June 10, 2025 • 7 mins
- Lamat University Director of Athletics talks to News and Sports Director Harold Mann about the past season and what's coming up for the 25-26 season at Lamar.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
First, on this week's program, we're going to talk to
Lamar Athletics. We're joined by athletic director Jeff O'Malley and Jeff,
can you believe already another athletics season has come to
an end?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, it's it's hard to believe, but you know, if
you work in athletics like we do, it's it's a
little bit welcomed to at least get a break here
for a few days before we turn the page to
twenty five twenty six.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
How about two pet back to back Commissioner's Cup And
that says a lot. Now, that's what that breaks down
to when you talk about the overall Commissioner's Cup, Correct
me if I'm wrong. That means for the last two years,
Lamar University has had the best athletic program in the
Southland Conference.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
That is correct, Yes, And that's what the Commissioner's Cup
is supposed to represent, both the men's and women's programs combined,
and you know, to be able to win that and
back to back years is really special, especially coming from
the fact that it's never been won by Lamar until
last year. So you know, I think that really shows
that we're building a strong foundation for what we what
(00:59):
we want to do in the future, and you know,
and build it from from across the board, right, So
we're not just trying to capture lightning in the bottle
with one particular sport. We want all of our sports
to be successful and this really shows that from a
broad broad range of of you know, across the board,
(01:20):
we've been able to do that so far and we're
really proud of that.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Also, the men's trophy for the second straight year.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, which is really something to right, that's another one
we didn't win until last year.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And what we're gonna interrupt you real quick was cool
about that is, I know, we like looking forward, not
in the past. What two three years ago, Lamar had
one winning football, two wins in basketball. Now we're producing
the best men's programs on the conference.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, and that's really and it's coming on the heels
of you know what. Really what put us over the
top was the best men's track finished in thirty nine years,
you know, and they finished second in the league. They
hadn't done that since eighty six, which is really really
something special for coach Clark and he's got he's got
a lot of rings, he is. He is, but he was.
(02:04):
He was really proud and not only the men's program,
but be able to put us over the top and
on both the Commissioner's Cup and the men's Trophy in.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
With the athletic Director Jeff O'Malley from Lamar University. Back
to back commissioners cuts, back to back men's and also
like Acacia Davis, uh you look at look at her
student Athlete of the Year. You're getting a job done
in a classroom as well.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, and she she's a really special student athlete. And
and you know, of course our women's basketball program has
been great the last few years and really producing on
the court, producing in the classroom. But also they're really
great kids, right and and and you know, you've got
to give credit to coach Aqua and her staff and
the type of student athletes that they're they're producing and
(02:48):
putting out after graduation. You know, kids, kids that are
going to be, you know, great ambassadors of Lamar University
and and great people in our community.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You know, I don't care what level of higher education
or at, whether it's the south Land Conference, whether it's
the SEC. Not everybody's going to the NFL. Not everybody's
going to the NBA, the WNBA. Our kids are getting
college education, they're getting degrees, and that is that is
top notch.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, it really is. And it's coming from a great school,
right and you know, like the athletic department has done
a lot of great things the last few years. But
you know, you even look at the designations that Lamar
University has been able to get from the Carnegie Foundation
here just in the last six months. You know, we're
an R two designation. They have a new high you know,
(03:38):
high opportunity, high achieving institutions, and Lamar is one of
I think seventeen it's seventeen or twenty seven in the
country and we are up there. So I mean are
our students. We have a lot of access for students here,
but students that graduate here they have our opportunities and
earn a lot of money. And that's what the designation
(04:00):
really shows.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Here we are in June August to be here before
we know it. Football around the corner season tickets four
zero nine eight, A zero one seven five, got some
marquee games. You've got South Dakota coming to town. They
made it to the national semi finals last year. Of course,
Central Arkansas. Uh, you go, we go to North Texas
(04:22):
on Week one, head over to Texas Southern, and then
a loaded Southland Conference. So yeah, it's gonna be a
lot of fun to watch football this year and gonna
get off to a tough schedule.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it is. It is, but you know, I think
that that's that's really what we all sign up for,
and so you know, we we have some great opportunities
on there. I think the league is gonna be super
strong this year as well. We just left Southland Conference
meetings on Monday over in Houston, and so it's gonna
it's gonna be a great lead a great football league
(04:54):
this year, and and we have some great home games. Yeah.
