Given the situation and ever evolving landscape, I agree with the original post...with a caveat.

Add NMSU as an all sports member.
Add Idaho as football only, which in essence throws them a life preserver. With that being the case, make Idaho pay a portion of each visiting teams' travel expenses. This is a similar deal to Hawaii's deal with the MWC. This makes the whole travel issue less of a burden.

(01-24-2013 11:57 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  Given the situation and ever evolving landscape, I agree with the original post...with a caveat.

Add NMSU as an all sports member.
Add Idaho as football only, which in essence throws them a life preserver. With that being the case, make Idaho pay a portion of each visiting teams' travel expenses. This is a similar deal to Hawaii's deal with the MWC. This makes the whole travel issue less of a burden.

No thanks.

(01-24-2013 11:43 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  If you don't add some by this summer then you are forced to take NMSU, Idaho or both if we lose more teams. I can't imagine that we are anywhere near being finished with realignment and it will affect the SBC.

Whether you are a fan of a team that is likely to move on in the future or not, we owe it to the league to make sure it continues for those that remain.

Also, how can any fan of FIU, FAU, WKU, USA or Troy talk down to FCS programs who want to move up? It seems like yesterday that I watched ASU hang 66 on FIU as a fresh FBS program.

I know that there is not any separation between teams currently in the MAC, SBC or CUSA but I also know that with an increase in scholarships and a little time there are FCS programs that can compete in any of those three conferences.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I think we will have to add Ga Southern and or Appy by July 1. We just don't need to be adding them this month. Lets see where we stand in a month. I don't think that the Belt adding any teams at this point changes the ending scenario at all. We will have some holes to fill. Adding Ga Southern or Appy isn't going to stop the bleeding. We'll still have to sort it all out after everyone else picks (thanks to Wright Waters' disasterous TV contract).

How many more teams is CUSA going to lose? If its just one, then we just fill from the two obvious teams. Ga Southern, Appy, and most likely JMU are on board.

(01-24-2013 11:59 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:57 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  Given the situation and ever evolving landscape, I agree with the original post...with a caveat.

Add NMSU as an all sports member.
Add Idaho as football only, which in essence throws them a life preserver. With that being the case, make Idaho pay a portion of each visiting teams' travel expenses. This is a similar deal to Hawaii's deal with the MWC. This makes the whole travel issue less of a burden.

No thanks.

This, plus I'm not sure Idaho could afford it . . .

(01-24-2013 09:44 AM)MG61 Wrote:  Idaho - Football only
New Mexico State - All sports

1. Pickup two existing FBS programs instead of FCS move ups.
2. Football only for Idaho eliminates costly travel to far west for non-football sports.
3. New Mexico State brings a lot to the table for basketball. Would currently be highest ranked Belt team. Would lead the Belt in basketball attendance.

Agreed, but Idaho cannot be a long-term add. We need them now while FCS move-ups get ready. Make it a 5-7 year membership, and then they move on.

(01-24-2013 12:21 PM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 09:44 AM)MG61 Wrote:  Idaho - Football only
New Mexico State - All sports

1. Pickup two existing FBS programs instead of FCS move ups.
2. Football only for Idaho eliminates costly travel to far west for non-football sports.
3. New Mexico State brings a lot to the table for basketball. Would currently be highest ranked Belt team. Would lead the Belt in basketball attendance.

Agreed, but Idaho cannot be a long-term add. We need them now while FCS move-ups get ready. Make it a 5-7 year membership, and then they move on.

If they ever get in..you are stuck with them.

Whoever is left in SBC better be making long-term decisions for the purpose of building a good football league.

One you may be in forever.

Temporary Idaho and Broken Underachieving NMSU are not that.

I thought the OP was trolling, but if not then I agree fully with Tom in Lazybrook's plan.

(01-24-2013 12:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  Whoever is left in SBC better be making long-term decisions for the purpose of building a good football league.

One you may be in forever.

Temporary Idaho and Broken Underachieving NMSU are not that.

Yep. I think CUSA dreams are creating problems that those dreaming will have to live with. You have to keep your house in order in case you need to sleep there. It is as if the think being associated with FCS will somehow hurt their CUSA chances.

