(12-02-2011 11:29 AM)Lafitte the Pirate Wrote: [ -> ]Nothing is going to happen until the Big East gets its mess settled!
God, the Big East...I wish that lousy league would just go away. they don't deserve AQ status, they should give it to the Mountain West. but alas, it'll keep it no matter what teams play in the Conference due to it's geographic location. the northeast market.
(12-02-2011 12:59 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: [ -> ] (12-02-2011 11:29 AM)Lafitte the Pirate Wrote: [ -> ]Nothing is going to happen until the Big East gets its mess settled!
God, the Big East...I wish that lousy league would just go away. they don't deserve AQ status, they should give it to the Mountain West. but alas, it'll keep it no matter what teams play in the Conference due to it's geographic location. the northeast market.
Yeah, the system is a joke. In the 13 years since its inception not one conference has changed from AQ to non-AQ or vice-versa.
Talk about hoops to jump through; the NCAA is the BCS's lapdog. This whole BCS thing has been nothing more than smoke and mirrors to protect the cartels status quo.
You guys are being too literal. It's a figure of speech, just saying they haven't done anything yet to warrent a leapfrog over a bunch of more established programs.
(12-02-2011 04:55 PM)FIUFan Wrote: [ -> ]You guys are being too literal. It's a figure of speech, just saying they haven't done anything yet to warrent a leapfrog over a bunch of more established programs.
I knew what you meant the whole time FIUFan. don't worry bud.
(12-02-2011 04:55 PM)FIUFan Wrote: [ -> ]You guys are being too literal. It's a figure of speech, just saying they haven't done anything yet to warrent a leapfrog over a bunch of more established programs.
Ok I get that.
Let's look at the pool based on the schools that I know or have reasonable certainty have inquired about membership.
Appalachian State. Good program, well supported. Geographic outlier for the entire league. Not the easiest place to get to. They will have to increase their travel budget quite a bit. Nearly six hours from nearest Sun Belt school.
Georgia Southern. Nearly a six hour drive from the nearest Sun Belt school. Not the easiest place to get to.
Georgia State. Inside four hours to MTSU, Troy. Major air access.
Jacksonville State. Don't see a compelling reason to look at a third Alabama team.
UTSA. Five hours from UNT. Major air access
Tex St. Just under five hours from UNT, air access in San Antonio or Austin
NMSU 11 1/2 hours from UNT, air access is El Paso.
Idaho, SJSU. Just too remote to consider.
I think the "fit" and the committment are the most important parts of the resume for us.
(12-02-2011 05:55 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ] (12-02-2011 04:55 PM)FIUFan Wrote: [ -> ]You guys are being too literal. It's a figure of speech, just saying they haven't done anything yet to warrent a leapfrog over a bunch of more established programs.
Ok I get that.
Let's look at the pool based on the schools that I know or have reasonable certainty have inquired about membership.
Appalachian State. Good program, well supported. Geographic outlier for the entire league. Not the easiest place to get to. They will have to increase their travel budget quite a bit. Nearly six hours from nearest Sun Belt school.
Georgia Southern. Nearly a six hour drive from the nearest Sun Belt school. Not the easiest place to get to.
Georgia State. Inside four hours to MTSU, Troy. Major air access.
Jacksonville State. Don't see a compelling reason to look at a third Alabama team.
UTSA. Five hours from UNT. Major air access
Tex St. Just under five hours from UNT, air access in San Antonio or Austin
NMSU 11 1/2 hours from UNT, air access is El Paso.
Idaho, SJSU. Just too remote to consider.
I think the "fit" and the committment are the most important parts of the resume for us.
If we did go to twelve, where would every one want the conference championship to be? I will throw out Veterans Memorial in Jackson, MS just for the fact it is in basically the middle of the SunBelt geography, and no team would have a home field advantage. It holds plenty, and I think its in a decent part of town. The downfall would be Jackson isn't the most fun city.
[/quote]
If we did go to twelve, where would every one want the conference championship to be? I will throw out Veterans Memorial in Jackson, MS just for the fact it is in basically the middle of the SunBelt geography, and no team would have a home field advantage. It holds plenty, and I think its in a decent part of town. The downfall would be Jackson isn't the most fun city.
[/quote]
I vote for Mobile, it can get cold up there on I-20.
the renovated Crampton Bowl in Montgomery, AL. it's super nice now and pretty central in location for the league.
My vote would be for home field advantage. If you had a better season than your opponent then i think you deserve it.
(12-02-2011 10:13 PM)Nick305 Wrote: [ -> ]My vote would be for home field advantage. If you had a better season than your opponent then i think you deserve it.
