I omitted Denver (they are in the West).

The layout above has been announced by the Sun Belt-I think it's in one of the recent Ask The Commissioner features.

To answer Pantether's question, this is the alignment for football:

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

With only 8 schools, there can be no football championship game.

Thanks wbyeager for that clarification.

What are the chances of New Orleans, Little Rock, South Ala., and West Kentucky getting I-A football and joining the SunBelt?

Western Kentucky needs to expand L.T. Smith Stadium.

UALR already has War Memorial Stadium, but needs a practice facility. What's more, Arkansas and Arkansas State are already in Division 1A and may cause problems in the legislature.

South Alabama needs a stadium. What's more, Troy State is a larger school with a wider statewide support. If Georgia can only support Georgia and Georgia Tech in Division 1A, and Mississippi can only support Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss, what makes you think Alabama can support five 1A schools?

New Orleans Seems like a no-brainer, except that Southern wants to go division 1A too. And then there's the fact that the Saints and the Green Wave might not want to share the Superdome or its replacement.

Well first of all - Western Kentucky is expanding its stadium.

Second, South Alabama has in Mobile - Ladd Pepples Stadium. They have a stadium.

I really do not see the need for more 1-A football schools in Louisiana or Alabama, or Florida for that matter. Georgia Southern, with only 2 major programs in the state and none in south Georgia, could certainly give it a shot if they wanted to. But why? 119 1As already sounds like fifteen to eighteen too many, and there may be only five or six current 1-AAs that would end up being competitive in 1-A if they moved up.

Nothwestern States and South Alabamas to 1-A fb just does not sound exciting. I would rather see 1-AA fb more streamlined, stable, and respected.

Ok... That is what the projected Sun Belt will be in a few years.

Wouldn't it be better for Denver to try and goto the WAC? They probably already have and the WAC doesn't want them?

Thanks for the info......

Nobody wants Denver. .they have no fan base outside of hockey. The WAC has lost teams over the years but they would aim for Big West programs before considering Denver.

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I can see your point.

But it doesn't hurt the biggest I-A schools to have more I-A schools, does it?

So there really isn't a reason not to.

How long until the Saints move to San Antonio?

You're definitely right that Tulane would not share the Superdome.

But I think the Superdome could easily handle two I-A teams.


They'd just have to rotate home dates every other week.



I also don't see how Southern to I-A (would Grambling follow?) would affect the NO area.

Southern is in Baton Rouge.


In fact, Southern/LSU is an interesting parallel to FSU/FAMU.

If USA's enrollment can keep climbing, we might see the football Jaguars go varsity within a few years; Title IX will be a huge issue (the school already dropped men's soccer).

The bad news: The University of Alabama wants to boost their enrollment to well beyond 25,000.

There are plenty of students outside of Alabama that they can draw from.

USA is more of a regional college, getting students from Mobile, etc.

Of those 4 Sun Belt schools, the only one I could see maybe is USA (if they had a football team). Little Rock is a bit too much into the Razorbacks with a game or two played in Little Rock every year, while another game is hosted by Arkansas State in Little Rock every year.

Tulane overcrowds New Orleans. Between the Hornets and the Saints, the Saints are more likely to stay. The potential loss of population of New Orleans doesn't help the market situation either and you also have heavy LSU support there.

Western Kentucky may be headed to the MAC.

USA, though in heavy Alabama and Auburn region, would provide an immediate urban metro market of 500K in the Mobile market, and has Peebles Stadium ready to go.

The other thing. is I agree with DogsNThingies. A number of the Sun Belt and MAC schools could go away, and the remaining schools either could go into the WAC (far western part of the Sun Belt) and/or be absorbed into the MAC (WKU, MTSU, and perhaps Troy). The Sun Belt is the weakest IA conference, and there are some I-AA conferences that might be stronger (A-10-CAA).

If Denver had football and a few years under their belt playing it, they could be a great candidate for the WAC. But a lot of ifs there regarding football for them.

This might be a dream conference but its seems the Southland and Sun Belt has alot of the same problems with football and non football. Here is I-AAA conference from the south.

Arkansas-Little Rock
Cenetary
Denver
Lamar
New Orleans
Oral Roberts
South Alabama
Texas-Arlington
Texas Pan American
Texas-San Antonio

I left Texas A&M-CC off bc they were talking about football, same could be said with any of the members though.

Denver wants in the WCC. Originally they had thoughts of the MVC but being realistic that wasn't going to happen. They have set their sights lower and now are concentrating on the WCC. Also, they won't go to the Mid-Con, that would be considered a downgrade from the Sun Belt and wouldn't provide a substantial travel benefit.