Blog article(previously posted in another thread) posing the question as to whether Georgia Southern could/would be able to compete financially in FB in the SBC. Link at http://www.southernfacts.org/?p=631

Article from Times-Picayune discussing the "possibility" that UNO may have to cut athletics due to budget concerns. Link at http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ss ... xml&coll=1


Also,Sunbelt MB thread discussing article regarding the "possibility" of UNO cutting their athletic programs due to budget problems. Link at http://www.beltboard.com/forum/forum_entry.php?id=36963

Article(previously posted elsewhere on this board)regarding the financial situation confronting the UNO athletic department at http://www.boston.com/sports/other_spor ... uno_sports

plus Sunbelt MB thread discussing the UNO budget situation at http://www.beltboard.com/forum/forum_en ... order=time

Article out of NO with update from UNO chancellor regarding future budget cuts. Apparently the state legislature does not meet until 4-27-09 to negotiate the extent of these cuts.However UNO will try to make the athletic department self sufficient with cuts instead of eliminating that department.Link at http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/v ... ecID=32706

Based on viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2354 , it seems that UNO might actually have to leave the sunbelt.

Curious as to how the Sunbelt will react. Will they find a replacement? If so, whom?

I'd also be curious to know if the sunbelt was happy about all of this. UNO isn't the fit for the future of the league, so it might be a blessing in disguise.

And what about UNO? If they do stay in D1 but leave the sunbelt, does the Atlantic sun take them in?

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Quinn -

Could they even stay in D-1 ? Or are they currently far below the D-1 requirement of sponsoring a minimum number of sports ?

From the one article, it sounded as though UNO was given a "Katrina exemption" on the number of sports, and a certain time frame in which to re-establish them (or am I reading this wrong ?) It's clearly obvious that short of suddenly finding a "sugar daddy" like T. Boone Pickens, they certainly are not going to be adding sports (as was stated to be part of their previous plan to go from the current 9 sports to 14 or 15). So they may have to slide down to where the number of required sports is something that UNO can sustain with their "new budget".

I happen to know a freshman at UNO who got a full ride as part of the start-up this year of their Men's Swim Team, and I imagine that he's got to be sweating bullets over this uncertainty.

I'm thinking that the A-Sun is not necessarily looking to add a Louisiana team, especially if UNO is unable to meet D-1 requirements.

How will the Sun-Belt react ? Not sure. The Sun-Belt is headquartered in New Orleans, and their football champion plays in the New Orleans Bowl, so even though Louisiana-Lafayette (Ooh-La-La) and Louisiana-Monroe are still in the conference, they may be sad to see them depart. Again, if the issue is one of meeting NCAA D-1 requirements, the conference is powerless to do much other than bid them adieu and wish them well. We've noted elsewhere that the conference voted that any future expansion candidates must have a football program (WKU has upgraded to their football to FBS, USA is adding football, and Denver agreed to leave the conference for a new home within 5 years). That left UNO and UALR as odd-men out. And now it may only be UALR. UALR might be pressured to add football or make other plans.
Should they move on, we may see a conference of 10 football schools with openings for 2 more. The door would then re-open for La Tech (who spurned the Sun-Belt back in 2004 (?)) as well as some FCS -> FBS upgrades once the moratorium is over (Jacksonville St. was considering moving up to be with former rival Troy, Georgia Southern and Appalachian St. are always mentioned, Georgia State and UNC Charlotte appear to be addiing football with the intent of going FBS).

I'll bet UNO takes no action until their hand is forced. That may happen at the end of April, or they may cling to the hope that the economy and their athletic budget will dramatically improve in 2010. Stay tuned...

If UNO moves down to Division II, they have three options: the Gulf South, Lonestar, or Heartland. The Gulf South would probably be the most logical fit, since Montevallo is headed out after this year:

West - Arkansas-Monticello, Arkansas Tech, Christian Brothers, Harding, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist, Southern Arkansas, New Orleans
East - West Alabama, North Alabama, Alabama-Huntsville, West Florida, West Georgia, Valdosta State, Delta State (from West Division)

If UNO cuts athletic scholarships entirely, the only realistic option in Division III is the American Southwest Conference:

West - Concorida-Austin, Haridn-Simmons, Howard Payne, Mary Hardin-Baylor, McMurray, Schreiner, Sul Ross State, Texas Lutheran
East - Texas-Dallas, Texas-Tyler, East Texas Baptist, LeTourneau, Louisiana College, Mississippi College, U of the Ozarks, New Orleans

I would think the most logical step for UNO, if they wish to maintain atheltics, specifically basketball, is to drop to NAIA. Doing this buys UNO plenty of time to restructure the the financial well being of their atheltic department. Joining NAIA would be much more cost effective than becoming a D-I independent or joining a D-II conference. The NAIA does not place restrictions on the size of your atheltic department. Many NAIA schools have 5 - 6 mens/womens sports or less. The #1 ranked NAIA I (Roger State - OK.) team is only in their 2nd year of existance. With some talent a program can win very quickly as an NAIA member.

