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American Press
16 hours ago
- Sport
- American Press
Jim Gazzolo column: McNeese keeps travel bag handy
Matt Viator will return to the McNeese Cowboys. (American Press Archives) The bosses at McNeese have made it clear: if asked, the school is ready to jump at the next opportunity toward the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Having missed one if not two chances, time might be running out. Facing the hard truth, McNeese, a Football Championship Subdivision school, wasn't ready to move up over the last five years despite what it had talked about. The facilities were a mess, the football program was in disarray and, although funding was improving, it was far from ready to compete at that level. Many of those issues have been corrected or addressed. The hurricanes of 2020 forced the fixing and modernization of all sports facilities. Most of the work has been completed, but there are still projects on the board that need to be finished. The fact that things have been fixed and improved, though, does show that any league looking at it would see that the commitment from the administration is there. There has also been significant growth in funding, and McNeese is a leader at its level in the work of the name, image, and likeness department. Credit Athletic Director Heath Schroyer and his crew for thinking ahead of the curve the past few years. That, however, doesn't mean leagues will be fighting over the Cowboys. The truth is that it's a buyer's market with numerous teams looking for invitations. And while it has greatly improved its financial situation over the last half decade, McNeese's sports budget is still well behind that of places like Tarleton State, for example. That is still an uphill climb. As for the McNeese programs, it is clear that men's basketball has demonstrated its ability to compete at higher levels. Baseball and softball have also experienced similar trends over the years. Women's basketball and football need work, with a lot of eyes on the gridiron this fall. One thing McNeese has over many schools looking to move is its football tradition. Recently, that has not been the case; however, this year the Cowboys went back in time to change the direction of their future, rehiring Matt Viator as head football coach. Still, there is a lot of politicking and positioning behind the scenes that will be done if any movement is to follow for McNeese or the rest. Schroyer is, of course, good at this. While he said this week he doesn't expect an invitation to be extended, he will make a few calls just to let people know the Cowboys are interested if there is a good fit. That is why a lot is riding on this football season. And, while those games will be played out in public, there will also be a lot of talks behind the scenes that could lead to much more for McNeese. • Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@
American Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- American Press
SLC going to 9 games
The Southland Conference is moving to a nine-game football schedule. Monday, the league's athletic directors voted unanimously to add the ninth conference game starting in the fall of 2026. Currently, the SLC's 10 football-playing schools will play eight league games this season. For instance, McNeese will not play defending Southland champ Incarnate Word, which would likely be one of the conference's showcase contests in the fall. This is the first season with 10 football schools since the league regrouped after the 2021 purge, when five schools left the conference. This will also be the first season with Texas-Rio Grande Valley playing football. 'I like the idea of playing everybody in the conference,' McNeese head coach Matt Viator said. 'It makes a lot of sense to me. You get a true champion that way. It gives us another game against a like opponent.' The A.D.s were on the same page, as each school continues to struggle to find the proper schedule. 'We were all in agreement about it,' said McNeese A.D. Heath Schroyer. 'I think this is a great move by our league as we look to the future. Moving forward, it will be a lot easier for scheduling for all of us and will give us more shared revenue.' The Southland's decision comes as the Football Championship Subdivision looks to expand to a 12-game schedule overall every year. The Cowboys and the rest of the FCS typically play an 11-game schedule, unless the weekly calendar allows for 12 games before the Thanksgiving break. That usually happens about every four or five seasons. However, they have 12 games scheduled for next season, following a dozen games and a 6-6 finish last year. Twelve FCS games could be on the horizon as of 2026. Earlier this spring, the FCS Oversight Committee met and recommended that its schools play 12 games annually, starting with the 2026 schedule. The one-game extension is expected to be finalized during the Division I Council meeting June 24-25. 'I think it will pass and that is good for our programs,' said SLC Commissioner Chris Grant. 'It is another game for us to get revenue, and it has been hard for some of our teams to get games.' Securing another Division 1 contest and avoiding the need to travel outside the league's footprint is a significant win. 'This keeps our regional rivalries going,' said Grant. 'This is a big thing for our schools. We hope it could help lead to getting two or three teams back in the postseason. 'Our schools have upgraded their schedules, but we haven't seen the advantages of that yet.' Grant added that at the meetings, the league discussed a new contract with ESPN and efforts to secure more games on linear networks. Last year, McNeese opened its season with a game at Tarleton State on ESPN. Nicholls and UIW will open this year the same way. 'I'm really excited about the nine and 12 games,' Viator said. 'Anytime you get an opportunity to play a game, I think it is great for everyone.' Grant said the good news this year is that the league is not concerned with expansion; instead, it is focusing on moving forward as a group. That includes the 22-game conference basketball schedule that starts next season. Also discussed was the possible expansion of the postseason basketball tournaments. Currently, the top eight teams qualify for the tournament; however, the league is considering expanding to 10 teams in the future. Grant said the league would need more hotel rooms in Lake Charles, which has a limited number, as the state high school tournament is in town at the same time.
