Dear President Reneau and AD Oakes,
I write to you as a graduate of Louisiana Tech University (1996) and a person who fervently followed Louisiana Tech Athletics during my time there. My subsequent moves have made it difficult for me to attend Bulldog events, but I am still a fan.
As a fan, it has finally become the time where I feel a change is needed. I speak with particular reference to the football program. No, I am not talking about in the coaching ranks – I think Derek Dooley was a great hire. I am talking about classification. It is time for Tech to return to I-AA. We are no almost 20 years from the move up to Division I-A, and it is time to realize that it was a mistake.
I confess that Tech has had some limited success at the 1-A level. Wins over Alabama, Mississippi State, a ranked Fresno State team were sweet and enjoyable. Yet these have been too few and far between.
Not only that, even with the move to the WAC, Tech has consigned itself to huge travel costs for conference games against second tier opponents. The sad truth is that the Big Six conferences control the BCS, recent reforms notwithstanding, and as long as that is the case, teams like Tech have no real shot at cracking their monopoly.
Sure, with the proliferation of bowl games – there are now 32 bowls, meaning 64 teams go to bowls. With only 119 teams in 1-A, going to a bowl only means you are in the top half. While perhaps that payout of $50,000 or whatever from the Poinsettia Bowl is nice, it doesn’t really say anything special about the program.
Finally, being 1-A school forces Tech to compete in recruiting against Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and of course LSU. As long as those powerhouses (yes, I am calling Ole Miss and MSU powerhouses, but it’s a relative term, ok?), Tech is not going to win many of those battles. Tech will never be able to recruit the kind of athletes in numbers to compete with those schools.
This recruiting problem extends beyond the players, too. Tech will never be able to attract and hold top coaching talent. The best that the school can hope for is to lure a hot young coordinator looking for a stepping-stone, making it virtually impossible to create the kind of stability needed to build a consistent winner. When Tech does catch lightening in a bottle – as it did with Gary Crowton in the mid 90s – it is lucky to hold on it for more than a couple of years before the coach takes a huge payday at a major school, or in Crowton’s case, the NFL.
So, if Tech is going to be permanently second-tier, why not just admit and move back down to 1-AA? I am only suggesting this for football, many schools have proven that successful men’s and women’s basketball programs can be run without the support of a major football program – Gonzaga ring a bell? The point is, that in those sports, and in I-AA football, Tech can compete for national championships. I myself would much prefer to see Tech play level competition, go to the playoffs that they have in 1-AA (giving fans and students the possibility of an extra home game or two), and maybe bring home a championship that’s not WAC! Ok, sorry, but I had to go there.
I just want some honest discussion of this idea. I would be much prouder alum of a team that was 1-AA powerhouse than a 1-A doormat – my friends are getting pretty tired of me reminding them of that Bama win FROM 8 YEARS AGO!
F.J. Taylor said upon Tech’s move from 1-AA to 1-A, that 1-AA was ‘mandated mediocrity.’ Tech’s football program has moved from that to self-dictated mediocrity.
Sincerely,
Faimon Roberts
Filed under: Commentary
You’re uber gay.
Dear Dr Dan and Jim,
This person is obviously too far away (logistically and spiritwise) to realize all the great things that are starting to take shape at TECH right now. Please send him a brouchure on Vision 2020, ATAC plan, and also a CHAMPS brochure.
Dear Faimon,
Please come by http://www.latechbbb.com and check out all of the things that have started to happen in the last few months. While we still have a LONG way to go, there is not a chance in hell that we will go back to D-2. You say that you would be proud to be a D-2 powerhouse. Without Googling, can you tell me last years champion in that league?? 95% of America couldn’t.
Dear Matt,
I said Tech should return to Division I-AA, not D-2. They are different.
And I might submit that 95% of America couldn’t name Tech’s conference, a single current player, or even the head coach.
Regards,
Faimon
I-AA no longer exists. It is now called the Football Championship Division. Secondly, the term I-AA only applied to football. Regardless, you provide NO hard numbers on how this would benefit Tech. Why? Because from a financial stand-point, a move to FCS would not benefit Tech. If you want to see Tech in a conference with NSU and McNeese, you need to build a time machine because that’s history.
