BobcatFans Magzine Sep 2008

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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Contents: Maroon and Gold TeamPublisher/CEORick Koch

Art DirectorWill Bowling

Editor-In-ChiefSteve Helsing

Featured ContributorsLarry Teis - Athletics DirectorDavid Eyre - Bobcat Club MemberSusan Narvaiz - Mayor of San MarcosRobert Wood - BobcatFans.com Admin

ContributorsErik Helsing Jody Campbell Chris Lehman Brett BakerBrodie Corinth Tiffany Mathews

Photos courtesy of Luciano Guerra & Texas State Media Relations

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Copyright 2008 by:BobcatFans L.L.C.4380 MatherKyle, Texas 78640

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BobcatFans Magazine is not an official publication of Texas State University.

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Talking SMU with Head Coach June Jones

Let the games BeginThis year I’m taking off the maroon and gold colored

sunglasses and giving it to you straight.

BobcatFans Tidbits

If you have a photo of yourself throwing Show ‘em State or reading BobcatFans Magazine in an interesting dwelling, we want to share it with our readers. Send your best shots to [email protected]

Javier Garcia graduated in December 2007. For the past two summers he has traveled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to coach little league baseball. Kyrgyzstan is a country that was part of the former Soviet Union. When the fall happened the country became a republic in 1991. Last year 19 college students from around the country joined up with the International Little League to pioneer the country’s first ever Little League team. This year they had 27 college students spend 2 months coaching the kids and being a mentor to them throughout the summer. While he was there Javier had the opportunity to show the kids how to Show ‘Em State. Thanks for the pic, Javier!


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Bobcats,It is my pleasure to be writing to you as Stu-dent Body President of Texas State University for the 2008-2009 academic year. As we head into the upcoming year, one of our major goals is to continue to strengthen the relationship between the student body and our alumni, fac-ulty, administration, and city officials. We also plan to interact more with all students new to Texas State University and help ease their transition to college life in San Marcos.

As Student Body President, I believe helping young Bobcats get involved early is the key to their future success at Texas State University. I challenge every Bobcat to find an organiza-tion or club and get involved. Through Univer-sity Seminar Classes, the Associated Student Government hopes to inform all freshman students about organizations available to them and the steps to participate.

I am happy to report that this fall, although construction continues across campus, sev-eral exciting projects will be completed. The Student Recreation Center is scheduled to be finished by November, fully equipped with an eight-lane lap pool and leisure pool, an up-dated weight room with cardiovascular areas, additional basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor soccer court, and a new climbing wall! In combination with the new North LBJ bus loop, scheduled to be finished in December 2008, this will certainly take some stress off us all.

As the voice of the student body, ASG continues to represent our constituents and support the recent investment in the athletics department through the Athletic Service Fee. We have given our support financially but as students, peers, and fans we must strive to raise our support of Bobcat Athletics to an all time high. Increasing student support and

enthusiasm for all athletics will speed up our “Drive” to FBS football.

Football starts August 30th and ASG is pleased to co-sponsor the first tailgate with the SACA, Chartwells and Stubbs BBQ for the Grand Slam opening. The first tailgate will be extra-special with great music from Texas country band Reckless Kelly, who will take the stage for a welcome back concert for students and fans. Plans to reward loyal fans who consistently attend sporting events are also in the works (see this month’s First Word column for more information).

I hope you are all as excited as I am about this year for Bobcat Athletics. Join us at the athletic events this season as the student ath-letes are sure to bring us fans many victories and much excitement. I look forward to seeing you all wearing maroon and gold this season cheering our athletes to victory.Brett Baker


1. Appalachian State2. James Madison3. Northern Iowa4. Eastern Washington5. Delaware6. Montana7. Richmond8. North Dakota State9. Youngstown State10. Cal Poly11. Massachusetts12. Elon13. Wofford

14. McNeese State15. Western Illinois16. Eastern Illinois17. Villanova18. Northern Arizona19. Montana State20. Harvard21. Southern Illinois22. The Citadel23. New Hampshire24. Delaware25. Fordham

Top 5 Favorite 5. Varsity Blues (1999) – Mainly because we finally didn’t have to worry whether Dawson and Joey were going to wind up together. 4. Little Giants (1994) – Seriously! John Madden actually made a cameo so it had to make the list.

3. Remember the Titans (2000) – Because Disney gets us every time (sniff, sniff).

2. Rudy (1993) – Because we remember going to a Bobcats game and taunting one of the visiting play-ers with the “Rudy” chant…ah, fond memories.

