Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:25 pm

NorwichCat11 wrote:

The SBC will need to add 4 teams to have a CCG. I see Appalachian St., Georgia Southern, Lamar, and Florida A&M. Anyone else see a different group of 4?

They'll probably stay at 10/12 and count on them losing 1 more after the Tulsa to BE domino falls. So 3 of App St., Ga Southern, Lamar, SHSU, NMSU.

tkalmus · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1043

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

NorwichCat11 wrote:

The SBC will need to add 4 teams to have a CCG. I see Appalachian St., Georgia Southern, Lamar, and Florida A&M. Anyone else see a different group of 4?

They'll probably stay at 10/12 and count on them losing 1 more after the Tulsa to BE domino falls. So 3 of App St., Ga Southern, Lamar, SHSU, NMSU.

Agree with you FSA, but I think a CCG is desired though adding teams to the all sports conference is not. I think 10/12 is the magic number but I think Idaho and NMSU (if not invited to CUSA) will get the fb only invites for the CCG.

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7100

CSNBBS MB thread discussing SBC expansion situation at http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=616492

SJSUFan2010 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:52 pm **Posts:** 470

Seems to me they're setting up for 10/12 with travel partners. It sets up nicely for a North/South divisional split.

Ark State - UALR (Idaho on football side)
WKU - App St
GA St - GA Southern

Troy - USA
ULL - ULM
Texas St - UTA (NMSU on football side)

So if they lose WKU it's a simple replacement. Likely Liberty or James Madison. Doesn't look like the Georgia schools will leave and if they do this plan won't matter much as they'd have lost 4+ schools. Troy's unlikely to leave but if they did Jax State is their replacement.

It gets a little tricky if Ark State leaves. You could make the non football schools travel partners but then for divisional purposes both Idaho and NMSU would need to be in the western division which seems to unfairly burden Tex St, ULL, ULM and Ark St's replacement (Lamar or Sam Houston most likely). I would split ULM and ULL and have ULM be UALR's travel partner and ULL be the new school's partner.

Ultimately I have the Sun Belt losing three after Tulsa moves. My thinking is that C-USA won't pass on WKU but if they only add them, UAB would need to shift west and I don't think that will happen. So instead, Ark St and ULL will be added to the West and NMSU will be saved if UTEP leaves which currently seems unlikely. If that ever happens, the Sun Belt can try to get a football only (Richmond?, Nova?) or drop Idaho and add two full members.

So in the mean time:

ULM-UALR (Idaho)
JMU/Liberty - App St
GA St - GA Southern

Troy - USA
Lamar - Sam Houston
Tex St - UTA (NMSU)

ncaanopaawaa2000 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 02, 2013 2:59 pm

I like the idealism that SJSUFan2010 last posted. But they should have UALR to re-instate its football program, and having UT-Arlington to upgrade a football program. And as far as I know if many FCS teams plan to upgrade upto FBS status, I believe that eventually the FCS level would be killed and that ALL football-sponsoring conferences in Division I should compete for the national championship.

SJSUFan2010 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:52 pm **Posts:** 470

ncaanopaawaa2000 wrote:

But they should have UALR to re-instate its football program, and having UT-Arlington to upgrade a football program.

That is hopefully where it would end up in 10 years. UT-A made it sound like they were planning to add football when they joined the WAC. I'd imagine Benson would expect that to happen in the Sun Belt as well. If UALR added it as well that would be perfect for the Sun Belt. I imagine NMSU will get into C-USA eventually (because I think UTEP will get a MWC invite at some point) and it's a lot easier to dump Idaho than find another football only school. Of course, if only one added football they'd be able to keep Idaho on to offset the school that doesn't add football. Still puts them at 12/12 with Idaho offsetting UALR.

Unfortunately, there is no indication either plan to add football any time soon. Likely not before 2020 by which time any plan the Sun Belt has right now will be long tossed out.

ncaanopaawaa2000 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 02, 2013 4:09 pm

SJSUFan2010 wrote:

ncaanopaawaa2000 wrote:

But they should have UALR to re-instate its football program, and having UT-Arlington to upgrade a football program.

That is hopefully where it would end up in 10 years. UT-A made it sound like they were planning to add football when they joined the WAC. I'd imagine Benson would expect that to happen in the Sun Belt as well. If UALR added it as well that would be perfect for the Sun Belt. I imagine NMSU will get into C-USA eventually (because I think UTEP will get a MWC invite at some point) and it's a lot easier to dump Idaho than find another football only school. Of course, if only one added football they'd be able to keep Idaho on to offset the school that doesn't add football. Still puts them at 12/12 with Idaho offsetting UALR.

Unfortunately, there is no indication either plan to add football any time soon. Likely not before 2020 by which time any plan the Sun Belt has right now will be long tossed out.

