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What Could Moving To D-I Mean For Abilene?

By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: August 16, 2012
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"Will this be a right and appropriate move for ACU in the future?"

Moving to NCAA Division-I? Will it happen or not?  While the wait continues, many people are considering the positives and negatives.

"We have a lot of people who enjoy staying here," says Sabra Cardenas.

Employees at  Best Western Abilene Inn & Suites say usually when there is an event in town they have a good number of customers, but if the school moves to D-I they think it will help business even more.

Jesse Jernigan says, "It'll do great for it. We would love that. We can get all the business we need."

The more visitors the city brings in, the more dollars go to the community; which generates tax revenue to improve the quality of life for Abilene residents.

"When you bring in more events or more students even, it certainly improves the quality of life," says Executive Director of Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, Nanci Liles.

While many hope the university will make the move to a higher division, some are a little hesitant.

"I think it would be bad sports wise," says Ethan Bracken, a student at Abilene Christian University.

Bracken says when he thinks D-I, Abilene Christian University is not what comes to mind.

"If you go to like a D-I school or a football game at a Big 12, the atmosphere is huge, energetic, there are so many people there, the stands are full. Here it's dead, it's quiet so you don't want to be there," he continues.

Academically, however, he thinks it could benefit students.

He says, "We'd be a D-I. We'd be competing academically against  prestigious schools."

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