Of course starting at the on the road at North
Texas is going to be a nice challenge for us
as well. But you know, having South Dakota come in here,
that's a return game from from three years ago Pete's
first season. You know, I think we we owe them
a little something. We need to do something back for that.
(05:15):
So we're really looking forward to having that and and
that's going to be a great barometer for us to
kind of see where we are and what we uh,
you know, where we need to go. We we want
to get to the level where you know, we're a
national semifinalist, we're a national finalists, we're a national champion,
and so we we need to compete against those schools, uh,
(05:38):
you know, to be able to judge ourselves and put
us on that same map.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
And again, I'm gonna wrap up this segment again visiting
with Lamar Athletic Dudgor Jeff o'mele, I'm gonna have to
bring this up. I don't know how much you could
talk about it, how much the university get involved, it
has changed so much we talk n I L Yeah,
what do you need from the community. We I mean,
we're seeing other universities in our own league going out
and ile money. What do we need from community to
(06:02):
get on the same field as those other anthletes?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, and we you know, we've had good support from
from our community, but there's always room for more and
there's always a need to compete. And you know, I
think the you know, what McNeese has been able to
do in men's basketball has been well documented and that
community has certainly rallied around that, and you know, we
certainly need to get on that level as well. And
(06:26):
we're doing everything we can to do that. This new
revenue sharing model is going to help and the university
is going to step up and make that commitment. But
you know, to really put us over the top, it's
going to be our donors and our fans that are
going to need to support us in order to get
over that. So we we have a number of options
that are on our website Lamar Cardinals dot com. We
(06:47):
we do have a collective, the Cardinal Country Collective that
that takes donations for NIL, but we have an Ni
l Anti page on Lamar Cardinals dot com that allows
businesses in our community to connect with our student athletes
and they can negotiate contracts with our student athletes for
(07:08):
whether it's gift and kinds or you want a student
athlete to do a commercial for you, and you can
negotiate that contract with that student athlete and pay that
student athlete. And we make it easy. We make it simple.
You don't even have to handle any of the ten
ninety nine and tax forms that go along with that.
(07:29):
The company that we partner with will do all that
for you, and so it's a simple process. We have
a number of people taking advantage of it, but there's
always room for more.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Jeff, as always, thank you so much for stopping by.
Agatting just wrapped up another season. We're really looking forward
to twenty five, twenty six.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Now I am too, Harold, Thank you, sir,
First, on this week's program, we're going to talk to
Lamar Athletics. We're joined by athletic director Jeff O'Malley and Jeff,
can you believe already another athletics season has come to
an end?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, it's it's hard to believe, but you know, if
you work in athletics like we do, it's it's a
little bit welcomed to at least get a break here
for a few days before we turn the page to
twenty five twenty six.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
How about two pet back to back Commissioner's Cup And
that says a lot. Now, that's what that breaks down
to when you talk about the overall Commissioner's Cup, Correct
me if I'm wrong. That means for the last two years,
Lamar University has had the best athletic program in the
Southland Conference.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
That is correct, Yes, And that's what the Commissioner's Cup
is supposed to represent, both the men's and women's programs combined,
and you know, to be able to win that and
back to back years is really special, especially coming from
the fact that it's never been won by Lamar until
last year. So you know, I think that really shows
that we're building a strong foundation for what we what
(00:59):
we want to do in the future, and you know,
and build it from from across the board, right, So
we're not just trying to capture lightning in the bottle
with one particular sport. We want all of our sports
to be successful and this really shows that from a
broad broad range of of you know, across the board,
(01:20):
we've been able to do that so far and we're
really proud of that.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Also, the men's trophy for the second straight year.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, which is really something to right, that's another one
we didn't win until last year.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And what we're gonna interrupt you real quick was cool
about that is, I know, we like looking forward, not
in the past. What two three years ago, Lamar had
one winning football, two wins in basketball. Now we're producing
the best men's programs on the conference.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, and that's really and it's coming on the heels
of you know what. Really what put us over the
top was the best men's track finished in thirty nine years,
you know, and they finished second in the league. They
hadn't done that since eighty six, which is really really
something special for coach Clark and he's got he's got
a lot of rings, he is. He is, but he was.
