Waiting can be a hard thing to do, especially when those around you don’t exhibit the same patience.
I imagine fans of Lamar University football are having trouble waiting right about now as college football has returned to stadiums across the country. It probably doesn’t help seeing some of the Cardinals’ Southland Conference foes already back in action playing a shrunken fall schedule against FBS opponents or FCS powerhouses.
Waiting isn’t easy, but the reward is often worth it. That’s exactly how I feel about the Cardinals’ decision to take part in the Southland’s spring schedule.
While other Southland schools like Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist and Abilene Christian chose immediate gratification this fall, the Cardinals opted for a six-game schedule this spring and a chance to compete for a conference championship.
Lamar was smart to hold off this fall and wait for spring football. Here’s why:
First and foremost, there’s the issue of player safety. Coronavirus concerns are real in college football, and any extra time a team has to wait out the virus is a good thing.
We seem to have forgotten that the pandemic is still here, but that’s not my main point. College football is back for better or worse, so I don’t want to harp on that.
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Lamar Cardinals get in practice Tuesday as they prepare for Thursday's season opener at home against Bethel. Photo taken Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Lamar Cardinals get in practice Tuesday as they prepare for Thursday's season opener at home against Bethel. Photo taken Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Photo: Kim Brent / Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Lamar Cardinals get in practice Tuesday as they prepare for Thursday's season opener at home against Bethel. Photo taken Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Lamar Cardinals get in practice Tuesday as they prepare for Thursday's season opener at home against Bethel. Photo taken Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Photo: Kim Brent / Kim Brent/The EnterpriseThe main reason Lamar made the right choice is a chance to play a Southland schedule instead of getting beat to shreds by FBS teams this fall.
The only good that would come out of playing FBS teams this fall is helping Lamar’s athletic department recoup some of its lost revenue. I applaud Marco Born and other Lamar decision-makers for thinking about the players, not the bottom line.
Instead of lopsided fall games, Lamar will get to play rivals like McNeese and Sam Houston this spring. It’s better for everyone.
I haven’t even mentioned the Southland’s automatic qualifier for the FCS playoffs. That will be on the line this spring, and although Lamar would seem like a longshot for the 16-team tournament under first-year coach Blane Morgan, it’s still a fun thought.
The clear favorites for that Southland championship seem to be Sam Houston State and Nicholls, but in a shortened season like this spring, anything can happen. Heck, Lamar has actually beaten the Bearkats in each of the last two years.
The four Southland teams playing this fall won’t be eligible for the FCS playoffs. I should, however, point out that those teams have actually fared pretty well against stiff competition this fall. SFA played tight games against UTSA and UTEP, while Houston Baptist nearly upset Texas Tech two weeks ago.
Sure, a team like Central Arkansas might feel good for now getting national attention while playing teams like Austin Peay on ESPN. But how will the Bears feel when they’re sitting at home watching the FCS playoffs take place? Will they still think they made the right choice? I doubt it.
I’ll say it again, waiting is hard. But a Southland schedule in the spring is better than a non-conference slate quickly thrown together this fall.
When Lamar takes the field against Northwestern State on Feb. 20 at Provost Umphrey Stadium, I think we’ll all be happy the Cardinals chose to wait.
mfaye@beaumontenterprise.com
twitter.com/mattGfaye
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September 27, 2020 at 06:00PM
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FAYE: Lamar wise to wait for spring football - Beaumont Enterprise
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