Sam Houston's speculated move to Conference USA brings questions, concerns
Nov. 2—HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston athletics could soon be on the move again, according to Action Network's Brett McMurphy.
The veteran college football reporter said Monday that Sam Houston football could likely be moving up to the FBS level and joining Conference USA. The rumored move is coming a year after the Bearkats split from the Southland Conference for the WAC.
FBS independents Liberty & New Mexico State & FCS members Sam Houston & Jacksonville State likely joining Conference USA as all-sports members, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Addition of those 4 schools will help replenish C-USA after recent losses https://t.co/gqp95A9Ryn
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 2, 2021
Sam Houston athletics officials didn't comment on a potential move when contacted by The Item on Tuesday.
A move to FBS for Sam Houston at this point is a reach for the program, with major hurdles to jump over.
The first hurdle, money.
The five remaining programs left in Conference USA averaged a $31.5 million budget, while Sam Houston's is still under $20 million. The lowest budget in Conference USA is Louisiana Tech, which runs at a budget of $23 million — still $5 million more than Sam Houston's.
Over the last month, Sam Houston had a student body vote to increase the athletic fee by $3 per credit hour and it was voted down. The increase would have seen an estimated $1.8 million revenue increase by the students towards athletics, which could have potentially been enough to make the move, as approximately 72% of the funding comes from student fees and university funding.
The second hurdle, Elliot T. Bowers Stadium.
Bowers stadium was opened in 1986 and has since had little face-work. The FBS minimum requirement for attendance is 15,000 over a rolling two-year period, Sam Houston averages about 8,000, or so, on a good day. The maximum attendance at Bowers is 14,000 attendees, so stadium renovations would be expected with a move to FBS.
As for the rolling numbers, Sam Houston is able to use the Battle of the Piney Woods game to help bring the numbers up, and that attendance averages approximately 20,000 people per year.
While the move doesn't make sense from a revenue and fan attendance side of things, there could still be added bonuses.
Being an FBS program will allow school's to schedule additional revenue games, with only one FCS victory counting towards bowl eligibility. The additional revenue-generating games against Power 5 schools could help bring financial relief to the program.
Conference USA will also likely bring with it television revenue that goes above and beyond what Sam Houston is receiving from the WAC. Conference USA has had previous media deals in the past that paid schools around $400,000 per school. It has also been reported that Conference USA could ink a deal with FloSports for games in the coming years.
While this move is continuing to pick up steam, the WAC seems to be preparing for their departure. Former Southland foes McNeese and Incarnate Word are expected to be added to the conference, with an announcement coming as early as this week.
Time will continue to clear things up, but for now things are just speculations and fans can hold on and get ready for a wild ride.