I see your point. Let's hope that the Sun Belt won't receive the same fate just like the WAC just have within the future. And this decade's conference realignment has ruined mostly everything.

tkalmus · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1043

SJSUFan2010 wrote:

ncaanopaawaa2000 wrote:

But they should have UALR to re-instate its football program, and having UT-Arlington to upgrade a football program.

That is hopefully where it would end up in 10 years. UT-A made it sound like they were planning to add football when they joined the WAC. I'd imagine Benson would expect that to happen in the Sun Belt as well. If UALR added it as well that would be perfect for the Sun Belt. I imagine NMSU will get into C-USA eventually (because I think UTEP will get a MWC invite at some point) and it's a lot easier to dump Idaho than find another football only school. Of course, if only one added football they'd be able to keep Idaho on to offset the school that doesn't add football. Still puts them at 12/12 with Idaho offsetting UALR.

Unfortunately, there is no indication either plan to add football any time soon. Likely not before 2020 by which time any plan the Sun Belt has right now will be long tossed out.

I have no info on UALR but I do have some contacts inside of UTA (coaches and admin) and UTA was in favor of adding fb in order to NOT be left behind in the Southland with A&M CC, HBU, ACU, IW, regional LA schools and possibly UTPA, and want to join/stay w/ Texas St, UTSA, SHSU, SFA and the better regional LA schools or at least as close as they can get.

That's done, they succeeded and got an invite to an FBS conference where they could upgrade and play football if they want to but they are making good money and are now associated with a higher class of universities and think they should let everything settle before deciding whether or not to re-start the fb program. All the football talk was mostly out of fear of being left behind, but now they are in a pretty stable league and things have settled down, so have any plans to add football.

I will add the UT-Dallas is trying to upgrade to D2 (Go Comets) and has been expanding quite rapidly and could possibly overtake UTA in a few years. They already have a bigger endowment (270mil to UTA's 79mil) and have ample room around to expand and new stuff is popping up every year (I live in Richardson). UTA may add fb just to further separate themselves from UTD and add that extra dimension that UTD is at least 15 years away from being able to do (need more dorms/food options, degree programs/facilities, to get good at bball and probably start a baseball/softball program all first).

fighting muskie · **Joined:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:47 am **Posts:** 414

I know its a stretch of the footprint but I wonder if going into Virginia would be a good move for the Sunbelt. James Madison is FBS ready and Liberty is almost there and their chancellor has stated he wants the school to move up (he thinks his school can be the Evangelical Notre Dame).

tkalmus · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1043

fighting muskie wrote:

I know its a stretch of the footprint but I wonder if going into Virginia would be a good move for the Sunbelt. James Madison is FBS ready and Liberty is almost there and their chancellor has stated he wants the school to move up (he thinks his school can be the Evangelical Notre Dame).

If they grab App St and GA Southern, they could easily add a Virginia school.

Texas St, ULL, ULM, WKU/Ark St (1 is CUSA bound)+ fb onlys NMSU & Idaho w/ UTA & UALR in nonfb

Troy, USA, GA St, GA SO, App St, Liberty/JMU (or both if they add another TX school like Lamar/SHSU)

tkalmus · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1043

http://www.macon.com/2013/02/03/2341524 ... be-in.html

In a telephone interview last week, Benson acknowledged he was aware of both Georgia Southern and Appalachian State’s interest in the Sun Belt.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/02/03/2341524 ... rylink=cpy

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... -expansion

In addition to App St, and GA Southern...
"SB Nation has been told by a source that James Madison, Jacksonville State, UT-Chattanooga and former WAC schools [NMSU and Idaho] are also being considered."

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:17 pm

JMU is the best of that bunch, w/ all their stadium upgrades, they're better on the field than all those other options

louisvillecard01 · **Joined:** Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:04 pm **Posts:** 331

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

JMU is the best of that bunch, w/ all their stadium upgrades, they're better on the field than all those other options

That JMU stadium upgrade looks very nice. It can be directly seen traveling Interstate 81.

Peter Hunt · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:53 pm

What is the Sun Belt doing?!?! They need to add somebody before another round of realignment hits! Big East will eventually add another member, and that very likely would be a c-usa member. c-usa will then take another sunbelt team, and B10 or SEC could get hungry again and take 2 ACC knocking down more dominos. If the SB isn't carefull they could be down to five teams.

Why did they hire Benson in the first place? That doesn't make any sense to me?

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:36 pm

Peter Hunt wrote:

What is the Sun Belt doing?!?! They need to add somebody before another round of realignment hits! Big East will eventually add another member, and that very likely would be a c-usa member. c-usa will then take another sunbelt team, and B10 or SEC could get hungry again and take 2 ACC knocking down more dominos. If the SB isn't carefull they could be down to five teams.

Why did they hire Benson in the first place? That doesn't make any sense to me?

Or any former WAC member, along w/ their fan base. He must be wanting to maximize their $$$ by keeping it as small as possible, that's what he told us. Then waits until its too late to start adding members or had a "project" to kill the conf. Good news for him is that there are 8 schools at least wanting to join the SBC.

Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

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