The Lone Star Conference recently conducted its annual football media day and the outlook has not changed much as Abilene Christian, undefeated at 11-0 in regular season play a year ago, is the odds-on favorite for the 2011 campaign while Incarnate Word continues to be regarded as the new kid on the block.
The annual poll among conference coaches, sports information directors and media predicted the ACU Wildcats to be the winner at year's end with a total of 17 first place votes compared to five for runner-up Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Meanwhile the UIW Cardinals were placed ninth in the nine-team league. A year ago Incarnate Word went 3-8 with all three wins coming against LSC opponents.
For the upcoming year, the LSC will play as one league compared to North and South divisions in past seasons. That change came about with the departure of five Oklahoma schools.
In his remarks at media day UIW Coach Mike Santiago reflected back on 2010 saying “it was big for us getting those three wins against LSC teams. And now we are excited about starting our third year.”
UIW initiated football in the spring of 2007, went through a “red-shirt” fall of 2008 before playing live competition in 2009. That first club went 5-5 as an NCAA Division II independent.
“We played for experience that first year,” Santiago said. “Then we played for respect and this year we are playing with a purpose.”
Returning 10 starters on both sides of the football, the Cardinals have a 10-game slate for 2011 including the eight Lone Star contests. Incarnate Word opens with a non-conference home game September 3 against East Central Oklahoma, a former LSC member. The other non-league game for UIW is on September 17 when the Cardinals travel over to play at Lamar. This is the first go at a Division I team for UIW.
“As I was putting together this schedule,” Santiago said, “my wife Rochelle asked what was I doing. I told her we had no choice with the Lone Star schools and that we wanted a Division I game,”
1st PLACE
NO TEAM VOTES POINTS
1 Abilene Christian 17 201
2 Texas A&M-Kingsville 5 177
3 West Texas A&M 162
4 Midwestern State 135
5 Tarleton State 104
6 Angelo State 84
7 Eastern New Mexico 1 70
8 Texas A&M-Commerce 56
9 Incarnate Word 46
