In previous years, the college football world slows down in June as coaches take a vacation before welcoming athletes back for summer. However, the college football world doesn’t slow down for anyone or any part of the calendar. 

This week, the possibility of creating a “Texas Athletic Conference” was examined with inside information obtained from a slide deck used for a meeting. This piece created a range of reactions, and many people contacted me interested in my thoughts.

First and most important, there is very little chance a TAC will happen within the next five years. The chance of anything can’t be zero when it concerns college football, as the landscape is constantly changing.

What I found most interesting is that West Texas A&M was the only NCAA Division II school added to the proposed conference. It’s no secret that WT is the crown jewel of Lone Star Conference schools with the ability to transition to FCS. Meanwhile, the Western Athletic and Southland Conferences remain interested in adding the Buffs and await a phone call.

WT has the facilities in place to make a move and be competitive, but who they hire to serve as athletic director will play a significant role in the future of the athletics department. Some sources inside WT have questioned whether the university can add an extra $15 to 25 million to the budget annually, which would be vital to compete in NCAA Division I.

Losing West Texas A&M would be a massive blow to the Lone Star Conference, which currently has seven full-time members who sponsor football and two associate members in Central Washington and Western Oregon. The LSC has been hit hard through realignment with Tarleton and Texas A&M-Commerce departing for the WAC and Southland since 2019. 

Losing WT could force the LSC to look at adding NCAA Division III schools to backfill. I hear there’s a conference whose future is in doubt with four universities that would be a solid addition. All four American Southwest Conference schools transitioning to DII is unlikely, considering sources indicate Mary Hardin-Baylor has no desire to leave DIII and will not consider a move to DII. 

Again, this is all hypothetical at this point. But in today’s college football world, where the only constant is change, it’s tough to believe a TAC or adding some ASC teams to the LSC won’t happen at some point. That said, SLC Commissioner Chris Grant hopes to make a potential TAC nonexistent by creating a division in the SLC consisting of only Texas schools. Personally, I’m on board with anything that brings more Non-FBS Texas schools together for competition.

FCS

• Athlete Dune Smith announced he is transferring to UIW from Southern Illinois. Sources indicate Smith is a “very versatile football player” who can play anywhere on the field.
• On Sunday afternoon, Former UIW and current San Antonio Brahmas linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi will represent Texas Non-FBS in the UFL championship game against the Birmingham Stallions.
• Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant spent part of last week on campus at Stephen F. Austin. He held a joint press conference with SFA Director of Athletics Michael McBroom, where Grant discussed the status of the Southland Conference. “We’re in a new era. We’re essentially a new conference. We have the same name but new leadership, new branding, and new members. We’re back at 12 members, so we have the stability, and, more importantly, our board of directors and our athletic directors are aligned. We’re here to compete. No longer are we looking to be a stepping stone. We’re here to win games in conference play and in the postseason. We’ve elevated our scheduling, our technology, and innovative methods. You see that on our external platforms, and hopefully, fans are enjoying what we’re rolling out.” The full interview is posted on the SFA Athletics YouTube page.
• ACU football recruiting page on X/Twitter reports Abilene Christian picked up a commitment from running back Samuel Hicks, who is transferring from Central Michigan. The Nolan Catholic product appeared in 22 games in two years for the Chippewas, gained 51 yards rushing on 12 attempts, caught five passes for 20 yards, and returned 20 kickoffs for 438 yards (21.9 yards per return).
• Two Tarleton 2024 commits completed their high school careers with medals at the UIL State Track and Field championships. Ike Hall (Brownwood) won gold in the Triple Jump and bronze in the Long Jump in Class 4A, while Klein Essler (Henrietta) claimed silver in the Discus in Class 3A.
• The United Athletic Conference released a revised conference schedule for 2024 following the departure of SFA to the Southland Conference.
• Texas Southern received a donation from “Mattress Mack” of two black leather sofas this week.

NCAA Division II

• UTPB is searching for a new offensive coordinator after Ryan Lusby left to become the head coach at Dodge City, as first reported by Football Scoop. Sources indicate head coach Kris McCullough will promote from within, and a former standout quarterback for the Falcons is the top contender.
• Multiple sources indicate West Texas A&M has narrowed its search for an athletic director to six candidates, two of whom are internal. The four external candidates are a current AD in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, a current LSC athletic director, an associate commissioner in the WAC, and a person at Western Kentucky.
• Other sources indicate that UTPB is moving along with its search for an athletic director, and the chosen candidate is expected to be announced before the end of August or early September.

NCAA Division III

• Sources have confirmed that Schreiner will announce the head coach charged with starting a football program on July 1. Sources indicate the coach is not currently on a coaching staff in Texas. 
• The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced that Hendrix will become the 12th full-time member for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Warriors' return is huge for the SCAC, which now will have the six members that sponsor football necessary for the conference to obtain an automatic bid to the DIII football playoffs. Meanwhile, this is bad news for ASC fans hoping for an alliance with the SCAC to stabilize its football situation.
• Southwestern announced the remainder of its 2024 recruiting class by position group, including wide receivers, offensive line, defensive line, and special teams.
• McMurry announced more additions to its 2024 recruiting class, including offensive lineman Malik Katumba (Abilene Cooper), defensive lineman Braylon Gomez (Clyde), wide receiver Josh Berger (Klein Oak), offensive lineman Elijah Cavitt-Holbert (Pearland), and defensive back Darrius Dean (Tyler Chapel Hill).
• The War Hawks have 10 players who will participate in the Big Country FCA All-Star Game at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 15.

NAIA

• You’ve possibly heard about North American University, but have you heard the truth about the Stallions? NAU is a football program whose first season was during the global pandemic. The Stallions have overcome some choppy waters and are poised to become a national powerhouse in NAIA.
• O.D. Wyatt wide receiver Jai’quan Wallace announced his commitment to Wayland Baptist. Wallace also held offers from San Bernadino Valley, Texas College, and Culver-Stockton College.

NJCAA

• West Texas A&M will host the NJCAA Division I football championship at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium through the 2027 season. The beautiful, state-of-the-art facility will be the third location to host a national football championship in 2024, with Frisco hosting the FCS and McKinney ISD Stadium hosting the Division II title.