Speaking of the Southland

Since we last touched base, there have been two head coaching positions filled as Sam Houston State hired [url=http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19900&ATCLID=204860593]Willie Fritz[/url] and Nicholls State named [url=http://geauxcolonels.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010510aae.html]Charlie Stubbs[/url] to lead their respective football teams.

Both coaches, ironically enough, come from Division II Central Missouri. Fritz, the head coach for the Division II school in the MIAA, is set to begin his third stint with the team. A member of coaching staffs that directed the Bearkats to conference titles in 1985 and 1991, Fritz later led Blinn JC (Texas) to two national NJCAA titles before landing in Missouri.

Stubbs comes from a different pedigree. A long-time offensive coordinator that has made the rounds at schools like BYU, Louisville and Oregon State, Stubbs was not even mentioned amongst the favorites for the job. Stubbs emerged however and from all indications, will be doing away with the triple option offense that the Colonels have had a fair share of success with.

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A few scheduling notes around the league.

Sam Houston State's has flipped the first two contests on the 2010 slate. The Bearkats will play Baylor to open the season in Waco, Texas on Sept. 4 before two weeks venturing to Western Illinois (Sept. 18). SHSU will face Baylor in 2012 with Stephen F. Austin slated to face the Big 12 Bears in 2011.

Also in Texas, it was announced that Texas State will make the short trip to Houston to face the University of Houston. The Cougars, out of Conference USA, could start the year ranked when they host the Bobcats on Sept. 4 at Robertson Stadium.

One state over, Northwestern State was announced as part of Samford's 2010 slate. The Demons will host the Bulldogs of the Southern Conference on Sept. 11 at Turpin Stadium. Though not confirmed at this point, it is presumed that this is the first year of a home-and-home arrangement. The last SoCon-SLC contest came when McNeese traveled to Appalachian State this past year, upsetting the Mountaineers in Boone, N.C. The Pokes and ASU are scheduled to hook up as part of the three-way arrangement between the schools and Montana over the next few years.

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The last nugget to share is that the NCAA's site survey team recently visited Frisco, Texas as the city teams with the Southland Conference in effort to host the 2010-12 NCAA Division I Football Championship games. Frisco's competition hails from Chattanooga, Tenn - the city that has hosted the game since 1997

The bid from Frisco and the SLC includes hosting the game at Pizza Hut Park, home to FC Dallas, the Metroplex's entry in Major League Soccer.

“This is the next step in the process, and we are very pleased and feel fortunate to have the NCAA group visit and see the great things happening in Frisco,” Southland Conference commissioner Tom Burnett said in a [url=http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=90019&SPID=10812&temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=18400&ATCLID=204865352]release[/url] issued by the Southland Conference. “Our collective partnership in the city has been outstanding, and we look forward to sharing our vision with the NCAA to provide game participants and spectators with the best possible national championship experience.”

A final decision is due in March.