Faimon, now is not the time to be pining for a move down in classification. Now is the time to get excited about the changes beng made, and put your emotional and financial support behind the effort.
You’re right that there is not much in the recent past to brag about. Get on board, anyway. The effort to improve is being made, and this is our school.
I don’t personally know any Tech alum who is interested in seeing Tech going down to compete with Northwestern State and McNeese.
That argument is SO last year. If you are going to have a sports website, at least take the time to get you facts straight. Let’s waituntil March when Basketball is finishing up and Football recruiting is over and see where you stand on this.
It is funny how you people come out of the woodwork after an unusually horrible season and start talking about what Tech should do. Maybe if you came to a few games, studied up on what Division we are in, and paid attention to travel costs versus WAC bowl payouts and NCAA tournament distribution, you would know that we are in the right place at this time.
Now hold on just a minute, posters. Or should I say, posers? I’m personally sick and tired of this crap of being the doormat, and I can’t be more excited about this letter by Faimon Roberts. Jay, get a life, if we are all supposed to wait around for Tech’s great recruiting classes, we’ll be here a while. You honestly think we’re EVER going to compete with LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the rest of the BCS conferences in the recruiting wars at the rate we’re going now? Never in a million years. All of you saying “Wait till next year” remind me of Georgia Tech fans at the end of games vs. Georgia. And I have to agree with Faimon in that virtually no one out there knows, or gives a hoot, about La Tech football. Dooley might have been a good hire, but he’s a good hire for FCS (I-AA) football, not the big leagues. Unless this school is willing to fork out some more dough to get a big time coach in here, we’ll never recruit well against the big boys. And for you amateur ignoramuses out there, that means we’ll never play well. Recruiting is foundational, and at the present, who in their right mind would come play football at Tech, instead of going to LSU or one of the other big time programs? You all make me sick. You’re satisfied with mediocrity. I say, unless the school does more (meaning, gives more) to bringing this program to the top, we’ll be a doormat, which is why I say let’s move to I-AA. Good writing Faimon. don’t let these nimwits chide you about doing your homework. You couldn’t be more right.
Faimon is a loser. Who thinks like this? Must be a liberal. Faimon, the glass is half full at Tech, not half empty.
In reading the open letter and all of the responses posted I was struck to write one of my own. As a graduate of Tech, someone who bleeds red and blue in a sea of purple and gold and a FEMALE who loves football( yes I know it is unusual but I probably know more about football then 30-40% of males out there) I am stuck with the arguments on both sides. In response to Joey’s comment “I don’t personally know any Tech alum who is interested in seeing Tech going down to compete with Northwestern State and McNeese.” Well Joey nice to meet you my name is Meredith and I would like to see Tech play these teams- Why?? because I could actually see it, these games would be close enough to travel too and would provide some honest competition. Nobody likes to travel a long way to see your team get slaughtered. But I have done it and I will do it again why because I am a fan- Not a fair-weather fan– In which case I must question this Jay character who says “It is funny how you people come out of the woodwork” Dude what a comment we are all Bulldog fans otherwise we wouldn’t be responding to this letter. I have to agree with Faimon who at least cares enough to write the letter and bring up a viable solution to Tech’s not so wonderful season but I was cheering for the 3 wins we did have. I can name several current players, the coach and the current conference– so ha maybe we should quit worrying about what 90% of America can and cannot do and bond together as the 10% of Tech fans who care and ask our selves what is best for Tech. I commend Faimon for bringing up such and interesting question and hope maybe in I-AA I could celebrate 10 wins and 3 loses. That would make this die hard tech fan happy!!!!!
MEREDITH
“Tech will never be able to recruit the kind of athletes in numbers to compete with those schools.”
-Faimon Roberts
“Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”
-General George S. Patton
Well Meredith you do have a chance to see the Dawgs play, 3 of those games this year will be against bowl winners last year. I don’t know how anyone that is a true fan and in their right mind would love to see us move down and play lesser competition. Where is your competitive streak? Yes the last few years have been tough, but we have had success in the past. For those of us that were lucky enough to see us travel to play stiff competition and be successful it was the best of times. If you will truly get involved and support the University with your presence and pocketbook I think you will be surprised at the enjoyment you will receive. If you are a true fan you will get behind the current movement that IS taking place and work with the rest of us to see that we are successful. If we fail then we fail together and you will get to see the Dawgs move down, I do not believe that move will be back to a lower level but to a lesser D1 conference. This is an exciting time to be a Dawg fan, get on board and don’t be fooled by detractors that cannont be in on the excitement that is happening right now and have the opinion that Mrs. Roberts has. I truly doubt the sincerety of her comments. Join the movement, come have some fun!
