http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/5/21/...45658.aspx

Staying at 11/11.

Interesting no full invite for NMSU.

So UMass is going to be Indy.

not a surprise at all about NMSU not getting full invite. the eastern schools I don't think want any part of that at all.

UMass going back to FCS?

(05-21-2014 12:51 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  UMass going back to FCS?

UMASS has 2 years left, I believe in the MAC. If that is correct they can certainly be invited during that time frame

Should there be any movement there likely will be some backfill opportunities down the road. As a Liberty alum, I am disappointed that the SBC didn't make the move. All they did was prolong a process and gamble that they don't suddenly need to add schools in the next 12 months should some of their members bolt for greener pastures or that the final CCG deregulation reads the way they are hoping.

Of course there are schools the Sun Belt has said no thanks to right now that might be called should there be a defection.

But no body chooses to go home with the ugly girl at 9:30 for fear that there will be nothing left but ugly girls to choose from at 2am.

Not arguing that point. But it doesn't mean that there couldn't be regret for today's inaction in the near future.

We continue to wear you guys down with our availability.

If they need to add schools they'll still be there. How is that gambling?

Potential gap years

I think it's just a wait and see game...UMass isn't available for 2 years, so there is no reason to do anything now.

Once the existing expansions come to fruition in July for next season and UMass is closer to leaving the MAC, the Sun Belt will re-evaluate.

Plus UMass was terrible last year. Maybe they can win 6 or 7 games this season and make a move look better for the SBC.

Ummmm this doesn't mean no expansion for the Sunbelt... it merely says that the conference won't be gaining or losing members on July 1st. Because it will have lost a member on June 30th and the UMass entry isn't complete yet... LOL In fact, it alludes to more change ahead:

"While we may explore adding a 12th all-sports member join the Sun Belt Conference, at this time we are moving the conference forward with our membership as is," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Come July 1 the membership will be stable for the first time in over two years with no incoming or departing members. The makeup of that 11 all-sports conference will give us more than just stability - it will give us strength and opportunity."

(05-21-2014 01:29 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  I think it's just a wait and see game...UMass isn't available for 2 years, so there is no reason to do anything now.

Once the existing expansions come to fruition in July for next season and UMass is closer to leaving the MAC, the Sun Belt will re-evaluate.

Plus UMass was terrible last year. Maybe they can win 6 or 7 games this season and make a move look better for the SBC.

Probably not one of the reasons they are standing pat, but the SBC was the top non-aq league last year and 2nd the year before.

Granted it would not have happened if CUSA had not taken the bottom feeders off their hands, but they appear (as evidenced by adding AppSt and GaSo) to be serious about playing good football. To that end it appears to be a good move.

With the AAC joining the G5 this year, the competition to be the best G5 football league got tougher.

(05-21-2014 01:27 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  Potential gap years

The risk of that is not mitigated by adding one school. The likelihood of a conference taking four members is remote. Good try Liberty. It is going to take a HUGE shakeup before you guys are invited though. By that time other programs may have stepped up.

if I remember correctly, once UMass rejects the MAC's offer for full membership the agreement moves towards termination after 2 years but if UMass chooses to leave sooner an early exit penalty would be involved. So even if SBC did invite UMass today they would not likely not begin membership until after the 2015 season.

I believe UMASS would go all sports to MAC or football to FCS before they would put their football in the Sunbelt.

(05-21-2014 05:26 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  I believe UMASS would go all sports to MAC or football to FCS before they would put their football in the Sunbelt.

Why would you believe that keeping basketball in the A10 made sense.

So an A10 and SBC combination is worse than MAC all-sports sorry U mass. Dropping back down is better A10 doesn't have football.

(05-21-2014 01:29 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  I think it's just a wait and see game...UMass isn't available for 2 years, so there is no reason to do anything now.

(05-21-2014 02:22 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  if I remember correctly, once UMass rejects the MAC's offer for full membership the agreement moves towards termination after 2 years but if UMass chooses to leave sooner an early exit penalty would be involved. So even if SBC did invite UMass today they would not likely not begin membership until after the 2015 season.

Of course UMass would have been available for 2015 if asked ... they would have had to pay $250,000 exit fee to the MAC, but that's just a fraction of what they would save over four years from not trying to play as an independent.

(05-21-2014 01:52 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  Ummmm this doesn't mean no expansion for the Sunbelt... it merely says that the conference won't be gaining or losing members on July 1st. Because it will have lost a member on June 30th and the UMass entry isn't complete yet...

Yes, the Sunbelt could decide later this year to take UMass for an expansion in 2015 ~ possibly depending on how the CCG deregulation proposal is worded ~ or this time next year for 2016.

(05-21-2014 05:26 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  I believe UMASS would go all sports to MAC or football to FCS before they would put their football in the Sunbelt.

Go ahead and believe it, but it was UMass who decided not to use their option to join the MAC all-sports and UMass who contacted the Sunbelt to see if the 12th spot was available FB-only.

(05-21-2014 01:52 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  Ummmm this doesn't mean no expansion for the Sunbelt... it merely says that the conference won't be gaining or losing members on July 1st. Because it will have lost a member on June 30th and the UMass entry isn't complete yet... LOL In fact, it alludes to more change ahead:

"While we may explore adding a 12th all-sports member join the Sun Belt Conference, at this time we are moving the conference forward with our membership as is," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Come July 1 the membership will be stable for the first time in over two years with no incoming or departing members. The makeup of that 11 all-sports conference will give us more than just stability - it will give at us strength and opportunity."

It doesn't even say that.

All you can read from it is the SBC has definitely thrown in the towel for admitting an FCS school for 5/31/14 (mostly obvious with 10 days to go).

UMass is available at any date and can cleanly transition to the SBC football conference as late as February of 2016. They will have no scheduling commitment with another conference the day after the 2015 MAC regular season finishes. There isn't a lot of moving parts floating out there to prevent UMass being added if desired on short notice in early 2016.

(05-21-2014 05:26 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  I believe UMASS would go all sports to MAC or football to FCS before they would put their football in the Sunbelt.

Wow. Clearly you are wrong. UMass contacted the Sunbelt--not the other way around.