http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2836420

Troy is not listed under any bowl game. I'm pretty peeved that the NM Bowl chose 6-6 Nevada over 8-4 Troy. Conference tie-ins or not, Troy is clearly the better team.

I think it's time for the Sun Belt to take action. There needs to be a second bowl tie-in for the Sun Belt. So I propose the Miami Bowl - as Miami is a good place for a second Sun Belt tie-in due to the locations of Sun Belt members FAU and FIU.

The Sun Belt would of course only send a team if they have enough bowl-eligible teams (like this year). The SEC and ACC would alternate sending team each year unless certain circumstances occur.

If it existed this year, Troy would be playing South Carolina.

Who agrees with my Miami Bowl idea?

I think that would be a pretty good idea, but I might also consider Mobile Alabama. The Sunbelt schools are generally lower level schools academically (no offense meant) which means that their alumni and fans are probably not as affluent as the BCS school fans. Putting a game in the center of the footprint and within driving distance of all the schools would make some sense. A realtively small bowl stadium (40K) also makes some sense, as does putting it in a city that would really value it.

I also think it makes sense to look for bowls in good vacation spots. Mobile is a gulf city and has potential in that regard.

If I ran a conference, I'd shoot for bowls in vacation spots like Nashville, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego....

edited: found out a bit more about USA football.

Mobile already has a bowl - the GMAC Bowl

But if the Sun Belt replaces the MAC in that bowl (CUSA will stay), the MAC could then create the Land O'Lakes Bowl to be played in the Metrodome, against a Big Ten team (if available).

I think there could be 3 more bowls - the question is would ESPN want 3 more and would there be enough local interest to have more than 20 to 25k in the stands?

SunBelt or not, Troy is 8-4 and had to win much of it on the road, and their wins include a victory over 6-6 Oklahoma State who got a bowl bid.

Alabama, Nevada, UCLA, Maryland, Oklahoma State and the others with 6-6 records going to bowls ought to be somewhat embarrassed. While 6-6 makes them bowl eligible and conferences have all their bowl slots to be filled with tie-ins, some of it is quite unbecoming. With 6-6 being the standard, South Carolina and Northwestern are missing out too. Alabama, with their very high dollar program, lost a late season game to LA-Monroe. Now really?

Troy is the one school this year that deserved SOME bowl bid but got shafted by the system.

If it is all about who sales tickets, a 3-9 Notre Dame ticket probably still could; but thank goodness at least the 6-6 criteria is in place. Rather see all 7-5 or above teams with no more than one 1-AA type school counted in the win column be placed before dipping down to those with 6-6 records. Sure some 6-6 teams may be better than those with stronger W-L records, but promote a better semblance of accessible playing field for all.

If the SunBelt had two assured placements for eligible teams this year, the Troy situation would not exist.

My bad. I thought they only played the senior bowl there.

Still If I ran the Sun Belt, I would be hounding the GMAC bowl to get in there. I think they would also draw better for that Bowl than their current #2 teams' conferences (the WAC and MAC).

USA is supposed to start FB in 2009 and move up in 2013 (unless that has changed.) That might really help the SB into the GMAC.

The bowls don't have to air on ESPN. There are alternative outlets (examples: FSN, CSTV, FX) to air the games.