Was stated that CUSA is having a realignment telephone call today. A lot of speculation about three more Sun Belt schools being asked to join and NMSU.

"Selig said ODU president John Broderick will participate in a conference call of C-USA presidents at 1 p.m. today to discuss conference realignment and potential expansion.

New Mexico State and three Sun Belt schools - Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Georgia State - have been mentioned as potential C-USA expansion candidates.

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/01/odu-may-...year-early
Who do you like? I think this means CUSA has plans of going to 16."

So, if that happens - what, that takes the Sun Belt down to 5 teams.

CUSA has no immediate plans of going to 16. They expect to lose teams to BEast and possibly MWC.

(01-20-2013 03:16 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Was stated that CUSA is having a realignment telephone call today. A lot of speculation about three more Sun Belt schools being asked to join and NMSU.

"Selig said ODU president John Broderick will participate in a conference call of C-USA presidents at 1 p.m. today to discuss conference realignment and potential expansion.

New Mexico State and three Sun Belt schools - Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Georgia State - have been mentioned as potential C-USA expansion candidates.

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/01/odu-may-...year-early
Who do you like? I think this means CUSA has plans of going to 16."

So, if that happens - what, that takes the Sun Belt down to 5 teams.

Sure does look like it. You have to think that the SBC has been over every possible eventuality and has a move to make when the ball is hit back in their court.....regardless of what it might be. Thoughts?

(01-20-2013 03:20 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  CUSA has no immediate plans of going to 16. They expect to lose teams to BEast and possibly MWC.

It does sound like the CUSA may lose four more schools, but they also have an eight page thread with 90% of it devoted to it also being about taking three or four more Sun Belt schools.
http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=614248

Id rather want Tx St over NMSU for CUSA.
I expect Appy St, GA So, and Sam Houston St to get a call asap. And expect FGCU and UNF to be talked about. FGCU is a great school, one of the fastest growing schools in the state, and both are entertaining the idea of adding football. I can see them both being on the gridiron by the end of this decade

Thought it interesting discussion about the possibility of C-USA going to an 18 team conference so that they would have two divisions of 9 teams, causing the end to the Sun Belt. Sounds like war.
Since it is past time today when C-USA schools were going to get on the telephone about realignment, wonder if we will hear anything this afternoon.

NMSU has some serious financial issues that are negatively affecting the athletic department in a big way. In addition, they are in the middle of a leadership transition and interim head very rarely champions any move from the status quo. But you have to think that maybe NMSU's relationship with the former WAC conference leadership may be enough to have a life line thrown their way. As more changes take place in other conferences the pressure will build from inside and out for the SBC to make a move.

(01-20-2013 03:39 PM)Turnberry79 Wrote:  NMSU has some serious financial issues that are negatively affecting the athletic department in a big way. In addition, they are in the middle of a leadership transition and interim head very rarely champions any move from the status quo. But you have to think that maybe NMSU's relationship with the former WAC conference leadership may be enough to have a life line thrown their way. As more changes take place in other conferences the pressure will build from inside and out for the SBC to make a move.

Do not know. Almost seems like the Sun Belt is on a self destructive course of non-action. All for the sake of each member keeping a couple of extra dollars in their pockets, they think.

That is what it looks like, but the dollars from media rights are basically insignificant under the current valuations are determined. Strengthening the membership where all schools are fully committed, improving the level of play and putting fans in seats will be the basis on which a you can negotiate a respectable media rights contract. No network wants to deliver games where there are no fans in the seats and mimicing a high school game. They want compelling programming where you see the stadium full, fans fully engaged and exciting football being played. You give a television executive that and he will give you something valuable in return. I have to think that the president's of the member institutions and the conference office see this.

Meant to post this article also on Tulsa of CUSA talking about having a nBE offer this month.

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(01-20-2013 03:43 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:39 PM)Turnberry79 Wrote:  

Do not know. Almost seems like the Sun Belt is on a self destructive course of non-action. All for the sake of each member keeping a couple of extra dollars in their pockets, they think.

If you play the other side it is possible they have tried to line up members behind the scenes but there could be reluctance to commit to a league that doesn't have a firm membership base. Think back to the WAC. Invites were sent to teams as programs left and some were declined. Montana was one that denied them choosing instead the stability of their existing FCS home over FBS uncertainty in the WAC. Not saying that is the case here but it is possible some programs would prefer to not take on the risk and financial commitment to move to an unstable league. JMU strikes me as that type of program. Regardless of how many teams eventually leave it seems the Sun Belt has firmly cemented itself into being the low league on the FBS pole. That might not be enough of a sell to some candidates.

