Should the Sun Belt Conference & Conference USA form a partnership to help both leagues with travel and more regional rivalries? I think both leagues are far off from where the AAC or even MWC is in terms of strength in basketball and football. Would this sort of alliance help both leagues?

Southwestern Conference (10 Teams) formerly Sun Belt Conference
UTEP
UTSA
Texas State
Rice
North Texas
Arkansas State
Louisiana Tech
UL-Monroe
Louisiana
New Mexico State
UT-Arlington (basketball/other sports)
Little Rock (basketball/other sports)

Football Championship Game played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Alamodome in San Antonio, or Superdome in New Orleans. Basketball Tournament played Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, HEB Center at Cedar Park, AT&T Center in San Antonio, or Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

Conference USA (16 teams)
Sun Belt Division - 8 teams
Southern Miss.
South Alabama
UAB
Troy
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
FAU
FIU
Appalachian Division - 8 teams
Middle Tennessee State
Western Kentucky
Coastal Carolina
Charlotte
Appalachian State
Marshall
Liberty
Old Dominion

Conference USA stays at 8 games with a 8 team divisional setup, the highest seed is rewarded with the championship game instead of a neutral site. Basketball Tournament could be played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, or a neutral site in Florida could be options.

Oh wow, this thread again

No.

(02-09-2019 07:04 AM)debragga Wrote:  Oh wow, this thread again

Nothing to do with that unless I'm unaware of another Sun Belt/C-USA thread.

(02-09-2019 08:18 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  

(02-09-2019 07:04 AM)debragga Wrote:  Oh wow, this thread again

Nothing to do with that unless I'm unaware of another Sun Belt/C-USA thread.

There’s a lot of them but it can’t be expected for people to sift through hundreds of threads before posting

When I see threads like this include Liberty I immediately checkout, because that means the person making the thread doesn't look back at any recent history of both the Belt and CUSA. Liberty offered to pay big money to join either. Both conferences turned them down.

(02-09-2019 08:18 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  

(02-09-2019 07:04 AM)debragga Wrote:  Oh wow, this thread again

Nothing to do with that unless I'm unaware of another Sun Belt/C-USA thread.

It actually gets talked about on hear a lot bit. The general consensus is that it would make a lot of sense to reorganize but those pesky non-football schools and a handful of C-USA schools who have vendettas against a neighboring SBC school (LA Tech) keep it from ever happening.

There's also quite a few SBC fans that are convinced that their league is perfect the way it is and don't see the benefit of associating with the bigger C-USA brands that would be closer to home.

(02-09-2019 08:58 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  When I see threads like this include Liberty I immediately checkout, because that means the person making the thread doesn't look back at any recent history of both the Belt and CUSA. Liberty offered to pay big money to join either. Both conferences turned them down.

I think it's short sighted on the part of the two conferences to keep Liberty out. They've got resources and could elevate either conference.

I'd think the SBC would benefit from dropping UTA and UALR and bringing in Liberty and JMU to replace them.

No.

Look at it this way, we're at the perfect size for FB and UTA/LR offer perfect travel companions of TxSt/ArkSt for the other conference schools on in Oly sports

Liberty has a toxic name in education just based on their image as a degree mill with a football team. That's not even taking to account for the religious and political stigmas as well.

JMU had the chance and turned it down. That's fine and CCU has been a great add instead and is actually more beneficial since it's close to App (like JMU) but also close to GaSt and GaSo. Gets the belt in the new state of SC and adds wonderful baseball (which is big in the Belt).

(02-09-2019 10:32 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(02-09-2019 08:58 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  When I see threads like this include Liberty I immediately checkout, because that means the person making the thread doesn't look back at any recent history of both the Belt and CUSA. Liberty offered to pay big money to join either. Both conferences turned them down.

I think it's short sighted on the part of the two conferences to keep Liberty out. They've got resources and could elevate either conference.

I'd think the SBC would benefit from dropping UTA and UALR and bringing in Liberty and JMU to replace them.

By resources you mean using online tuition from your online diploma mill as an ATM machine for Athletics.

