(01-15-2017 03:44 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-15-2017 03:22 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-15-2017 03:08 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  But if Wake Forest is an FCS wanting to join the Sun Belt, even with App State's track record, odds are strongly against them

A small enrollment, private, non-religious school is the perfect candidate for the Sun Belt is all other dimensions. And Sun Belt says "Sorry, no thanks ... you're perfect for us, but you're a small enrollment, private school" ????

Bunk

(01-15-2017 03:08 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Yeah there are tons of Bama fans, and smaller number of Auburn fans but I can pick up the newspaper or tune in to a Mobile television station and see a South Alabama story above the fold in the newspaper. I can (have seen!) see South Alabama be the top sports story of the night on television.

Yeah there are tons of Kentucky fans, and smaller number of Louisville fans, but I can pick up the newspaper and see a EKU story above the fold. I can see EKU be the tops sports story of the night on television.

(01-15-2017 03:08 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette have built programs in areas where an SEC team has a huge fan base but because of local media attention have built a niche that works well. You can't do what Arkansas State has done in Dallas or Miami because you literally have to beg for exposure from local TV and radio.

Agree with this. It does work for Ark St and ULL. There aren't many of those niches to be had, but the Sun Belt does have a few.

So much here.

First, there are significant differences between EKU and USA, beyond the obvious fact that USA has been a successful contributor to the conference for close to 40 years...

Money - EKU has 60miillion....USA ~half a billion.
Established Rivalries - EKU...0, USA - many.
Market - While the Sun Belt doesn't focus on market, its nice to actually have one.

I'm from Mobile. Alabama and Auburn have more fans, but seeing as you cannot get to either watch a game and return the same day easily, very few Mobilians ever go to either to actually attend games. The UK fans in Lexington can go to a UK game just as easily as they can go to EKU

If UK is playing Miss State and EKU is playing App, the Lexington paper will lead with UK and EKU will be an afterthought. So will the other media in Lexington. In Louisville, it will be in the 'scores around the state' section.

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The Belt had a small, private school on the outskirts of the conference in it before....it was a very bad fit. And just like Liberty....they play hockey too.

Mobile is actually slightly closer to Baton Rouge than Tuscaloosa or Auburn.

Most of the people within an hour drive of EKU can get to a UK more easily because they are closer to UK.

And to go a step further on the last time the Sun Belt had a private college, the conference changed the core requirements to be a member with a three year deadline to comply in order to expel them and soon as they were gone changed them back to allow UALR to remain after dropping a sport.