Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

Fresno St. Alum · **Joined:** Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:56 pm **Posts:** 2803

I have heard about JMU and Liberty wanting to move to the FBS. Not ODU though.

UMass did a study, answer, no money
Georgia Southern did a study....
Georgia St. interested
Charlotte interested
UTSA interested
Texas St. interested
Jacksonville St. interested
Lamar interested

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 8466

Article out of South Dakota with comments from(scroll down) UALR AD who says that although the school has current plans to stay in the SBC that they have had talks with the Summit League about possible future membership.Link at http://www.argusleader.com/article/2010 ... 002/sports

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 8466

SBC MB thread discussing blog article(previously posted in another thread) out of Hilltopper country with comments from WKU President regarding SBC problems and possible future conference realignment.He says WKU is not looking now,but they may have "contingency plans".Link at http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=427930

sec03 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1800

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

I have heard about JMU and Liberty wanting to move to the FBS. Not ODU though.

UMass did a study, answer, no money
Georgia Southern did a study....
Georgia St. interested
Charlotte interested
UTSA interested
Texas St. interested
Jacksonville St. interested
Lamar interested

FSA, the Georgia Southern University study report may be viewed/downloaded by going to the below. It has some very interesting findings and recommendations.

http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/athleticstudy/

pf9 · **Joined:** Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:36 am **Posts:** 185

With New Orleans leaving D1 behind, the Sun Belt can now go for Louisiana Tech as early as 2011. The reason why I say 2011 is because the WAC football schedules for 2010 have already been set in stone. Soon enough, the SBC will also purge Denver and Little Rock, while waiting for a 12th FB member to come up from FCS (1-AA). Most likely, that team will be Georgia Southern, who, despite only starting football in the early 80s, has become a perennial 1-AA powerhouse. While they haven't had some good years recently, I believe they will come through and become a major contender for the Sun Belt championship.

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3819

pf9 wrote:

With New Orleans leaving D1 behind, the Sun Belt can now go for Louisiana Tech as early as 2011. The reason why I say 2011 is because the WAC football schedules for 2010 have already been set in stone. Soon enough, the SBC will also purge Denver and Little Rock, while waiting for a 12th FB member to come up from FCS (1-AA). Most likely, that team will be Georgia Southern, who, despite only starting football in the early 80s, has become a perennial 1-AA powerhouse. While they haven't had some good years recently, I believe they will come through and become a major contender for the Sun Belt championship.

LA Tech has had a virtual open invite for years. It's them that have passed on the Sunbelt.

As for Denver and UALR, they could be gone...but don't seem to be set to be forced out. UALR has researched the Summit league...Denver the WCC. Doesn't look like the WCC wants Denver though.

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 8466

Article out of Blue Raider country regarding possible SBC realignment at http://www.dnj.com/article/20100502/BLU ... 006/SPORTS

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 8466

Another article out of Blue raider country discussing how MTSU wants to move up to another conference when the dominoes start falling. Link at http://www.dnj.com/article/20100504/BLU ... es+leagues

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 8466

ESPN blog article with comments from SBC Commish regarding conference realignment.link to part 1 at http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/ ... ght-waters
Link to part 2 at http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/ ... rs-part-ii

footballgod · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 9:27 am

with la economy so bad i can see the sunbelt inviting la tech and other southland members along with southern conference members this league may make a big impact and go to 18 teams beating everyone else to the punch to make a statement that "we may not be big but we are here to stay"

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3819

Indeed, freaked.

And the WAC is in a spot where they could use some security. Have to think there is SOME chance that the MWC COULD one day look at the WAC again if they lost Utah. It would take a program like Fresno, Nevada, etc, stepping it up on the field to see that happen.

But the WAC could provide some safety if they went bold via a large invite from the Sunbelt. It's highly unlikely a scenario. The only benefit would be an decrease in travel costs via a divisional layout.

The best scenario for the WAC? invite North Texas as the replacement for Boise St.

Longshot: hit up the Sunbelt for an east division:

West:
Hawaii
Idaho
Fresno St.
San Jose St.
Nevada
Utah St.

East:
New Mexico St.
* North Texas
~ UTSA
~ Texas St.
* Arkansas St.
LA Tech

Fresno St. Alum · **Joined:** Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:56 pm **Posts:** 2803

davids wrote:

Here is a thought to mull over. What if the C-USA teams are in talks right now on making a move to create a new conference with the Eastern Sun Belt schools, and ideas of adding some FCS schools in the near future? Both conferences are having the same difficulties about the east/west issues as well.

The schools on the east could go with the eastern conferences of C-USA.
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Troy
South Alabama (football in Sun Belt by 2013, but could be in the new football conference as well.)

Western kentucky could go to the MAC, and North Texas could wind up in the WAC or in the new SWC of the old west C-USA teams.

That would leave?
Arkansas State
UALR
Denver
La.-Lafayette
La.-Monroe?
Middle Tenneesse State

That would leave them 6. If they decide to extend an invite now? Which teams would be likely to accept?