(02:04):
He was really proud and not only the men's program,
but be able to put us over the top and
on both the Commissioner's Cup and the men's Trophy in.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
With the athletic Director Jeff O'Malley from Lamar University. Back
to back commissioners cuts, back to back men's and also
like Acacia Davis, uh you look at look at her
student Athlete of the Year. You're getting a job done
in a classroom as well.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, and she she's a really special student athlete. And
and you know, of course our women's basketball program has
been great the last few years and really producing on
the court, producing in the classroom. But also they're really
great kids, right and and and you know, you've got
to give credit to coach Aqua and her staff and
the type of student athletes that they're they're producing and
(02:48):
putting out after graduation. You know, kids, kids that are
going to be, you know, great ambassadors of Lamar University
and and great people in our community.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You know, I don't care what level of higher education
or at, whether it's the south Land Conference, whether it's
the SEC. Not everybody's going to the NFL. Not everybody's
going to the NBA, the WNBA. Our kids are getting
college education, they're getting degrees, and that is that is
top notch.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, it really is. And it's coming from a great school,
right and you know, like the athletic department has done
a lot of great things the last few years. But
you know, you even look at the designations that Lamar
University has been able to get from the Carnegie Foundation
here just in the last six months. You know, we're
an R two designation. They have a new high you know,
(03:38):
high opportunity, high achieving institutions, and Lamar is one of
I think seventeen it's seventeen or twenty seven in the
country and we are up there. So I mean are
our students. We have a lot of access for students here,
but students that graduate here they have our opportunities and
earn a lot of money. And that's what the designation
(04:00):
really shows.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Here we are in June August to be here before
we know it. Football around the corner season tickets four
zero nine eight, A zero one seven five, got some
marquee games. You've got South Dakota coming to town. They
made it to the national semi finals last year. Of course,
Central Arkansas. Uh, you go, we go to North Texas
(04:22):
on Week one, head over to Texas Southern, and then
a loaded Southland Conference. So yeah, it's gonna be a
lot of fun to watch football this year and gonna
get off to a tough schedule.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it is. It is, but you know, I think
that that's that's really what we all sign up for,
and so you know, we we have some great opportunities
on there. I think the league is gonna be super
strong this year as well. We just left Southland Conference
meetings on Monday over in Houston, and so it's gonna
it's gonna be a great lead a great football league
(04:54):
this year, and and we have some great home games. Yeah.
Of course starting at the on the road at North
Texas is going to be a nice challenge for us
as well. But you know, having South Dakota come in here,
that's a return game from from three years ago Pete's
first season. You know, I think we we owe them
a little something. We need to do something back for that.
(05:15):
So we're really looking forward to having that and and
that's going to be a great barometer for us to
kind of see where we are and what we uh,
you know, where we need to go. We we want
to get to the level where you know, we're a
national semifinalist, we're a national finalists, we're a national champion,
and so we we need to compete against those schools, uh,
(05:38):
you know, to be able to judge ourselves and put
us on that same map.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
And again, I'm gonna wrap up this segment again visiting
with Lamar Athletic Dudgor Jeff o'mele, I'm gonna have to
bring this up. I don't know how much you could
talk about it, how much the university get involved, it
has changed so much we talk n I L Yeah,
what do you need from the community. We I mean,
we're seeing other universities in our own league going out
and ile money. What do we need from community to
(06:02):
get on the same field as those other anthletes?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, and we you know, we've had good support from
from our community, but there's always room for more and
there's always a need to compete. And you know, I
think the you know, what McNeese has been able to
do in men's basketball has been well documented and that
community has certainly rallied around that, and you know, we
certainly need to get on that level as well. And
(06:26):
we're doing everything we can to do that. This new
revenue sharing model is going to help and the university
is going to step up and make that commitment. But
you know, to really put us over the top, it's
going to be our donors and our fans that are
going to need to support us in order to get
over that. So we we have a number of options
that are on our website Lamar Cardinals dot com. We
(06:47):
we do have a collective, the Cardinal Country Collective that
that takes donations for NIL, but we have an Ni
l Anti page on Lamar Cardinals dot com that allows
businesses in our community to connect with our student athletes
and they can negotiate contracts with our student athletes for
(07:08):
whether it's gift and kinds or you want a student
athlete to do a commercial for you, and you can
negotiate that contract with that student athlete and pay that
student athlete. And we make it easy. We make it simple.
You don't even have to handle any of the ten
ninety nine and tax forms that go along with that.
(07:29):
The company that we partner with will do all that
for you, and so it's a simple process. We have
a number of people taking advantage of it, but there's
always room for more.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Jeff, as always, thank you so much for stopping by.
Agatting just wrapped up another season. We're really looking forward
to twenty five, twenty six.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Now I am too, Harold, Thank you, sir,
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