1. Necessary Roughness (1991) –Texas State vs. SWT… seriously, where did the scriptwriter’s get their crystal ball from? Scary Awesome!

Top 5 Least Favorite 5. The Longest Yard (2005) – Adam Sandler would never be with Courtney Cox…I mean, c’mon.

4. Any Given Sunday (1999) – Just couldn’t believe LT as a linebacker in the NFL

3. Remember the Titans (2000) – Damn you Disney…damn you. You make us look weak in front of our women. (sniff, sniff.)

2. Necessary Roughness (1991) – There is no way that Texas State would lose to Southwest Texas.

1.Hoosiers (1986) – How could the arguably greatest sports movie be that great if it doesn’t have football in it? Seriously, not one football to be found in the whole damn movie.

BobcatFans’ Top

Five Football

Movies of All Time

FCS Preseason Top 25FCS Top 25


The Sippin’ Seat is a great tailgating accessory. Sneak in your favorite drink, beer, booze or wine and have a comfort-able stadium cushion. The Sippin’ Seat holds 750ml (2+ beers or a bottle of Jack) and can withstand 300lbs+ of pres-sure. Pick one up at SippinSeat.com for $29.95 in a variety of colors.

2008 Tailgating Hydration ProductsTired of paying too much for your favorite beverage at the game? Or maybe you just need help sneaking in your “liquid courage” past The Man. Well, if tailgaters are one thing they are inventive, and we tracked down some surefire winners for you.

For those more inclined to stand for most the game, The Beerbelly is a remov-able gut filled with your favorite beverage. It blends in nicely with the guts of average sports fans. Holds up to 80 oz. of liquid (6+ beers) and can be found at TheBeerBelly.com for $49.95.

Pack Wacker Shirts on SaleWith the Drive to FBS upon us Pack Wacker takes on a whole new meaning this season. The official 2008 Pack Wacker game is Nov. 15th vs. Nicholls State but Bobcat fans are ask to wear their shirts all season long. The t-shirt features the Bobcat logo and a graphic of Bobcat fans giving the Show ‘Em State hand sign. T-shirts can be purchased at various locations around San Marcos and online at PackWacker.com. Logon for more info and be a part of Pack Wacker!

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First Word with Larry TeisBobcat Country - Get Loud, Be Proud!

The start of another sports season is always an exciting time and 2008 is no different. In fact, excitement is at a record high! As over 160 of our student athletes wrap up summer school classes (thanks to summer school scholarships provided by the Bobcat Club) and prepare for their seasons to begin, I can feel the Bobcat spirit building.

Let’s talk football. In late July I headed to Houston with Head Coach Brad Wright and a few of our student athletes to the South-land Conference Football Media Days, where they announced the Preseason All-Southland Confer-ence Teams that featured five Bob-cats. With an increased number of athletes participating in voluntary summer work-outs, along with a tough preseason camp and new defensive leadership, August 30th couldn’t come soon enough.

We want to make opening night at Bobcat Stadium one to remember for our fans. We are partnering with SACA again this fall to host awesome Texas State tailgates, kicked-off with a Reckless Kelly

performance for the home opener. Also, the first 5,000 fans to enter on the general admission side of Bobcat Stadium will receive a FREE Texas State t-shirt as a sign of our appreciation to the students who passed the athletic fee refer-endum in the spring. With 5,000 matching Bobcats in the student section, we hope to make a state-ment about Texas State fans and start the season off right.

Another way we are showing our appreciation for students who support Texas State Athletics is with a new rewards program. The Promise of Pride Rewards Program allows students to earn points and prizes the more athletic events they attend. So many students support us throughout the year we would like to recognize them and encour-age other students to get involved too. Earning free stuff has never been easier. Students simply have to attend Texas State home athletic events and swipe their student ID to earn points. For more infor-mation on the program and the rewards visit www.txstatebobcats.com.

The first opportunity for students to earn points will be at the Women’s Soccer game on Saturday, August 23rd at 7 p.m. against St. Mary’s University. Students can also earn points by heading to Stra-han Coliseum for the CenturyTel Volleyball Premier August 29th and August 30th as the Bobcats open their season with a tourna-ment featuring Sacramento State, Miami, Texas-Pan American and University of Louisiana-Monroe. Also, be sure to come out Tuesday, September 2nd as the ‘Cats take on the Baylor Bears. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Texas State rally towel courtesy of the University Bookstore.

