The Sun Belt Conference is so much more of a mess than the Big East. They have football-only members, basketball-only members, 1-A teams, 1-AA teams, Schools out west, schools in the southeast, and teams that are not that good. What will it look like in the future. ???

I think IMO they will get rid of Utah St, Idaho and NMSU. They will get florida a&m,florida-international, UAB and Some others. They will com alive in 06 as a conference on the same level as CUSA, WAC, MAC and Big East.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Gator Guy,

Try to do a little reasearch before you form your opinions and please stop looking down your the-SEC-is-so-superior-why-do-these-other-schools-even-play-football nose at us.


The football-only member, ULM, becomes an all-sports member in 2006.

The 1-AA team (notice the lack of an 's'), WKU, has a standing invite any time they get their act together and want to move up. Florida Atlantic and Florida International are in transition to 1-A this year.

The Western school, Denver, is being shopped around. Once it is gone and the other three (NMSU, USU, Idaho) go the the WAC next season, the SBC is a South East conference. Texas to Florida to Kentucky will be our boundaries.

Concerning teams that are not good, every conference has those... Vanderbilt, anyone?

-----------------------------

The 2006 lineup is...

Football
Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Louisiana-Monroe
Louisiana
Middle Tennessee
North Texas
Troy

East Basketball
FIU
FAU
+USA (South Alabama)
Troy
MT
+WKU (Western Kentucky)

West Basketball
ASU
+UA-LR (Little Rock)
UNT
ULM
ULa
+UNO (New Orleans)
*Denver

+ Non-football member
* They want out, and we want 'em out.

Way to respond to a year-old post whose accuracy and poignancy has been rendered impotent with the passage of time...that being said, let's look at how long the Sun Belt's (future) football membership roster has (currently) been I-A...

Arkansas State (1992)
Florida Atlantic (transitional)
Florida International (transitional)
Louisiana-Lafayette (1978)
Louisiana-Monroe (1993 or 1994)
Middle Tennessee State (1999)
North Texas (1994 or 1995)
Troy (2001)

The (viable) Sun Belt Conference perished in 1990-1991 when Old Dominion (CAA), Alabama-Birmingham (Great Midwest), and UNC-Charlotte, South Florida, and Virginia Commonwealth (all Metro) exited the conference and its fleeting position as a major basketball conference (c.1980s) was lost forever, and the conference was survived by having the American South Conference (founded for the purpose of serving as an "all-sports" home for prospective I-A members leaving the Southland, Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech)...

Also, renewed kudos for stealing someone else's "UC-Davis to the WAC," and then claiming it as your own under the banner "You heard it here first." Have fun watching another dreadful New Orleans Bowl and following the NCAA aspirations of a one-bid basketball conference...

Also, the SBC invitation of Denver (around 1998, when its closest "rival" was in Little Rock) still defies logic...Idaho, NMSU, and Utah State were in the Big West and probably would have stayed there longer than they did if not for the WAC/Mountain West "schism" and the losses of Nevada and Boise State to an eviscerated and reloading WAC...

Funny. I saw the August part and missed the 2003... you got me.




And this would matter why?




Sorry, I don't have a clue what you're talking about here.




Well, crap, I didn't realize how pathetic we are. I'm gonna quit pulling for the Cajuns and buy an LSU-BR hat tomorrow. What was I thinking being a Ragin' Cajuns fan through thick and thin when, all along, there was a university that I 1)didn't go to, 2)is a recent winner, 3)isn't in my hometown and 4)stole my school's name in 1984 that I could have been pulling for all along?!

I'm glad you brought this to my attention.




The Denver grab was back when "Market Size" was the big buzz... and the Sun Belt was low on teams after UTPA left before being kicked out and Lamar decided to move to the Southland.

It is the only decision Wright Waters has made that I would call "stupid".

KPC,

Good call on this.
Actually the SunBelt will do well as long as WW is in charge. He's done a good job through tough times. I'm surprised he hasn't received some offers to move along. He could do a lot better than some of these other guys.

Oh, and mop up the puddle of sarcasm dripping at the bottom of your computer. ;)
8-)

I sincerely apologize for attributing the comment about UCD and the WAC to yourself...I have been unable to locate that post, but I think it was posted by the forum's other resident Louisiana-Lafayette/Sun Belt proponent, "lunatic fringe," who is probably the guy who makes continued references to "The Belt" and "Louisiana" (Lafayette)...the I-A membership longevity and UD invitation issues will be discussed later...