Central Arkansas was $4.5 million in 2005-06 in its last year in Division II. Now in a transitional phase to full Division I-FCS membership in the Southland, the athletics budget has increased to $7 million, athletic director Brad Teague said.
Everything in Incarnate Word's athletics future apparently hinges on the LSC.
Agnese said conference presidents “have been dragging their feet on letting us in,” but added he expects a positive vote on expansion when the LSC convenes in January.
Stan Wagnon, commissioner of the LSC, said he had no argument with Agnese's assessment that the conference has been reluctant to add Incarnate Word as a member.
He said the issue all along with Lone Star-member schools has not been inclusion of UIW, but one of overall expansion.
Wagnon said the conference decided in 2005 when Agnese first made his pitch that it wasn't ready to expand. He said the league felt it had to make changes in its bylaws and strategic plan in order to expand, a process that took considerable time.
He added that an expansion committee was formed in June and that a report was due to league presidents, who are scheduled to meet Jan. 16 at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.
But Wagnon said he couldn't predict the outcome of the vote, or if there would even be a vote.
“I know the mood in the room (at the June meeting) was positive with regard to Incarnate Word,” Wagnon said. “We have some new presidents in the conference now, so that means a little different dynamic. But if they do choose to expand, we're ready.”