Speaking of earning points, the Texas State Strutters are earn-ing national attention with their appearance on this season’s hit NBC show America’s Got Talent. The Strutters, under the guidance of Susan Angell, danced their way through the first round and punched their ticket to Las Vegas for the second round of competi-tion. If you missed the Strutters visit www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent to see how the girls

performed!

I cannot wait to see all our facilities packed with students this fall, but there is another group I’m excited to welcome back to San Marcos and that is Texas State’s young alumni. Thanks to the generosity of Jerry and Linda Fields, Texas State young alums will be able to receive free Bobcat Football Season tickets this fall. Their $100,000 gift towards season ticket sales has been dubbed “The Ultimate Test Drive” and will allow young alumni to stay involved with our great university and with our athletic programs by receiving football tickets and coming to the games. For complete details about “The Ultimate Test Drive” visit www.txstatebobcats.com or call the Texas State Athletic Ticket Office at 245-2272.

With all the exciting things happen-ing at this University and in this de-partment, I couldn’t be more ready for the 2008 season to begin and I hope you are preparing as well. I can’t wait to see you this fall! GO BOBCATS!!


Texas StateAthletic Director


I received my new “Drive” Football Bowl Series (FBS) marketing campaign literature. My understanding is that Texas State University (TXST) sent this material to the approximately 400 Bobcat Club members who are already TXST supporters. While it is refreshing to see that someone finally took the time to prepare professional-looking materials, I have to ask myself, “What is the return on my investment?” Admittedly, I tend to have a business-minded approach to analyzing things, so maybe a bet-ter way to ask the question is, “What will TXST do with my money?”

In reviewing the materials, I found a list of benchmarks that TXST must attain to make the move to FBS. One would assume this is a business plan for achieving success. However, what I was not able to find was a timeline for achieving each benchmark, nor did I find who is accountable for achieving the benchmarks. Does this sound familiar? My biggest concern with the new Drive campaign, however, is that it is disconnected from any other TXST market-ing efforts. I have always felt that the shape of the great State of Texas surrounding a Bobcat more clearly depicts TXST. Personal feelings aside, and even though I did not personally care for “The Rising Star of Texas” slogan, it is the official TXST slogan. It is, therefore, imperative that all other TXST marketing efforts directly connect to the official slogan and TXST has a comprehensive marketing effort. Brand continuity is a basic marketing tenet.

It all boils down to two, yes two, amazingly simple core goals: (1) more dollars donated, and (2) athletic stadiums filled to capacity. Where is the plan to accomplish these two goals? Maybe letting someone outside of San Marcos know that Texas State exists would be a good start. The current focus on advertising only in the San Marcos area severely limits TX-ST’s ability to influence people outside of San Marcos to accomplish these two core goals. How many people in Austin and San Antonio send their children to TXST? I’m willing to bet more students come from these two cities than all of San Marcos, so why not focus advertising efforts where the majority of the students come

from? The university is not San Marcos State University, it is Texas State University and it is time TXST adopts a statewide marketing effort. TXST cannot keep wishing the fans will magi-cally fill the stadium and sponsors will donate vast sums of cash. The big question is, “WHY aren’t the fans and sponsors participating?” Clearly, this is the elephant in the room that no one at TXST wants to discuss. This naturally leads to the next big question. “At what point are TXST’s administrators accountable for not achieving the goals?

Forgive my naivete, but isn’t the first principle of advertising getting the word out? There has been no press release, or if there was one, nobody I have spoken to knows about it. There has been no word in the major metropolitan newspapers, no discussion on sports talk radio, and on and on. While a website is a great way of making information available, do you really think that most people over 40 years old (think “people with disposable income”) can’t wait to rush home and sit at their computers all evening and read websites? Isn’t it more likely that they read the newspaper or watch the news on television? TXST’s message needs to be in traditional media outlets right beside other school’s information. Why do other schools understand this concept, but TXST does not? How hard is it to assign journalism students to continually write press releases on athletic events and submit them to media outlets for publication? The Athletics marketing staff should watch “Rudy” and “Invincible” and the administrative staff should also watch “We are Marshall.” These movies depict what it means to aggressively pursue a goal.

The new “Drive” campaign appears with a shield or a coat of arms, I’m not sure which. Where is the brand continuity? Where is the connection to the “Rising Star of Texas” slogan? What message is “Drive” supposed to convey? How does “Drive” equate to a move to FBS? I decided to do an experiment with some friends and in less than ten minutes, we came up with a few potential slogans that fit in with the current “Rising Star of Texas” slogan:

Future Bobcat Stars Future Bobcats SoarFuture Brighter Stars Future’s Brightest Stars

The primary reason people donate is they have a strong belief that their money is going to sup-port a worthwhile effort. Clearly, trust plays a major role here. Giving TXST every conceivable benefit of the doubt, we don’t have a snowball’s chance in a very warm climate of achieving the FBS goal unless TXST gets the word out.