UTSA
Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
UAPB (to replace UALR if they had to leave for another conference, and UAPB does not fit the SWAC anymore.)
Central Arkansas
McNeese State?
Nicholls State?
Arkansas Tech?
Missouri State if the oppertunity arises for them to join.
Central Oklahoma? Long shot.
Delta State which would add a Mississippi market which was missing piece in the old SBC puzzle.
One NAIA school who was a D-1 player at one time can fit in including readding football would be Oklahoma City U.

UAPB is a HBCU like ALL of the SWAC and you say they fit better in the SLC. Put thought and research into your posts. Don't just blanket the board with stuff.

You have some good stuff like the CUSA east split theory that we have talked about on here, just don't throw in crazy stuff with that.

Rules:
D-I school starting football must spend 2 years as a FCS before moving to FBS(S.Alabama, FIU, FAU. All of these took a little longer)
D-II to FBS not allowed (you must spend 2 years as a FCS member)
D-II to FCS/D-I allowed with a conf. invite starting in 2011
FCS to FBS allowed with a conf. invite starting in 2011
NAIA to D-I not allowed anymore. You must spend 5 years in D-II as a full member( plus 3 years as a provisional member) first before you move to D-I
D-III to D-I not allowed

No one will leave a current conf. to join a different one if the other one makes less money
No one will steal the top 2 schools from every conf to form a new one. i.e. Texas, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio St. starting a new conf.
You can NOT just kick a school out of your conference. They need to have major violations (Almost death penalty) to get kicked out, even then it's unlikely at higher level conferences. The only ones this has happened to in the last 20 years that I can remember were UTPA (kicked out of the Sun Belt) and Chicago St. (kicked out of the Mid-Cont./Summit)
Temple was NOT a voting member of the BE just a football affiliate, which is different. Affiliates come and go a lot.

Fresno St. Alum · **Joined:** Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:56 pm **Posts:** 2803

davids wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

davids wrote:

Here is a thought to mull over. What if the C-USA teams are in talks right now on making a move to create a new conference with the Eastern Sun Belt schools, and ideas of adding some FCS schools in the near future? Both conferences are having the same difficulties about the east/west issues as well.

The schools on the east could go with the eastern conferences of C-USA.
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Troy
South Alabama (football in Sun Belt by 2013, but could be in the new football conference as well.)

Western kentucky could go to the MAC, and North Texas could wind up in the WAC or in the new SWC of the old west C-USA teams.

That would leave?
Arkansas State
UALR
Denver
La.-Lafayette
La.-Monroe?
Middle Tenneesse State

That would leave them 6. If they decide to extend an invite now? Which teams would be likely to accept?

UTSA
Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
UAPB (to replace UALR if they had to leave for another conference, and UAPB does not fit the SWAC anymore.)
Central Arkansas
McNeese State?
Nicholls State?
Arkansas Tech?
Missouri State if the oppertunity arises for them to join.
Central Oklahoma? Long shot.
Delta State which would add a Mississippi market which was missing piece in the old SBC puzzle.
One NAIA school who was a D-1 player at one time can fit in including readding football would be Oklahoma City U.

UAPB is a HBCU like ALL of the SWAC and you say they fit better in the SLC. Put thought and research into your posts. Don't just blanket the board with stuff.

You have some good stuff like the CUSA east split theory that we have talked about on here, just don't throw in crazy stuff with that.

Rules:
D-I school starting football must spend 2 years as a FCS before moving to FBS(S.Alabama, FIU, FAU. All of these took a little longer)
D-II to FBS not allowed (you must spend 2 years as a FCS member)
D-II to FCS/D-I allowed with a conf. invite starting in 2011
FCS to FBS allowed with a conf. invite starting in 2011
NAIA to D-I not allowed anymore. You must spend 5 years in D-II as a full member( plus 3 years as a provisional member) first before you move to D-I
D-III to D-I not allowed

No one will leave a current conf. to join a different one if the other one makes less money
No one will steal the top 2 schools from every conf to form a new one. i.e. Texas, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio St. starting a new conf.
You can NOT just kick a school out of your conference. They need to have major violations (Almost death penalty) to get kicked out, even then it's unlikely at higher level conferences. The only ones this has happened to in the last 20 years that I can remember were UTPA (kicked out of the Sun Belt) and Chicago St. (kicked out of the Mid-Cont./Summit)
Temple was NOT a voting member of the BE just a football affiliate, which is different. Affiliates come and go a lot.

You did not get my memo about UAPB having white students. I have seen commercials with white students, so it should not be considered as a black college anymore.

Every HBCU has white students. It's against the law to prevent a race from going to a college they qualify for. The Baseball teams on a lot of the HBCUs have at least 50% white kids. It was on ESPN last year. They fit the SWAC they don't fit the SLC nearly as well.

wbyeager · **Posted:** Fri Aug 20, 2010 6:21 pm

It looks like Denver's goal of WCC membership may hinge on BYU's plans; if BYU's Olympic sports join the WCC, adding Denver makes a great deal more sense since the WCC would be at 10 and neither of the Mountain Time Zone schools would be on an island.

The question of UALR's membership will certainly become more relevant if Denver leaves.

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3819

Right on wy. Denver makes plenty of sense.

Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

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