(01-24-2013 11:54 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:43 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  It seems like yesterday that I watched ASU hang 66 on FIU as a fresh FBS program.

Which makes it all the more painful to watch them leave us behind. Let's be completely honest about that.

Ahhh....the old media market deal. I hear ya on that one.......

But I will say, I firmly believe that a competitive Sun Belt with an average of 25 to 30k in attendance at each game will surpass CUSA one day as far as perceived prestige and eventual TV money.

Let's be honest. If you are a football fan of Bama, UF, UGA etc but you also just like to watch good football, what are you going to tune into if not watching your team or the big game of the week? You are going to watch the game you think will be the most entertaining, not pick based on how large each teams media market is.

This media market non sense is going to come back to haunt them. May get the conference more money now, but in the long run it will be a problem.

(01-24-2013 01:00 PM)GSU Eagles Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 12:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  Whoever is left in SBC better be making long-term decisions for the purpose of building a good football league.

One you may be in forever.

Temporary Idaho and Broken Underachieving NMSU are not that.

Yep. I think CUSA dreams are creating problems that those dreaming will have to live with. You have to keep your house in order in case you need to sleep there. It is as if the think being associated with FCS will somehow hurt their CUSA chances.

WKU was a joke FCS a couple of years ago and now is a critical FBS member of the Sun Belt.

You go for programs who have the potential to help you surpass the conferences perceived to be above you. Idaho certainly has zero potential for that....NMSU has had decades and have not shown that potential.

Go for the best potential adds you can get.

EAST
Western Kentucky
South Alabama
Troy
Georgia State
Georgia Southern (2014)
App. State (2014)
James Madison (2015)

WEST
Louisiana
Arkansas State
UL Monroe
Texas State
UALR
UT Arlington
New Mexico State (2015)

(01-24-2013 01:19 PM)ULCajunRagin Wrote:  EAST
Western Kentucky
South Alabama
Troy
Georgia State
Georgia Southern (2014)
App. State (2014)
James Madison (2015)

WEST
Louisiana
Arkansas State
UL Monroe
Texas State
UALR
UT Arlington
New Mexico State (2015)

What about for football because I do not see UALR or UTA adding football.

(01-24-2013 01:24 PM)ValleyBoy Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 01:19 PM)ULCajunRagin Wrote:  EAST
Western Kentucky
South Alabama
Troy
Georgia State
Georgia Southern (2014)
App. State (2014)
James Madison (2015)

WEST
Louisiana
Arkansas State
UL Monroe
Texas State
UALR
UT Arlington
New Mexico State (2015)

What about for football because I do not see UALR or UTA adding football.

If you are looking at strictly west teams then you have to look at Lamar and Missouri State if UTA does not add football.

(01-24-2013 10:13 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  I am more concerned about how strong the conference is on the field and in the stands than I am about whether someone is currently FBS. In the Sun Belt's young life we have seen Troy, FIU, FAU, WKU and USA move up from FCS. All but USA (one year) have been in postseason play and Troy was dominant for some time. NMSU has a lot of upside with their overall program and it really isn't any further for most of our programs than it was to travel to the FL schools.

I think it is a mistake to only add one or two but that is just me.

Don't forget that 2001 was our third season of FBS.

(01-24-2013 01:02 PM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  Ahhh....the old media market deal. I hear ya on that one.......

But I will say, I firmly believe that a competitive Sun Belt with an average of 25 to 30k in attendance at each game will surpass CUSA one day as far as perceived prestige and eventual TV money.

Let's be honest. If you are a football fan of Bama, UF, UGA etc but you also just like to watch good football, what are you going to tune into if not watching your team or the big game of the week? You are going to watch the game you think will be the most entertaining, not pick based on how large each teams media market is.

This media market non sense is going to come back to haunt them. May get the conference more money now, but in the long run it will be a problem.

I firmly believe that if the SBC stayed intact, with the teams they have now, plus App St and Ga Southern, they could be a dominate force among the non-AQ teams.
Though, I doubt the tv money would change. At the present, they're selling ad time to people/companies that only see raw numbers. They are not questioning how many tv sets are actually tuned in, they are selling ad time for 'potentially' how many sets could tune in.