Bravo to Jerry and Linda Fields for donating an incredible $100,000 to provide 1,235 complimentary season tickets as part of TXST’s football season ticket goal as well as an opportunity to win a vacation in Mexico. This is a truly amazing

gift and it is wonderful to see alumni step up and offer their support. Clearly, the focus of this article is the need for more donations and participation. I have wrestled with how to con-tinue without appearing to criticize the Fields’ remarkable gift, as I want to be firmly on record that it is not my intent to belittle their generosity in any way.

However, I must also remain true to my core beliefs. While it is a noble goal to get at-tendance jumpstarted, it is shocking to me that TXST has reached the point of buying attendance. TXST’s athletics are routinely mischaracterized in a negative manner. How can buying attendance be perceived in a posi-tive light? Additionally, in order for a solution to be successful, it must also be sustainable over time. How can TXST possibly continue to buy attendance on a long-term basis? How will this idea result in increased attendance at other sports activities?

I attended almost every football game in the 2005 season. I was there to see Coach Bailiff’s charisma create a winning program which served to fill the stadium. I was there as TXST won the Southland Conference championship and went on to the playoffs. I witnessed the entire stadium sold out and filled to capacity and I have never been more proud of TXST’s athletic achievements Ask yourself this… Why is it that both TXST and UT have had lackluster seasons since 2005, but UT is still viewed as a highly successful program? I feel it is a traves-ty of the highest magnitude that all of the hard-earned momentum achieved during the 2005 season was needlessly squandered due to poor decisions and yet the same decision-makers remain. I believe TXST will only accomplish success with talented, caring, accountable staff that focus on results and aggressively pursue the goals.

Will Our Star Ever Rise?

Finally, I would like to acknowledge Mr. Steve Thompson of Dallas, Texas for writing his Texas State University - San Marcos Athletic Manifesto and his related petition drive. You can review Steve’s manifesto at the following website: http://www.petitiononline.com/78666TSU/peti-tion.html

Dave Eyre can be reached at [email protected]

Think About It- David EyreWill Our Star Ever Rise?

Bobcat Club Member & 4 Time TXST Parent



Texas Southern – WINThe Bobcats are taking on another team that was 0-11 last year, but you have to expect the Texas Southern Tigers will be much improved. Most of that can be attributed to the new head coach who brought in a slew of FBS transfers, most notably former Oklahoma State Cowboy Bobby Reid. With all that new talent on the Tigers roster some might think the Tigers could win this one, but my response would be, “THAT AIN’T TRUE.”

By: Jody Campbell

Angelo State - WINIf the Bobcats lose this game we may be in for a long season. The Rams were a weak 2-8 last year in DII football, and while the Rams should be improved they are probably the weakest opponent the ‘Cats take on all year.

This year I’m taking off the maroon and gold colored sunglasses and giving it to you straight.

Southern Methodist University - LOSSNo homer picks this year and while I am expecting the Bobcats to make it a close game, it’s going to be hard to keep up with SMU’s offense. The Bob-cats are coming into Coach June Jones’ first home game, and look for Coach Jones to try to put on a show for the home crowd. I am going into this game expecting both teams to score early and often with the Cats trying to run the ball and shorten the game, but if the Mustangs get the lead expect a shootout between Bobcat QB Bradley George and SMU QB Justin Willis.

Southern Utah – WINThis game is plain and simple- the Bobcats are the better team and should come out the victors. Considering it’s a home game for the Bobcats and the Thunderbirds were 0-11 last year (it’s no coincidence they now have a first year head coach), I just don’t see how the Bobcats lose this game.

Let the games Begin

Northern Colorado – WINTwo years ago when the Bobcats took on Northern Colorado the refer-ees won the game and it sickens me to even think the Bears got the Win. The officiating was so bad that the Southland Conference later issued a public apology and by the end of the season fired the Conference head official. This time the Bobcats should be improved and more focused when they head up to Greeley and beat up on the Bears so badly the referees won’t be the difference.


