Published: May 16, 2008 11:58 am            

Small-school perception still looms at Texas State

Opinion

If Texas State wants to change its small-school perception, then it’s time it changes its small-school athletic department.

Texas State has some big dreams for its programs in the near future according to Dr. Larry Teis, Director of Athletics. The vision includes moving the Bobcats from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

“We want to be ready to step forward when the moratorium is lifted,” Teis said in February. “We know what needs to be done, and now it is time to take the next steps.”

Right now, the Bobcats don’t deserve to even entertain the thought of such a move. Texas State is borderline average in the Southland Conference.

This past academic year, the Bobcats won two regular season titles (women’s basketball and softball) and two SLC conference tournament championships (women’s volleyball and women’s golf).

The women’s basketball team and softball team might have stormed through their regular season schedule, but fell below expectations in the conference tournament. Both teams lost their first games in disappointing fashion (women’s basketball fell to the eighth-seed by 18 points and the softball team let a two-run lead go to waste with one out in the sixth inning).

The higher-profile teams, such as men’s basketball and football (aside from the 2005 season) are laughing stocks, finishing near the back of the SLC, and Teis said changing that is the primary goal.

“We’ve made no secrets about it that the thing they are looking for first is men’s basketball,” Teis said. “That’s the CBS money and the CBS contract. The commissioners want teams that are successful in men’s basketball. That’s why we’re trying to work as well as we can to work with that program, then they look at football obviously, but it’s a package deal and they’re gonna look at everything.”

Texas State would be handing the commissioners a half-wrapped gift with the tags still on it.

The men’s basketball team scores points by the bushel, but waves at attackers as they drive to the basket. The Bobcats’ gridiron team is a doormat allowing their opponents to walk all the way to 38 points per game last season. The baseball team knocks the rubber out of the ball, but its opponents knock the tar out of its pitchers.

All three teams share the same problem — the coaches recruit for defense, but can’t get their teams to grasp the concept.

While the teams provide the facade for the athletic program, the administration needs to shape up as well.

Teis did a fair job in recently hiring a person who knows what it takes to be on the next level. Teis hired Fred Bleil away from Tulane University to become the new defensive coordinator of the football team. Bleil brings valuable experience from Conference USA.

Yet, Doug Davalos was hired by Teis to lead the men’s basketball team and Davalos has no greater experience than Division III. His coaching mantra of breakneck offense and high-tempo defense worked on the lower level, but hasn’t thus far on the big stage (22-36 record).

Ultimately though, it’s all about the money. When the cash flows into an athletic department, it can put more into the programs.

Recently, video scoreboards were added to the football, baseball and softball fields as well as Strahan Coliseum. Texas State has had plans to expand the softball and baseball fields for several years, but plans are just now being finalized.

“I always hear that if we win, people donate, but we’ve won a lot in the women’s programs this year and we struggled some in the men’s,” Teis said. “Yet, we got our first million-dollar donation in the history of the athletic department. I don’t know if the correlation is always there.

“You need to keep working the system (to get donations). The president’s been gracious enough to make us part of the capital campaign. So our name is going to be out there to a lot of people around the state. We just have to get in front of them.”

But therein lies the problem: 99 out of 100 donors don’t look at the success of the women’s programs unless the school is the University of Connecticut or Tennessee. Texas State doesn’t draw 14,000 fans to see the women’s basketball or softball teams play Stephen F. Austin.

The women’s basketball or softball teams could win four-consecutive Southland Conference titles, yet, the athletic department wouldn’t see another cent.

Fans flock to see football or men’s basketball games and that’s where the improvements need to be made. Imagine how loud and boisterous the game would be if the teams were winning.

Texas State has a few years to create a winning tradition. It won’t look good if Teis and company go in front of the NCAA commissioners and get shot down in their bid to move into the FBS.

It will just add another loss to Texas State’s already miserable record.



Tyler Mayforth is a sports writer for the San Marcos Daily Record. Contact him at tmayforth@sanmarcosrecord. com

        

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