Oral Roberts dropped to NAIA back in 1987 because of financial problems, had alot success, then in 92 or 93 returned to D-I as an Indy, later joining the Mid-Con.


Tx

Where do you get that UALR's hand will be forced to add football? According to the Sun Belt website further expansion will only be extended to schools who play football, does not say that existing schools must add football. It does however stat a minimum number of sports must be sponsored by the school, which wil leffect Denver & UNO. Although both schools were given until 2011-12 to comply. That being said UALR should be safe. Is it really considered expansion if Denver and UNO have to be replaced? I would suspect only 1 of Denver or UNO will be replaced. My best guess is Texas State will get an invite and ultimately Sunbelt basketball will be reduced to 13 to 12 teams.


Tx

I don't know how exactly you force an existing conf. member to comply with "adding football" retro-actively.
However, I think the "vision" for the Sun-Belt Conference is 12 all-sports teams.
But I can't imagine how you can force UALR out or force them to add FB, as long as they remain a member in good standing.

UNO's hand may be forced, not by the Sun-Belt, but by NCAA Div. 1 criteria. NAIA is an option, but I think they would prefer a slighly higher profile. I think the GSC (Div. II) or the SCAC / American Southwest Conf. (ASC) (Div. III) might be more to their UNO's liking, but right now they are probably focused on how to string out their D-I options and scramble for more money for athletics, hoping that the skies will brighten after this recession.... your guess is as good as mine.

I believe Denver has issued statements that they agree to find a new home out west. They have a vested interest in cutting their own travel costs.

So if Denver and UNO leave, I agree the Sun-Belt would be looking for one (1) school. This could change, if a BE expansion or CUSA split caused some current Sun-Belt members to join up with the remnants of C-USA East or C-USA West becomes a new "Southwest Conference".

If the Sun-Belt opens it's doors to one more, who are the candidates ? FCS schools wanting to move up to FBS.
You could have Appalachian State or Georgia Southern (SoCon) - not sure about their FBS intentions....
You could have UNCC (A-10), Georgia State (CAA) - starting up football, and wanting to ultimately go FBS...
Jacksonville State announced they would like to move up to join Troy in the Sun-Belt, but they missed the moratorium cut-off for filing with the NCAA....
And you have a few Southland schools that would like to go FBS (Texas State and/or others could be Sun-Belt rivals for North Texas / Ark. State / La. schools). You get the feeling that the Southland schools would prefer to join a new Southwest Conference with the C-USA West schools (and maybe toss in LaTech, North Texas, NM State).

The future realignment is all speculation, however UNO may be forced into a move in the not-too distant future.

Does the C-USA really want to split up?

If no then in 2011 you are looking at 8 schools with FBS thoughts: Texas St., UTSA, Lamar, Sam Houston St., Jacksonville St., Georgia So., Georgia St., Charlotte(2013)

All of these schools except UNCC would be forced out of their conference if they go FBS for not having football in their conf. which sponsors it.

Are we looking at a new conference in the south? They would have to wait 5 years for a basketball auto-bid like GMC(now C-USA) did in the 90s. Sam Houston & UNCC are the only real competitive bball schools.

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I really only see a realignment of C-USA as a reaction to the BE possibly grabbing 2-4 teams from C-USA East.

Right now the conference is rather far-flung, and ECU, Marshall and UTEP have significant distances to travel to get to other conference schools. Travel money is not an issue for the SEC or Big Ten, but C-USA probably considers it to be more of an issue, and Terry Holland at ECU has been bemoaning the geographic separation, and lobbying heavily to join the BE.

UTEP geogrpahically is probably a better fit with the MWC.

So there is some potential for schools to leave in future realignments (but those schools are going to have to be afforded the opportunity to move UP the conference ladder). If C-USA winds up seriously depleted or geographically hollowed-out, they may want to consider restructuring somehow.

If Texas St., UTSA, Lamar, Sam Houston St. do all move up, they have only to drag along non-basketball southland members UTA and TAMU-CC to satisfy the 6/5 part of the 7/6/5 rule. UTA and TAMU-CC would be both regionally isolated remaining in the Southland and would be the only 2 non-football schools, meaning their standing in the southland might always be threatened. There is motive for them to move too. Adding Jacksonville St., Georgia So., or Georgia St. would give them the 7 needed to satisfy that rule and receive a tourney autobid.

I think the above represents the worst case scenario for the southland 4 if SHSU does committ to upgrading. (Although I'd say the odds of Charlotte are long. JMU or The Citadel hits me as more the right level.)