McNeese State – LOSSHow are the Bobcats going to lose to a team that doesn’t even show up on the spell checker? Well the answer is speeeeeed. The Cowboys have speed and plenty of it, and their best offensive weap-on, Steven Whitehead, is back after being injured prior to the start of last season. Heading into the “hole” and playing in front of 17,000 Cajuns is not easy, and it’s going to be real tough for the ‘Cats to go into hostile territory and steal this one. Many on BobcatFans.com have put this game down as a win yet they are calling for a loss against Southern Utah. Well, if those turn of events come to fruition then I am going to need the name of their psychic because it just doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Central Arkansas – LossI wouldn’t mind picking the Bobcats here, but the way Central Arkansas Quarterback Nathan Brown abused them last year it’s hard too. Brown lit the ‘Cats up for 7 passing touchdowns, and 6 of them came in the first half. I have to hope the Bobcats come out looking to strike revenge after

the way they were embarrassed on national television just one year ago. Coach Wright hired 3 new defensive

coaches and recruited heavily on defense, and you have to think they had this game in mind when doing so.

Stephen F. Austin – WINWhile the Bobcats are headed to SFA, I While the Bobcats are headed to SFA, I still believe the Bobcats are a much better football team and will have what it takes to beat the Jacks. Last year the Lumberjack quarterback threw for 508 yards, but the Jacks still couldn’t stop the on-slaught of Texas State running backs that amassed 447 rushing yards. This year I expect little to change except, hopefully, the Bobcats will put together something that resembles a defense. .

Northwestern State – WINNorthwestern State’s stud running back Byron Law-rence is returning for his senior year; but the Bobcats were able to keep him corralled last year and I look for them to be able to do the same again this year. With this being a home game for the Bobcats and taking on a Demons team that seems to be a skeleton of their former selves, I expect the Bobcats to come in and handle business.

Southeastern Louisiana – LossThe Bobcats have won all 9 games played against the Lions, but this year I am going out on a limb and say-ing that all good things must come to an end. Why, you ask? The first reason is Jay Lucas, the Lions’ very versatile running back who can do it all. The second, and probably the most important, reason being that the game is played in Louisiana. I honestly believe the Bobcats are the better team; however, I have been surprised several times in the last 2 years and this very well could be one of those games.

Nicholls State – WINThe Bobcats haven’t beaten this team in 3 years, but I feel like the tides have turned. Bobcat defensive coordinator Fred Bleil was coaching defenses when the option was in its height of popularity. That fact and that fact alone gives me the confidence that the Bobcats will be able to stop the potent Colonel op-tion attack in its tracks.

Sam Houston State – LossThere isn’t really a good reason why the Bobcats should lose this game, not even with the Bearkat QB Rhett “I will cut you a deal on this car” Bomar. The only plausible reason is that it is played in Huntsville. The main reason I am picking the Bearkittens is be-cause for the last two years I called for 9 win seasons and the emergence of a force to be reckoned with. It hasn’t happened yet, but hopefully Coach Wright can take Texas State to the heights in which I believe it belongs.

PREDICTED RECORD: 7-5 (3-4 Southland)


September 6th will mark several firsts for both the SMU and Texas State football programs.

For SMU it’s the first home game for the man many hope to be the savior of SMU football, June Jones. Jones turned a perennial doormat in Hawaii into a national powerhouse. He’s making big bucks at SMU to do the same thing, this time with a football program that has never recovered from the NCAA death penalty which shut the program down 20 years ago. Jones is known for bringing programs around quickly. “I’m not big into predicting what’s ahead. When I took over at Hawaii, after they had lost 18 straight, if I’d said we’d have the biggest turn-around in NCAA history, you’d have thought I was crazy. SMU lost five games last season on the last play of the game or the last drive. They weren’t that far away. I believe if we can change the mindset of these players, we can win.”

For Texas State it’s the first game against an FBS opponent since the University announced the Bobcats would move to the FBS level. Overall this game doesn’t mean a lot. It won’t help win the Southland Conference and prob-ably won’t make a difference in making the FCS playoffs. What a win would do, however, is show the world the Bobcats belong on the FBS level.

“It’s important, but I promise you it’s not any more important than our first game or our third game. It just happens SMU is second,” said Bobcat coach Brad Wright. “I know Coach Jones has brought excitement to the SMU campus, and rightfully so with all the success he’s had. We’re going to go up there, play hard and see what happens. We’re looking at it as a way to show we can play with these guys. We’re excited about it and look forward to the opportunity.”

Jones isn’t treating this game any differently either, although it will be his home field coming out party. “I don’t want to emphasize any one game over another, but it will be important. Just like any other week, we want to win.”