(01-24-2013 11:05 AM)CrazyCajun Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:03 AM)YouCanUseaMint Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 10:59 AM)CrazyCajun Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 10:19 AM)YouCanUseaMint Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 10:13 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  Do you want to go back to the Southland?

What are you talking about? Just because a school is currently FCS does not mean they'll suck for generations to come.. based on history NMSU will suck for generations to come. App State and Georgia Southern make way more sense. And yes, I'll take Liberty or even Lamar before I take Idaho.

Okay, I can understand that but for us returning to a more modern version of the SLC does not appeal to our fan base. By no means am I suggesting taking Idaho, but give me NMSU all day over freaken Lamar or any other SLC program at this time.

Let me put it this way:

App State
GaSO
NMSU
Liberty
Jax State (Alabama)
Lamar
SHSU
Idaho

Then hell, you should have stayed in the SLC because I see very little difference.

What other options does the Sun Belt have?? Those are the teams, by order of preference, that I would want us to invite when the time comes

But to your point, aren't a majority of the new Sun Belt teams from the Southland? That's not necessarily a bad thing

Invite Notre Dame....surely they would join

The mods did the Sun Belt a real disservice by transferring all those SB future alignment boards over to the "Lounge" sub-folder "Conference Realignment" yesterday. Now a multitude of national posters are making cracks about the SB.

I agree with the theory that many of you have that potential CUSA future members are leery of adding FCS members now because it might look like they are associating with FCS schools in the eyes of their future conference mates.

Those that advocate waiting to add teams justify that by they do not know how many will be needed. Well, you know that you need at least two. There is no rule that you cannot add again at any time. Besides, you will never know how many you will need in the future. But you need two at least right now.

If your school was FCS and had the "opportunity" to join a SB of 3 or 4 teams ..... would your president stick his neck out and jump on that?
Especially knowing that the NCAA requires 5 FBS home games for transition.

(01-24-2013 01:02 PM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  Ahhh....the old media market deal. I hear ya on that one.......

But I will say, I firmly believe that a competitive Sun Belt with an average of 25 to 30k in attendance at each game will surpass CUSA one day as far as perceived prestige and eventual TV money.

Let's be honest. If you are a football fan of Bama, UF, UGA etc but you also just like to watch good football, what are you going to tune into if not watching your team or the big game of the week? You are going to watch the game you think will be the most entertaining, not pick based on how large each teams media market is.

This media market non sense is going to come back to haunt them. May get the conference more money now, but in the long run it will be a problem.

You say it as if CUSA won't have anyone that will be putting a good product on the
field and won't have anyone averaging 25k-30k. Right now the only Sun Belt programs that have proven they can do that are Louisiana and stats anyhow.

Attendance and budget, the top third of budget in the SBC usually overlapped the bottom few in CUSA and the Sun Belt is losing four of the fop five budgets in the conference. Attendance is similar and while CUSA is losing ECU's attendance we're also losing Tulane and Memphis in attendance as well and you may not realize it, but MT was #1 or #2 in football attendance in the SBC for like four years in a row. We've taken a small step back in the last few seasons while programs like Louisiana and Arkansas State have taken big steps forward, but I expect we're going to have a bounce back in attendance the next few years, we get "new exciting" conference mates at home, this year we have one more final home game with Memphis in our seven year series, next year we get BYU at home and 2015 and 2017 we get Vandy at home, our attendance over the next five years should definitely improve especially if we're putting a quality product on the field.

Finally to your point about average fans watching a game between two quality programs over two big markets I don't disagree at all, especially when you're talking about say...UAB vs Rice as opposed to Louisiana vs stAte, however, CUSA will have more games on and again it's not as if we won't have quality programs of our own on and many SBC games are going to be on ESPN3 and in your outlined scenario I think the average fan is going to be a lot quicker to watch a game of only casual interest on tv than on the Internet, especially as long as ESPN3 is XBOX exclusive. I watch plenty of non MT games throughout the season, but cannot recall ever watching a game on ESPN3 that wasn't MT or a key Sun Belt game.