http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...membership

There's your 12th.

So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

I thought the SBC commish already said it would be an FBS school that they take. Doesn't that rule Liberty out?

(05-14-2014 11:29 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

I thought the SBC commish already said it would be an FBS school that they take. Doesn't that rule Liberty out?

That is my line of thought too...

Adding UMass does give the Sun Belt 12 for football and probably next year (2015) but it really does not address the desire to divide into 2 divisions for other sports. UMass is not bringing other sports to the Sun Belt, only football.

So you could add NMSU for all sports but that really does not yeild a 6-6 non-olympic sports split between east and west. I guess it could work if ULM or Louisiana was put with the east, but adding an all sports eastern member would better address that.

Of the Sun Belt could just stick with 11 schools in all other sports.

(05-14-2014 11:29 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

I thought the SBC commish already said it would be an FBS school that they take. Doesn't that rule Liberty out?

EKU President said that. Benson's been stumping for Liberty so much the last couple months that if he changed course and went for UMass, I would be worried that his mind was being controlled by Aliens again.

(05-14-2014 11:32 AM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  Adding UMass does give the Sun Belt 12 for football and probably next year (2015) but it really does not address the desire to divide into 2 divisions for other sports. UMass is not bringing other sports to the Sun Belt, only football.

So you could add NMSU for all sports but that really does not yeild a 6-6 non-olympic sports split between east and west. I guess it could work if ULM or Louisiana was put with the east, but adding an all sports eastern member would better address that.

Of the Sun Belt could just stick with 11 schools in all other sports.

That is what I'm thinking that if the Sunbelt isn't going to invite NMSU for all sports, then they can wait for another eastern option to arise. Remember, Idaho only has a 4 year guaranteed agreement to be part of the Sunbelt. Letting Idaho go after 2019 free another full eastern member is NMSU isn't part of it.
Or just invite another non-football member.

(05-14-2014 11:31 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:29 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

I thought the SBC commish already said it would be an FBS school that they take. Doesn't that rule Liberty out?

That is my line of thought too...

Same here. Liberty FCS, UMASS FBS.

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

Has there been a report from CBS Sports about Liberty?

These types of reports are what started coming out ahead of us and App being invited last year. I've seen tons of speculation, but no articles like this about Liberty.

(05-14-2014 11:32 AM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  Adding UMass does give the Sun Belt 12 for football and probably next year (2015) but it really does not address the desire to divide into 2 divisions for other sports. UMass is not bringing other sports to the Sun Belt, only football.

So you could add NMSU for all sports but that really does not yeild a 6-6 non-olympic sports split between east and west. I guess it could work if ULM or Louisiana was put with the east, but adding an all sports eastern member would better address that.

Of the Sun Belt could just stick with 11 schools in all other sports.

MWC has made 11 teams for basketball work with an 18 game schedule, without divisions.

Whatever the Sun Belt leaders decide to do is ok by me but if the championship game deregulation passes (and it is expected to this summer) I don't know if there is such a driving need to add a 12th football school.

(05-14-2014 11:40 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

Has there been a report from CBS Sports about Liberty?

These types of reports are what started coming out ahead of us and App being invited last year. I've seen tons of speculation, but no articles like this about Liberty.

For a long time, and even right in the article

Quote:The Sun Belt has been looking to fill its final spot by June 1 and has had discussions with several FCS-level schools, including Liberty.

(05-14-2014 11:50 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:40 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

Has there been a report from CBS Sports about Liberty?

These types of reports are what started coming out ahead of us and App being invited last year. I've seen tons of speculation, but no articles like this about Liberty.

For a long time, and even right in the article

Quote:The Sun Belt has been looking to fill its final spot by June 1 and has had discussions with several FCS-level schools, including Liberty.

Yes...but Benson had made the comment that the Belt was looking for a FBS team...UMASS. Liberty will have to wait for another time. NMSU as all sport member can now take place.

Looks like the final nail in LU's coffin. Combine this with the EKU prez stating no room for an FCS. Welcome aboard UMASS. Now I have a reason to visit Boston.

Wonder if beside basketball games if the SBC is requesting money for visiting teams that
travel to UMass - Amherst or Boston like we have with Idaho. Could be a sticking point
possibly.

Just last week, the argument against believing the UMass FB-only and NMSU all-sports rumor, buttressed as it was by the remarks of the EKU President (aka "the Other Benson") that the conference was now turning its attention to FBS schools, was that there was no noise in the rumor mill or leaks to news sources.

Well, here we go, a "nothing has been finally decided, but ..." remark by Commissioner Benson this time, to media partner CBS Sports.

Also note that moving to 12 is not set out as only allowing a CCG, which answers, in advance, the question about whether to wait for a possible vote (which according to latest word may be pushed back) on relaxing CCG rules:

Quote: A 12-team league allows the Sun Belt to host a championship game and create geographical divisions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

(05-14-2014 12:04 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Wonder if beside basketball games if the SBC is requesting money for visiting teams that travel to UMass - Amherst or Boston like we have with Idaho. Could be a sticking point possibly.

UMass being a FB-only affiliate means that the $1m CFP money for the 12th member can be divided up into travel subsidies, rather than divided between conference programs and the school as it will be for all-sports members, and the subsidy of up to $125,000 the year you travel to Amherst (their OCS facilities upgrade will be done by then), plus the net savings in going to a division schedule will take a lot of the sting out of the trip to Massachusetts.

Playing as an independent, UMass would not have been part of the independent pool in the negotiations over the CFP money, and as the Sunbelt well knows, sometimes the P5 cartel says "wait for the next round" as far as distributing money on the same terms to a new school in the same position as incumbents.

Just like Idaho, if whatever share allocated from the CFP money to travel subsidies is paid for travel in either direction, that would be fine with UMass ... it would be a better deal than they had from the MAC, where they had to pay an affiliation fee.

(05-14-2014 11:57 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  Yes...but Benson had made the comment that the Belt was looking for a FBS team...UMASS. Liberty will have to wait for another time. NMSU as all sport member can now take place.

Yes, Benson is reportedly interested in upgrading the BBall status of the Sunbelt ~ with FB very competitive with CUSA, the wide gap in BBall is one of the main bulwarks in viewing the three Go5 conferences in the South Atlantic to Texas footprint as the American first, CUSA second and the Sunbelt third.

And NMSU is clearly the best BBall team that the Sunbelt can add.

IFF the SBC needed another football team, this is a good move for SB West. You don't dilute your voting power and you can tell recruits that they get a trip to Boston once or twice in their careers. And Boston Globe coverage isn't a bad thing.

(05-14-2014 11:21 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...membership

There's your 12th.

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

(05-14-2014 11:57 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:50 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:40 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 11:27 AM)knucklehead Wrote:  So the vote will come down to Liberty or UMass. All this does is confirm that there is another school to bring up to vote alongside Liberty. I still believe there will be more opposition to UMass being on the moon, but who knows at this point.

Has there been a report from CBS Sports about Liberty?

These types of reports are what started coming out ahead of us and App being invited last year. I've seen tons of speculation, but no articles like this about Liberty.

For a long time, and even right in the article

Quote:The Sun Belt has been looking to fill its final spot by June 1 and has had discussions with several FCS-level schools, including Liberty.

Yes...but Benson had made the comment that the Belt was looking for a FBS team...UMASS. Liberty will have to wait for another time. NMSU as all sport member can now take place.

No. Benson EKU said that, Not Benson SBC.

I love this stuff. It's going to make next week that much better regardless of what happens.