Showing you belong and can play with “the big boys” can also have an effect on recruit-ing. Texas State already recruits against many FBS schools including Rice and SMU. “We’re winning some of those battles but I think we’ll win a lot more of them,” Wright said. “Where would you rather go to school? You look at our place and you look at the colleges that are in

Conference USA, for example. This is a hard place to beat. If we’re playing on the same field as far as football is concerned, I think all it does is improve our chances of getting recruits to our place.”

Recruiting is also important to Jones and his rebuilding project. “I’ve been very pleased with the response we’ve had from prospects. The level of players we signed in February is as

good as any I signed in my nine years at Hawaii and I would expect that to continue.”

Most of the players already at SMU weren’t recruited to run Jones’ wide open passing of-fense. That isn’t slowing Jones down one bit. “We have a system we believe in and we’ll run that here, too. What we do offensively is a lot of fun and I think the players will feed off that. It’ll be fun to watch, and we’ll attract the players to come play in our offense.”

Texas State launched “The Drive” earlier this year to push the move forward. Winning this game might help that cause, but winning, period, is more important in the long run. “Winning is one of those deals that changes a lot of things,” said Wright. “It would just be another step; obvi-ously, winning against an FBS school would be a bigger step than normal. Hopefully it would lead us into a great conference season and the playoffs.”

Something both programs have dealt with for years is getting fans to the games. Both SMU and Texas State have suffered because of lean football years, with just a few exceptions. Both coaches know winning helps. Jones said, “Winning attracts fans and that’s what we hope to do. We need the fan support. We need them to come out to the games and be loud. There’s nothing quite like a true home-field advantage.” That should sound familiar to Bobcat fans…..Get Loud, Be Proud.

This FBS game is different than others in the past, partially because of “The Drive.” There’s a huge push to get Bobcat fans to this game through special ticket price deals to Bobcat sea-son ticket holders. There’s also been a big push to get Dallas Bobcats to the game. “I wish they would do it with all of them. I wish they would

apply all this to our trip to Hammond (Louisi-ana),” said Wright. “I understand, honestly. It’s an FBS school. It’s a nice destination in Dallas and it’s not that far, so there are a lot of pluses. But when we go to Lake Charles and Hammond, in the big picture those games are a lot bigger to us than the SMU game.”

SMU is in Conference USA, the conference many Bobcat fans hope Texas State lands in when it moves to the FBS level. “I hope like crazy we end up in a conference as reputable as Conference USA,” Wright said. “I really feel we need to aim high when it comes to aiming at what conference we want to belong to.”

There is pressure on both coaches to deliver a winner. For Texas State, if the move to FBS is to be successful, winning in both football and basketball is critical to build fan support and interest by an FBS conference. That interest can be hard to come by because the competi-tion among schools is intense.

For SMU the pressure is different. Fans there hope Jones will bring the Mustangs back to the glory days when SMU was a Southwest Conference power and national top ten team. Jones says he’s ready for the challenge. “The expectations are high, but the opportunities here are tremendous. I think SMU is ready to go and that intrigues and excites me at the same time. The facilities and atmosphere here are amazing. Everyone – fans, staff, administration - is pulling together and trusting (SMU A.D.) Steve Orsini, and that’s what you’ve got to do. I’m a little dif-ferent than your normal Texas coach, but I get it done and we win. I’m really looking forward to this challenge.””

Talking SMU with Head Coach June Jones. By: Robert Wood


Jerry Fields doesn’t mince words. He thinks it is high time Texas State alumni did their fair share of giving back to the University. “We’ve got one of the big-

gest universities in the state, yet Texas State’s total alumni foundation is $86 million, while UT’s is $15 billion. Alumni have to step forward and support the school,” according to Fields.

Fields knows what he’s talking about. He and his wife, both Texas State graduates, co-chair the Pride In Action campaign, a five-pillared fundraising arm of the university, and he knows where the donations come from. “We’re working on getting a new Performing Arts Center built,” says Fields. “Patty Harrison and her foundation in Wimberly have raised $8 million towards it and she only attended the University for a short time. The McCoys, who funded the new Business School building, never attended. Bruce and Gloria Ingram of New Braunfels, who gave to the School of Engineering- he never attended and his wife, Gloria, maybe only attended for one semester. Albert

Alkek, the man our library is named after, never attended. Our largest contributions have not come from alumni.”