This is really weird to have a special realignment call today when CUSA starts their Spring meeting Wednesday, so must be a pressing item or items. Mississippi newspaper reporting that Southern Miss has or soon will have an offer from the nBE, just like Tulsa. Some saying the other two teams leaving or expected to leave are UTEP and Rice to the MWC.

Interesting thing about two of the additions to Conference USA. Judy Rose at UNC-Charlotte was lauded for the work that she did in not only getting the school to move ahead with football but much of the strategy leading up to their first game. Old Dominion had her in more than a few times as a psuedo consultant for the re-institution of their program. I wonder how much that relationship between the two schools played in their both getting in Conference USA. It seems to be more than just a coincidence.

I think UNC-C is going to have a rough go of it and it and it will take more than a few years to establish a fan base that will be significant. Charlotte is so split between very loyal Carolina, State, Appalachian and ECU fans.....as well as more than a few from Clemson and South Carolina.

(01-20-2013 04:09 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:43 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:39 PM)Turnberry79 Wrote:  

Do not know. Almost seems like the Sun Belt is on a self destructive course of non-action. All for the sake of each member keeping a couple of extra dollars in their pockets, they think.

If you play the other side it is possible they have tried to line up members behind the scenes but there could be reluctance to commit to a league that doesn't have a firm membership base. Think back to the WAC. Invites were sent to teams as programs left and some were declined. Montana was one that denied them choosing instead the stability of their existing FCS home over FBS uncertainty in the WAC. Not saying that is the case here but it is possible some programs would prefer to not take on the risk and financial commitment to move to an unstable league. JMU strikes me as that type of program. Regardless of how many teams eventually leave it seems the Sun Belt has firmly cemented itself into being the low league on the FBS pole. That might not be enough of a sell to some candidates.

Ominous you mentioning the WAC. Some members were laughing at the possibility of what happened to the WAC could happen to the SB not too long ago. But if CUSA takes four SB teams they will be down to four total football teams. They would then not even have enough teams for transitional teams to schedule home and homes with.

(01-20-2013 04:16 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 04:09 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:43 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:39 PM)Turnberry79 Wrote:  

Do not know. Almost seems like the Sun Belt is on a self destructive course of non-action. All for the sake of each member keeping a couple of extra dollars in their pockets, they think.

If you play the other side it is possible they have tried to line up members behind the scenes but there could be reluctance to commit to a league that doesn't have a firm membership base. Think back to the WAC. Invites were sent to teams as programs left and some were declined. Montana was one that denied them choosing instead the stability of their existing FCS home over FBS uncertainty in the WAC. Not saying that is the case here but it is possible some programs would prefer to not take on the risk and financial commitment to move to an unstable league. JMU strikes me as that type of program. Regardless of how many teams eventually leave it seems the Sun Belt has firmly cemented itself into being the low league on the FBS pole. That might not be enough of a sell to some candidates.

Ominous you mentioning the WAC. Some members were laughing at the possibility of what happened to the WAC could happen to the SB not too long ago. But if CUSA takes four SB teams they will be down to four total football teams.

That is definitely a possibility. The irony to me is that Benson was heading that ship as it sank. So if in fact the Sun Belt goes that route then he most likely exhaust all options like he did with the WAC before throwing in the towel. Adding Idaho would probably be the first move.

I think the only reason why the sbc hasn't expanded is because he can't find 4 Fcs teams willing to join with how unstable it is.
The sbc is as good as dead if they don't add at least 4 teams before they lose more to cusa any day now.

(01-20-2013 04:11 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  This is really weird to have a special realignment call today when CUSA starts their Spring meeting Wednesday, so must be a pressing item or items. Mississippi newspaper reporting that Southern Miss has or soon will have an offer from the nBE, just like Tulsa. Some saying the other two teams leaving or expected to leave are UTEP and Rice to the MWC.

Wouln't be the Spring meeting. CUSA traditionally has held its Spring meeting in May. In fact one year I know Sun Belt and CUSA meetings were at the San Destin Hilton the same week and overlapped a couple of days.

They may well have a meeting set but it wouldn't be the Spring meeting.

I think the meeting this week is primarily to discuss divisional alignment and scheduling.

I can't believe Troy, ULM, Tx St, USA have put themselves in such a vulnerable position. If they are the 4 teams remaining, it is a 5 year setback for them.

I worked closely with the WAC on some media related items for three years. As I have noted here in the past, there were things that went on behind the scenes with the member institutions that was, in large part, the reason why things blew up there. The problems did not originate with the conference office in Denver. In fact, they bent over backwards to try to make things work. If people who post here knew the whole story they would have a very positive opinion of the Sun Belt commissioner. It was every man for himself and the schools only cared about advancing their own agendas and not spending time on building a strong workable athletic conference. Most of them were just parked in the WAC until an opening came up in the Mountain West. A couple of the AD's were, to put it nicely, impossible