I don’t get the loser mentality of some of you people. Who cares about playing McNeese, or Northwestern or for that matter NLU(regardless of what they call themselves now). Meredith you will be sitting there with only a few of you low expectation people. Tech will never build a program to be proud of with a step backwards. To me that is a coward mentality. If you can’t win you will take your marbles and go home. Please! Tech is working on building something we can all be proud of. Why don’t you jump on board and support the program? Who gives a crap if you are 10 and 3 if you beat 7 preshools and a junior high and lost to 3 high schools. Let’s play with the big boys. If may take a little while, but we will compete.
Hey Faimon,
Your wrong.
Love,
Louisivlle, Virginia Tech, Boise State, Hawaii, TCU, USM, Fresno State, Utah, Marshall, and ECU
Pelican in his briefs,
If we’re all amateur ignoramuses, I guess we have your shining example of what a professional ignoramus is.
Meredith,
With all due respect, Faimon hasn’t offered a viable solution. He looked at last year in which Tech played one of the toughest schedules in football, and made a knee jerk suggestion that we drop down in our competition level. Part of his reasoning is that we are in the WAC and no one cares about the WAC. Maybe he wasn’t paying attention, but enough people care about the WAC to have put a WAC quarterback on the cover of a major video game. Enough people care about the WAC to have given a WAC team multiple ESPY nominations. And before anyone tries to say that he’s not talking negatively about the WAC, read his last statement about winning a WAC championship.
Pelican in brifs,
The simple fact is that a true football fan cares about good football regardless of the teams. I’d venture to say that true football fans are in the minority. Most fans are fans of particular schools with a passing interest in other schools even of the same conference. An LSU fan doesn’t give a crap about Ole Miss other than being able to give them grief about poor performances. Other than that, they don’t care how successful Ole Miss is. So, to say that a majority of America doesn’t care about Tech or the WAC is no different to say that the majority of America doesn’t care about LSU or the SEC. Take a poll of 100 Penn St. fans to see if they care about LSU.
Meredith,
You call yourself a diehard Tech fan, and I certainly don’t dispute that, but knowing the success that can be attained by Tech by seeing teams such as Utah and Boise St. achieve that success, why would anyone, who is a diehard Tech fan, be happy seeing Tech play small instate schools when they have the opportunity to play on the big stage and achieve great success as that? What would give you more pride? Saying that Tech ran the gambit on Northwestern St., McNeese, Southeastern, Nichols, etc…or saying Tech beat a BCS conference champion in a BCS bowl?
Faimon, Tech has had some success as you mentioned in the top ranks of college football. True it’s been hard to maintain, but if you were truly a Tech fan, you would know that that is because we haven’t had the true commitment to maintaining that success that Dr. Reneau seems to be showing now. We are having our superstar athletic alums playing roles in our growth now like we never have before. We are on the cusp of outperforming anything that Gary Crowton ever thought about doing while at Tech. You say that Tech will always be a stepping stone for coaches and that a successful program can’t be built like that. I’d be willing to bet that Dirk Koetter, Dan Hawkins and Chris Peterson would be willing to disagree with that statement.
And your argument about not out recruiting the big BCS boys, that really has no merit. Heck, if they were the case then schools like Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Baylor, and on and on should drop down too. The fact is there is much talent out there that the big BCS schools don’t get that is every bit as talented as the “popular” recruit which enables schools such as Tech to compete at the highest stage. In a shortened recruiting period, Derek Dooley was able to sign a couple of those guys. Imagine what’s going to happen now that we have a coach who recruits year round. As someone said before, the days of Tech performing at a Southland level and expecting Southland results are history.
The final thing I have to say is that I find it funny, as Jay said, that as soon as Tech has one bad year, all of these “Tech fans” come out of the woodwork wanting us to step down in competetion. I wonder why all you people didn’t use this logic during the Curly Hallman/Gerry DiNardo years.