For students who are dream-ing big about a move to FBS football in another four years, Jerry Fields shares your enthusiasm. He remembers what athletics were once like at the University. “My wife’s first cousin played on the University’s first national championship team- the 1960 NAIA Championship basketball team. We had a great tradi-tion with coaches like Milton Jowers (Men’s Football and Basketball), fol-lowed by Bill Miller (Football, 1964-1978) and, of course, Jim Wacker (1981 & 1982 DII National Football Champions). They were exciting times for a smaller university. So in the last few years, we started asking how can we improve ath-letics at Texas State and move

football up to the FBS level?”

Jerry decided one of those ways was to become one of the instruments of change. Jerry and his wife Linda have personally bought $100,000 worth of season tickets for the 2008 football sea-son and have been giving them away to recent Texas State graduates to get them to the games. While it is a very gener-ous gift, it’s important to understand how the gift came to be and long-range goal associated with it.

Fields commented, “When we began to look at this (the move to FBS)

I met with President Trauth, Athletic Director Larry Teis and others at Horseshoe Bay. I asked them where the problems were and how we were going to increase the level of interest needed to make the move, particularly the interest in football. That’s when I decided to donate $100,000 worth of seats. It will help meet the ticket goal needed to make the move, it will give our athletes a larger crowd to play in front of and it will show the residents of San Marcos that someone believes in the program.”

By making the tickets ($100,000 gets you 1,235 tickets per game) avail-able to recent graduates at no charge, Fields sees a win-win situation. “A lot of these kids are just starting out and finding that extras like going to a football game aren’t in their budget. This way, they can get to the games. They also get to stay connected to the university. If we can keep them connected then, as they move up the career ladder and can afford it, they’ll continue to purchase season tickets themselves. And, hopefully, as they stay connected, they’ll want to give back to the university even more. They’ll be proud to be a participant.”

As of press time, the entire allotment of tickets had not already been claimed, but Fields says he instructed the athletic department to refer any extra calls to him. If the interest continued, he said, he would decide whether to kick in extra money for more tickets himself or find other people willing to fund the extras.

There is also a caveat to the tickets- they have to be used. It does no good to the football program to have the tickets and not use them. “To move up to FBS, we have to increase the seating capacity of the stadium to about 25 thousand, but we also have to maintain a minimum attendance figure (15,000 per game, according to the NCAA). That is not counted by tickets sold, but by the number of actual people at the games,” Fields remarked.

To help make that happen, Fields has attached an additional incentive to the deal. “My wife and I have a second home on Lake Chapala, south of Guadalajara, Mexico, and we have a guest house there as well. Every time someone goes to the game with one of our tickets, their ticket is entered for an end of the season drawing. One person’s name will be drawn to win a week’s vacation for six people at our guest house.” If you have one of the Fields’ tickets and you don’t use them, then you won’t be entered.

The Drive has just begun towards moving the Bobcats to the FBS level and that’s exciting to Fields as a fan. “Personally, I’m very excited about the new baseball/softball complex. I’ve already told the athletic depart-ment I want one of the suites there.” Then he got serious. “The fact of the matter is, to recruit the athletes you have to have the facilities. The better the facilities, the better athletes we can recruit. We have four years to do the things we need to do. If we don’t do that now- improving attendance, new facilities, winning teams- it will be almost impossible to make the move. But if we do make it to FBS, I truly believe there will be an absolute transformation on this campus.”

One way the campus has been transformed already, according to Fields, is the way the University is doing their part to reconnect with alumni. “They now realize they have to reconnect to their alumni and make them realize that for most of them this was a life-changing experience,” said Fields. “Texas State University was a life-changing experience for me. The Univer-sity allowed me to become the first in my family to graduate from college. I met my wife here. Every success I’ve had in my life has been because of the education I received from Texas State University.

For those who are able to benefit from the Fields’ largesse, remember that Jerry and Linda are glad to help you out, but they want you to start thinking more about your alma mater. “Alumni have to become reconnected to the University so we can grow, especially the athletes,” Fields remarked. “I think every athlete that ever received a scholarship to play for Texas State should take some time to reflect. Maybe some of them will say, ‘You know, they paid for my education, maybe I should pay for someone else’s.’” And for all graduates, Fields has two challenges: First, “For those who say they have been willing to give but have never been contacted by anyone at the University, I say why wait to be asked and now, get ready to be asked!” and second, “Ask yourself, ‘What got me where I am today?’”

