As Pokes head to Aggieland, SLC commish Chris Grant joins TexAgs LIVE

Chris Grant is the seventh commissioner of the Southland Conference since the league's founding in 1963, and this weekend, SLC affiliate McNeese is coming to Aggieland. On Tuesday, Grant joined TexAgs LIVE to talk about opportunities in the SLC ahead of Saturday's matchup.

Key notes from Chris Grant interview

• As you mentioned, the Southland has been up and running strong as we got started in Week 0 with an exciting game that didn't have the outcome we wanted. We couldn't be more thrilled because we got a number of our teams in the FCS top 25 and more that are receiving votes. I think we're knocking on the door steps soon.
   
• You have to look for the opportunities as a conference that exists outside of the Power 4. We know that the resources are not the same as what Greg Sankey and the SEC have. At the same time, the ultimate goal is for the student-athlete experience to remain the same. We are creating young leaders through college athletics that can go out and do great things. With NIL, we're not pulling seven-figure price tags for quarterbacks, but we do have student-athlete entrepreneurs who can build local relationships in our communities. Our coaches have relationships with donors and friends of their programs that are reaching out in certain situations, but it's not entire rosters. I think the opportunities provided by the transfer portal have actually benefitted us. Guys and gals want to play. They want film and the opportunity to compete when they train day in and day out, and they might not get those chances at the Power 4 level. We benefit from that, too.
   
• I could not be more thrilled for the regionality feel of the SLC. We call it a gas station league for a reason. The longest stretch from east to west is from UTRGV all the way to New Orleans. That's probably a flight, but you can reasonably drive it too. In our membership, we have 12 schools fighting for conference championships and the right to compete in the postseason with the NCAA. You see that from our scheduling perspective and what we're doing in football and soccer. Our coaches are looking to compete against the best.
   
• In football, we are boxing outside of our weight class, and not just from a scheduling perspective when it comes to Power 4 opponents and those guarantee games, which do a lot for our athletic departments. We're also looking for opportunities to play on national TV. This will be McNeese's second week out of three they're playing on national TV. We have many others and top FCS matchups, like Incarnate Word and former Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada going to play at South Dakota State who is coming down to Southeast Louisiana later in the season, too. People are recognizing what we're trying to build in the Southland. You're getting a good game, and hopefully, we're coming out with Ws to put us back in the FCS national championship picture.
   
• A lot of conversations with our athletic directors have been dialed in on getting our board involved and where they want to take this as revenue sharing becomes a thing in college athletics. I talked to my counterparts, and we were on a conference call this morning. The student-athlete experience remains, and where we want to identify ourselves as a conference is important. Across the globe, football and men's basketball fund a lot of athletic departments with a lot of guaranteed games to provide different opportunities. We know we want to participate in revenue sharing in some shape and form. It takes sponsorships and support. We're a gas station league, so I'm still waiting for a Texas refinery to come in to answer all those problems! Our athletic directors fight that daily, and we also understand we have to increase enrollment, too. We don't want to take away scholarships. We will have some questions to answer in October.
   
• A lot of great work went into the Pac-12. It had over 100 years of tradition, and we were still creating a lot of firsts while I was there. I was excited to be a part of that. To see that go by the wayside is tough. USC got that win over LSU on Sunday. That value was always there. Unfortunately, it won't be under the Pac-12 umbrella, but I hope all those teams go on to do great things. I also wish the best for Oregon State and Washington State as they figure out what's next for them as well.
   
• Five years ago, everybody wanted to be a conference commissioner. There are only 32 of those spots. When the university presidents told me I'd fill that role for the SLC in 2022, I was excited. I still am, but I did not see a lot of these curveballs coming and that we're approaching. You spend some days stressing about it, but you have to get back in the batter's box. We're not going to hit 1.000, but if we can hit .500 and get some guys on base to score a couple of runs and win the game, I'm excited. We're looking for those opportunities. The Group of 5 understands that they're better together. There might by more NFL structure to the bigger leagues, but at the same time, people still want to see the college matchups and the David vs. Goliath games. Those storylines are big. Giving student-athletes opportunities that they deserve and memories helps build character, and that's important. Our motto is that you earn it every day. You go to class, collaborate with your peers and then prove yourself daily. As long as they have those opportunities moving forward, we'll be better for it.
   
• I'd be kicking and screaming if Sankey ever tried to take away these matchups like McNeese and Texas A&M this weekend. He's a loyal Southland alum, and I've learned a lot from him. We have Nicholls State going into LSU this weekend as well.
   
• I hope we get a great game this weekend and that the weather holds off. I hope I get an opportunity to join you all in College Station.