The move to Division 1 will literally be a game changer.
Goodbye, Angelo State and Tarleton. Hello, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. It will be exciting to see ACU moving on to bigger and better things. To see how we measure up to these new schools. To be able to put a D1 school on our resumes. To be out of the same division as McMurry.
It’s great. But the reality is, after all of the hype and excitement dies down, students will not be seeing many immediate changes. In fact, most will graduate before anything new is truly implemented. The administration will be working hard behind the scenes, but nothing will surface for a couple of years. ACU won’t even be able to see a football postseason for five years. And although there is a plan in place for a new stadium, there is no plan in place to build it. The university has no intention of spending money on a stadium unless a Bruce Wayne type benefactor rises up and donates a small fortune to the cause. Know any volunteers? If not, ACU will continue sharing Shotwell with good ol’ Abilene High and Cooper.
The athletes on campus, however, will feel the impact of the division change more quickly. ACU has traditionally been known for picking up athletes who had the skill for D1 but not the grades. It will be interesting to see how the higher academic standards will affect the student-athletes we receive. This change also means more scholarship money available for athletes though the guidelines for distributing scholarships have changed as well. ACU will not only be required to change who it recruits but the way it recruits.
The move to D1 could also promote more excitement directed towards sporting events. A bigger division could mean bigger crowds and bigger spirit. Creating a game environment that promotes tradition and pride is important to ACU’s growth. The school has begun this movement with changes such as creating the new spirit group, Wildcat Reign. Looking at other D1 schools, ACU’s game spirit seems a bit lackluster.
Right now, ACU is biding its time, putting its ducks in a row and growing before it is able to move the university in a new direction and dominate the Southland Conference. The changes are exciting, but ACU won’t feel any different tomorrow.
