LSC commissioner Jay Poerner talks at LSC media day. Photo by Tyson Jex
Lone Star Conference media day has come and gone, and once again the league put on another successful event to promote their schools for the upcoming football season.
This summer, the LSC chose the all impressive McKinney ISD as the host for media day events. The conference made McKinney the destination in conjunction of the NCAA playing its Division II national championship game at the state of the art 12,000-seat venue in December for a second straight season.
LSC commissioner Jay Poerner was on hand to address football coaches, select players from each school and media.
Poerner, who took over as LSC commissioner in June of 2015, promoted the fact that the LSC added eight new schools, making it a 19-team league.
He also added a football scheduling alliance with the Great Northwest American Conference that begins in 2020-2021.
Poerner, an SMU graduate, that played basketball for the Mustangs, took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Press Pass Sports on multiple topics.
What is the current state of the LSC?
“We’re strong right now. We have the ability to control this region with the new schools we added. We’re able to establish new rivalries, and that’s what we wanted. We’re going to have to work out some kinks, because what we’re doing is unprecedented. But we’ll work on it and hopefully benefit the right solution that benefit everyone.”
We’ve seen media day go from Odessa to San Antonio to now McKinney. What were your thoughts on media day in McKinney?
“We thought it was important to cross promote the Division II national game destination and LSC Media Day. We want to give our teams the vision that this could be them playing here in December. We wanted to show off this facility for a number of reasons, but we thought San Antonio was valuable too. Media day could move around every year but I love McKinney.”
Will we see you in Canyon at the beginning of September when West Texas A&M opens its brand new stadium?
“Yes, I’ll be there. I got to do a hard hat tour when I was at the LSC Baseball Tournament in May. Every single seat will be amazing. There isn’t a bad seat, and there isn’t an upper deck. The upper deck maybe the best seat. I think there has been a lot of hard work, and WT toured other stadiums and pulled the best parts from it. I’m looking forward to being there.”
I see you guys advertising the Vicis helmet. Is that what a lot of LSC schools are shifting to?
“Vicis was rated by the NFLPA as the top-rated helmet for the third year in a row from a safety standpoint. We though it was important to help promote that. It’s been a good relationship in the early going and we hope to get as many schools signed up as possible.”
You announced that the LSC and GNAC will be scheduling each other over the next few years in football. Can you talk about how that benefits both leagues?
“We’re always looking for football expansion, but right now there aren’t any schools that fit our footprint. We would love to have a 10th member but right now it may have to come from within.The LSC and GNAC already play each other, so everyone is familiar. But this will help those midyear bye weeks. Those GNAC schools can fill that void. It’s mutually beneficial, and it helps in regional play.”