I think we would get the best crowd by playing the game in an SBC stadium . . how to pick that team could get dicey . . if the team with the best record has the worst fan attendance ??
Go SBC !!
(12-02-2011 10:13 PM)Nick305 Wrote: [ -> ]My vote would be for home field advantage. If you had a better season than your opponent then i think you deserve it.
this would be the most logical way to do it. I think this would ensure a decent turn out, whereas a neutral site game attendance would be at the mercy of travel distance of participants.
(12-02-2011 10:41 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: [ -> ] (12-02-2011 10:13 PM)Nick305 Wrote: [ -> ]My vote would be for home field advantage. If you had a better season than your opponent then i think you deserve it.
this would be the most logical way to do it. I think this would ensure a decent turn out, whereas a neutral site game attendance would be at the mercy of travel distance of participants.
Exaclty, if the game was somewhere like Montgomery it would basically be a home game for Troy and it wouldnt be fair to the other team. Now if Troy was to earn home field advantage by being the clear cut best team in the conference, then I would have no problem because they deserve it. Not to mention Im sure home field advantage would be much better for attendance than a neutral site.
(12-02-2011 09:04 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: [ -> ]the renovated Crampton Bowl in Montgomery, AL. it's super nice now and pretty central in location for the league.
Montgomery is easily one of the twenty most boring major cities in the country.Then this would literally be a home game for Troy considering we have a campus there and many students/alum/teachers live and come from there.
(12-02-2011 10:25 AM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]The reflexive "large market" thing doesn't cut it with me.
UTSA's selling points to me are:
1. Adding them means every school other than Arkansas State has an in-state or close proximity football opponent in the league, that's good for the overall health of the league.
2. It's an attractive location that while it is an outlier position, could be a potential site for a number of league championship events.
3. Early indications are that the administration is committed to athletics and willing to innovate.
4. If they were to be added, they would have completed transition and be fully FBS upon entry.
Exactly. People keep saying you must pay your dues or win this and that. But honestly how much does the world of college football care about Troy winning the Belt five times or three lower level national titles? Had that been UTSA or FIU they would have been in an AQ conference.
The sad truth about this sport now is that if your school isn't located in a big city you will never get the respect you deserve no matter how good your team is.
And let's be real, the belt has been the worst conference the last decade. This year were a little stronger as a conference the only reasons were moving up even after 4 bowl eligible teams is due to conferences getting raided. The good just seems to outweigh the harm with adding UTSA.
My vote is that we add UTSA and GSU to get to 12.
Any talk of a neutral site championship game is a waste of time. If we were to get to twelve programs at any point in the near future, there is zero chance that the game won't be played at the home field of the better team.
(12-02-2011 10:35 AM)FIUFan Wrote: [ -> ]Just say No to start-ups. There are just too many attractive programs out there. Any number of WAC schools plus strong FCS programs with strong hoops.
There is one attractive WAC team and they come with baggage.
(12-03-2011 11:55 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: [ -> ]Any talk of a neutral site championship game is a waste of time. If we were to get to twelve programs at any point in the near future, there is zero chance that the game won't be played at the home field of the better team.
I agree, who wouldn't like to go to South Florida, South Louisiana, Dallas, Mobile, or San Antonio for a SBC Championship game. I would love to go to a championship game at FAU in December. Keep championship games at home sites. Know who you are and embrace it. We do not fill our stadiums with 60k every home game like other schools and or schools don't have 30k students and huge alumni bases. Don't know if you guys are watching the C-USA Championship and it looks like a great atmosphere, just as it did last year at UCF.
(12-03-2011 12:34 PM)geaux Wrote: [ -> ] (12-03-2011 11:55 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: [ -> ]Any talk of a neutral site championship game is a waste of time. If we were to get to twelve programs at any point in the near future, there is zero chance that the game won't be played at the home field of the better team.
I agree, who wouldn't like to go to South Florida, South Louisiana, Dallas, Mobile, or San Antonio for a SBC Championship game. I would love to go to a championship game at FAU in December. Keep championship games at home sites. Know who you are and embrace it. We do not fill our stadiums with 60k every home game like other schools and or schools don't have 30k students and huge alumni bases. Don't know if you guys are watching the C-USA Championship and it looks like a great atmosphere, just as it did last year at UCF.
The contrarian will say "oh yeah, I'd love to go to a championship game at Troy, Monroe, Jonesboro, or Bowling Green."
The fact of the matter is, destination has nothing to do with it. Playing the game at a neutral site is just not feasible.