FCS

Texas A&M-Commerce alum and 1968 Olympian will be a featured guest at the first home contest.

Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics, Jim Curry, appeared on episode three of the Inside the Lion Athletics Podcast with the voice of the Lions, Charlie Chitwood. Curry spoke about the Lions home opener against Grambling on Sept. 14. 

“We did a run-through last night in the stadium to work through what game day production looks like,” Curry said. “We’ve got John Carlos coming to be the honorary captain for that game.”

An alum of East Texas State, Carlos is best known for joining fellow American Tommie Smith in a silent protest on the medal stand during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. They raised their fists in what Smith called a “human rights salute,” protesting racial inequality. The protest came after Smith won gold and Carlos bronze in the 200-meter dash. 

Carlos is a member of the A&M-Commerce Hall of Fame after setting five school records during his lone season at ETSU in 1967. He won four events while leading the Lions to the Lone Star Conference championship.

Curry said that only a limited number of reserved seats remain for the Grambling contest, and season ticket sales are up over 10 percent from last year.

“We’ve had a great response from both our fans and their fans being three hours away,” Curry said. “We’re going to need everybody in the stadium because they’re going to travel well. It should be an electric atmosphere.”

Chitwood and Curry discussed the recent 903 campaign, which raised money for the sports medicine department. The campaign on Sept. 3 recognized the university’s relationship with the 903 area code.

“It was a micro campaign. We didn’t put the same energy around it that we did the giving day last year in the spring," Curry said. "We kind of wanted to test it and, more than anything, have a little fun with September 3rd and being in the 903 area code. We’re excited about getting that launched while being sensitive to the fact that we’re getting ready to put a lot of focus on football and what we’re asking folks to do in terms of debt, investment, showing up, and being engaged.”

Prairie View A&M AD appointed to FCS Oversight Committee

Prairie View A&M Athletic Director Anton Goff was appointed to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Oversight Committee. The committee ensures appropriate oversight of the FCS, enhances the sport's development, and makes recommendations related to regular-season and postseason football. 

Goff recently began his second year in charge of PVAMU’s athletic department and will serve on the oversight committee for three years.

Division II

UTPB AD Scott Larson discusses potential on-campus facility

UT Permian Basin Vice President for Athletics Scott Larson joined the voice of the Falcons, Monty Montgomery, at halftime of UTPB’s game against Western New Mexico last week. Despite only being on the job for two weeks, Larson saw the need to build an on-campus football facility.

“After spending today getting everything ready for football here at Ratliff Stadium, which is a great venue and Ector County ISD does a good job taking care of us, but we have to get an on-campus facility,” Larson said. “We also need to upgrade other facilities on campus, as well, but it’s imperative to build an on-campus football stadium. It’s a great crowd tonight but imagine if we were on campus and it was easier for the students to get to the game. It brings a different energy to a campus with an on-campus facility.”

During the conversation, Larson said he sees similarities between UTPB and Lubbock Christian, where he spent 11 years before moving to Black Hills State.

“The biggest thing we had (at LCU), and I’m sure they still have, is a really good culture. The coaches have been there for a long period of time because they believe in the mission and they believe in the department. They had opportunities to go elsewhere and haven’t because they enjoy where they are, what they are doing at the institution, (and) their kids,” Larson said. “(Football coach) Kris McCullough’s mantra is 'Familly' with two Ls, and that’s really what it is here. It’s a family atmosphere. Everyone around here has been great and seems to get along. It’s cliche, but it truly is the culture.”

Larson also discussed a few of the differences between LCU and UTPB.

“There’s a few different dynamics. Obviously, you have football versus no football, which is a huge dynamic,” Larson said. “Then you have public (school) versus private - two different ways of doing things and funding sources. So they’re two very different institutions.”

Montgomery then broached the possibility of playing home games in other areas of the Permian Basin region.

“Everything is on the table at this point. I think the greatest opportunity for that is spring football. We could hold some spring football practices and spring scrimmages in the surrounding communities like Andrews and Big Spring,” Larson said. “There’s also opportunities to play basketball games over the winter break, when UTPB is not in session, to play an 11:30 a.m. game at Midland College and invite the elementary schools for an education day. I hate to take away home games from teams because that’s obviously a huge advantage, but everything’s on the table.”

Every discussion around college athletics eventually focuses on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal. Larson believes the portal is a bigger problem for college athletics.

“We have some student-athletes that have NIL deals, but it’s nothing significant. It’s a product or a few dollars here or there. It’s an interesting challenge at this level because we don’t have unlimited budgets,” Larson said. “If someone is willing to give a student-athlete $100,000, that’s great. At the same time, we could use that $100,000 or $500,000 to help the overall program as opposed to one individual.

“(The transfer portal) is worse than the NIL stuff for college athletics. I mean, it’s free agency. I think it was the Coastal Carolina baseball coach when they lost in the NCAA baseball tournament this year. He said imagine if the NFL, NBA, and (other) professional sports had free agency for every player every single year. That’s what we’re dealing with.”

However, Larson says the key to keeping players from entering the transfer portal is to develop a culture where they want to stay.

“As an institution, you create a culture that people don’t want to leave," he said. "Our best defense is creating that culture (and) that family atmosphere that shows them we want them here. We’re going to take care of you and want you to have the best possible experience while you’re here.”