As one of the martyrs who played for LA TECH the first year of the transition to 1-A (I am a prime example of a sub-par athlete that had no other option but Tech), I believe the move up was a mistake. You are absolutely correct in your analysis as it relates to coaching, recruiting and the chance of real success at this level. Moving to 1-AA would not be a step in the wrong direction, it would simply be waking up from a nightmare that started over 20 years ago – a realization of our place in the football universe. Given the chance to shed blood, keeping with the theme of martyrdom, against top 1-A football programs that fight each other to have us or East Texas Baptist University as their season opener or homecoming opponent, or to be a contender for the Division 1-AA title would not even be an option – I would choose to play for a winning team.
Preach the Truth!
Jason
Yeah, Jason, I still have nightmares of beating Alabama the year they were SEC champs and of knocking off a Top 25 Fresno State team two straight years, and of rallying from way behind in the fourth quarter to beat Les Miles’ Oklahoma State team.
I love my school, and I want them to be the best they can be.
I love getting lectured about settling for mediocrity by people who are advocating a move down in competition.
I see where you are coming from Faimon, and as much as it hurts me to admit and say this, you are probably right. However, having just moved back to the Ruston area after being away for about 10 years after gradution (Class of ‘98), I am compelled to give the Tech athletic department one more chance. Why? For several reasons:
1)Maybe the most important of all is that for the first time in recent memory, President Reneau is fully on board in his commitment to making this a top-notch athletic program. If he attacks the issues of the athletic department the way he attacks the academic side of Tech, we can expect great things. Tech is in the midst of becoming one of the best university research facilities in the US by evidence of first worldwide graduate of nanosystems engineering happening this past commencement and the $50 million Tech just received from the state for development of a Research Park. Reneau’s dedication to athletics have now taken a front seat by personally being involved in the hiring of both Coach Dooley and Coach Rupp (men’s basketball). He has finally exposed Jim Oakes to what he has really always been- a politician who is in way over his head.
2)Our most notable alums have finally committed to this program. Terry Bradshaw and Karl Malone have become personally involved in the advancement and recruitment side of things. It has become more than just “Yeah, we graduated from there” but a dedication of resources and face time.
3)Inextricably related to the first 2, the alumni base is genuinely excited.
Given these factors, I think we should take one more “wait and see” approach and then if significant progress hasn’t been made in 3-4 years…start scheduling the McNeese’s of the world!
Jason:
So much for that Spirit of ‘88 that we heard about as students at Tech.
Tell you what, I’ll continue my support of an up and coming Louisiana Tech program and you continue drinking Keystone lights watching LSU, they could use a few more bandwagon fans I guess.
Even if I don’t share your opinion, I do share your frustration. Tech needs to get serious about the Football program. Otherwise, they may as well step down to I-AA.
[...] by pelicanstatesports on July 5th, 2007 By the standards of this site, the Open Letter to Dan Reneau and Jim Oakes generated an overwhelming response. I have had my gender, sexual orientation, political leanings [...]
Faimon,
As you can see, this is somewhat of a hot button issue. I would be more than happy to discuss the opposite view with you in, perhaps, more gentile fashioin.
Dear Mr. Roberts,
Your “powerhouse” Mississippi St team has enjoyed a .308 winning percentage (ranked 107 out of 119) since 2000 while Tech has enjoyed .416 (82nd). This is according to Stassen. In this time, we are only 7.5 games behind Ole Miss. Teams behind us in winning % that you must also think should join “I-AA” include Kentucky (.345), Vanderbilt (.250) and every Louisiana team not named LSU.
With the move to the WAC, Tech has consigned itself to “huge” travel costs that are very comparable to ULL and equally huge payouts, superior to the ‘Belt and certainly greater than anything we’d receiving in “I-AA.”
Last year was a bad year. Everyone agrees. It won’t continue.
But, when we are enjoying success, you will share no part.
[...] Optimism runs high among Tech fans, though perhaps not on this blog – see earlier posts here and here, and the reader comments with them. A rededication to athletics by the university [...]
[...] mater is one of the worst teams in the country, and my opinions on what should be done can be found here and here. So let’s take a closer look at things in [...]