Why Jerry Fields w a n t s t o g i v eRaining Tickets:


Why Jerry Fields w a n t s t o g i v e


TEXAS STATE - FOOTBALLHeight: 6-2 Weight: 250 Class: Senior Position: DE

TEXAS STATE - FOOTBALLHeight:6-2 Weight:210 Class:Senior Position: WR

Cameron Luke

DonovanKing

The 2008 season will mark the end to the long road of Donovan King’s career as an athlete who dons Maroon & Gold. In 2005 no recruit got more pub and excitement on BobcatFans.com’s message boards than King. Here was a kid who fans knew would be able to come in and contribute right away, and that he did. King played in 7 games as a true freshman and even got to start one game before succumbing to injury, having to finish out the rest of 2005’s glorious semi-final run season on the sidelines. Then came seasons ‘06 & ’07, seasons in which the Bobcats put up losing records. Now the ‘08 season is upon us and King is a senior who is hungry to get that taste of the playoffs he missed back in 2005. Expect this Defensive End to come up big in his final season and give it all he’s got to put the Bobcats back on top of the SLC where TXST should always be. Hit them hard for us fans watching, Donovan. Show ‘Em State!

60 catches for 1,035 yards and 12 touchdowns! That’s Mr. Cameron Luke’s stat sheet in a nutshell for the 2007 season, after setting school single season records for both yards and TD’s and becoming the first Bobcat player to eclipse the 1000 yard mark. Unbelievable! If you ask the fans most would agree they did not see that one coming as Luke was about third on the receiving list, but fans welcomed it with open arms as you can imagine. And while Luke contributed a lot to the team in 07’, one would be hard-pressed to have a swelled head when McNeese State is holding up the conference trophy. It’s now 2008 and time for Mr. Luke’s encore performance as the #1 receiver. So what’s in store? We know there will be TD’s and catches galore and fans are hoping he can break his own records. But in the end, nothing would put a smile on more faces than a ring. Go Bobcats!

FOOTLONG


Height:6-2 Weight:210 Class:Senior Position: WR


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Pick A Conference, Any ConferenceBy Chris Lehman

Conference Realignment is a popular topic amongst sports enthusiasts during the offseason. It allows them to reflect on their current situation, and imagine the limitless possibilities. Many fans discuss the thrill of moving up to a new level of competition, or adding a new team to their conference to enhance the competi-tion. This topic of what-ifs took on a new sense of reality when Mike Tranghese, the commissioner of the Big East Conference, announced that he was stepping down effective June 2009.

Tranghese, who has been at the helm of the conference for nearly twenty years, helped keep balance between what many have argued is really two conferences. Of the seventeen schools currently affiliated with the Big East, only eight teams field a football team. This means that those teams are responsible for finding five out of conference games during football season. As a result, many of the football-playing schools would like to add new members to the conference to aid with scheduling. This idea, however, has been consistently rejected by the non-football members.

People are beginning to speculate that the Big East may split into two separate conferences once their television contract expires in 2010. If this were to occur, the college sports world could see a domino effect which might present a couple of opportunities for Texas State. The following is a hypothetical situation that has been discussed by many.

Assuming all of the current football teams were to remain in the Big East after the split, they would pick up four teams and expand the conference to twelve. Some of the rumored teams looking at this expansion are Memphis, East Carolina, Marshall, and Central Florida. For the Conference to survive, they will need to bring in some new regional teams. It is likely that they would look to the Sunbelt or Southern Conferences to fill the remaining spots. The Southland Confer-ence may also be considered, although this is less likely since Conference USA would lose four Eastern Division teams. Even if Texas State was not selected for the open Conference USA spots, the fallout could create a spot in the Sunbelt Conference.

It is possible that with restructuring occurring in the east, the Mountain West Con-ference could add three teams to expand to twelve as well. Some likely expan-sion candidates are The Western Athletic Conference members Boise State and Fresno State, or Conference USA’s UTEP. If this were to occur, you could expect the WAC to look for new members. The WAC, which stretches from Hawaii to Louisiana, has shown that they can compete on the national stage. Currently they have members in New Mexico and Louisiana, but lack a Texas affiliate. Texas State could bridge that gap.

One piece of wishful thinking is that this realignment, combined with increasing travel costs, could cause teams from the WAC, Conference USA, and the Sunbelt to consider forming more regionalized conferences (one in the Southeast, the Southwest, and Far West). These new conferences could be a great place for Texas State to start its future in FBS.

So what does this mean for Texas State? It means that we are situated within reach of several conferences that may be looking for new members right around the time the NCAA moratorium is lifted. Whether it is an existing conference or some new conference on the horizon, it is imperative we join a conference that has regional rivals and nationally recognized athletic programs. However, what will make “The Drive” a success is increased support from students, alumni and the community, no matter which conference we join.




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