They are not in a conference because decisions are made by presidents who are largely career academics or career college administrators. They like things and people they can easily recognize. Liberty is a model they are not comfortable with. They have no more chance of getting in a conference than Devry.

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(02-09-2019 10:40 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Look at it this way, we're at the perfect size for FB and UTA/LR offer perfect travel companions of TxSt/ArkSt for the other conference schools on in Oly sports

Liberty has a toxic name in education just based on their image as a degree mill with a football team. That's not even taking to account for the religious and political stigmas as well.

JMU had the chance and turned it down. That's fine and CCU has been a great add instead and is actually more beneficial since it's close to App (like JMU) but also close to GaSt and GaSo. Get's the belt in the new state of SC and adds wonderful baseball (which is big in the Belt).

And CUSA really has this insurmountable problem, which I am.not convinced they do, it will work itself out either by internal adjustment or by airport meeting.

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I honestly think CUSA is fine as well. They do complain about their conference a lot, but mainly I think it's due to the fact that they want it to be as prestigious and good as CUSA2.0, which if it happens will take a lot of time.

(02-09-2019 10:42 AM)panama Wrote:  

(02-09-2019 10:40 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Look at it this way, we're at the perfect size for FB and UTA/LR offer perfect travel companions of TxSt/ArkSt for the other conference schools on in Oly sports

Liberty has a toxic name in education just based on their image as a degree mill with a football team. That's not even taking to account for the religious and political stigmas as well.

JMU had the chance and turned it down. That's fine and CCU has been a great add instead and is actually more beneficial since it's close to App (like JMU) but also close to GaSt and GaSo. Get's the belt in the new state of SC and adds wonderful baseball (which is big in the Belt).

And CUSA really has this insurmountable problem, which I am.not convinced they do, it will work itself out either by internal adjustment or by airport meeting.

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The trouble with the airport meeting route is that there's no guarantee the breakaway group would get the blessing (and autobid and playoff cash) from the NCAA/CFP.

The safest way to do an airport meeting is to invite all 24 football schools to the meeting. The SBC schools who are defending UTA and UALR agree to vote them out of the SBC in exchange for getting closer schools from C-USA once the reshuffle occurs.

Well, people keep forgetting that their are FCS schools in the area that could help boast men's basketball and.football.

Missouri State, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Northern Iowa, UCA, Sam Houston State, SFAU, James Madison, Murray State, Kennesaw State, Stony Brook and some others. Adding any of them could boast product for tv on how they played on the court and football fields. Streaming online would also add more money.

(02-09-2019 10:52 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

Well, with that lineup you have there? Who is actually stands out in men's basketball from the 2 conferences?

The Sun Belt usually stays in the teens in conference RPI for basketball, adding none of those teams you mentioned would make the conference a 2 bid league so it's a nonstarter.

It's just hilarious that people keep wanting the Sun Belt to add/subtract/merge when just about every school in the conference is fine with the current situation.

(02-09-2019 10:48 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Well, people keep forgetting that their are FCS schools in the area that could help boast men's basketball and.football.

Missouri State, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Northern Iowa, UCA, Sam Houston State, SFAU, James Madison, Murray State, Kennesaw State, Stony Brook and some others. Adding any of them could boast product for tv on how they played on the court and football fields. Streaming online would also add more money.

And while they're at it the Sun Belt could also add Lenoir Rhyne, Johnson C. Smith, Lees-McRae, Tusculum, Valdosta State, Albany State, Savannah State, West Alabama, Florida Tech, and West Florida. D2 and NAIA schools need some love too.

(02-09-2019 10:48 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Well, people keep forgetting that their are FCS schools in the area that could help boast men's basketball and.football.

Missouri State, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Northern Iowa, UCA, Sam Houston State, SFAU, James Madison, Murray State, Kennesaw State, Stony Brook and some others. Adding any of them could boast product for tv on how they played on the court and football fields. Streaming online would also add more money.

This is a game of NCAA The SIMS to you isn't it...

Any of those schools you mentioned could have made a bid to come up five years ago. They didn't because they do not have the resources and are fine where they are.

Stop trying to fix non existent problems

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