NMSU AD view on Sun Belt

According to this ESPN radio personality that interviewed the NMSU Athletic Director, the AD believes they could use the Sun Belt for it's basketball auto bid but "doesn't believe football can win or make money."

Wow, those are some great selling points for somebody trying to package his school to a prospective conference, and what a nice thing for recruits to hear.

NMSU football would struggle to win several FCS leagues.

For the BOR to meet there must be an invite on the table. For the discussion to center on both football and basketball would make it appear that an all sports invite is on the table. I wonder who else is being invited and when an announcement will come.

So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

NMSU can't "use" the Sun Belt for anything if they don't get invited.

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

Wow. Something tells me this guy's source just lost a friend in the NMSU athletics office. Can't imagine the AD is too thrilled that his lack of confidence in the football program was put out there like that.

I read it to mean that football can't win or make money without a league and that's why they are interested in the Belt.

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

Look to your left and your right, all your conference members are moveups.

(12-28-2012 01:48 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

Look to your left and your right, all your conference members are moveups.

All were, at one time, except for UL. However, only GaState can be considered a moveup at this time; both USA and TxState have played their full transition, and the rest have been in FBS for at least a decade.

Really don't want to see NMSU in the conference. Middle and NT made a mistake leaving. F_U, nobody really cares. App State and Georgia Southern are ready to go. Just wish the rest of the belt would all pinky-swear to stay together and sign those two up so we can move forward and forget all this garbage

(12-28-2012 02:02 PM)Rik Flair Wrote:  Really don't want to see NMSU in the conference. Middle and NT made a mistake leaving. F_U, nobody really cares. App State and Georgia Southern are ready to go. Just wish the rest of the belt would all pinky-swear to stay together and sign those two up so we can move forward and forget all this garbage

I really prefer NMSU to any of our other viable options.

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

That is hilarious. Why did Conference USA take UTSA instead of NMSU? I guess it is because they are dumb.

It is smarter to invite a moribund FBS school that nobody else wants, who's AD has no confidence in it.........over a school that packs its stadium for every game and has a history of winning at the FCS level.

Stoopid.

(12-28-2012 02:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

That is hilarious. Why did Conference USA take UTSA instead of NMSU? I guess it is because they are dumb.

It is smarter to invite a moribund FBS school that nobody else wants, who's AD has no confidence in it.........over a school that packs its stadium for every game and has a history of winning at the FCS level.

Stoopid.

No, stupid would be not accepting one of the few FBS programs available at this time. Sorry, very few care about winning FCS programs beyond then the fans that support those schools. If that's your vision of the next SBC, then you are welcome to it. Small time vision!

(12-28-2012 01:45 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  I read it to mean that football can't win or make money without a league and that's why they are interested in the Belt.

You have the correct analysis. He is referencing that being Independent, the football team won't win or make money with the schedule they have come up with. His preference to be in the Sunbelt will help re-build the football program that is in a stable conference. (Yes, the SB is a stable conference because there is always someone to fill in any vacancy from the FCS)

NMSU conference affiliation history.

Border Conference, fell apart when best of the league left to form the WAC.
Mo Valley. Dropped football as a league sport. Entered after 16 others had left.
Big West. Dropped football as a league sport. Entered after three members dropped football.
Sun Belt. Still standing
WAC. Dropped football as a league sport. Entered after league had lost 15 members.

Basically NMSU gets invited when a league needs them to provide numbers and has run out of options.

(12-28-2012 01:56 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 01:48 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

Look to your left and your right, all your conference members are moveups.

All were, at one time, except for UL. However, only GaState can be considered a moveup at this time; both USA and TxState have played their full transition, and the rest have been in FBS for at least a decade.

You are forgetting WKU, next year I believe will be FBS year five for them. Half of the current eight remaining have been FBS for less than five years.

(12-28-2012 02:44 PM)CrazyCajun Wrote:  No, stupid would be not accepting one of the few FBS programs available at this time. Sorry, very few care about winning FCS programs beyond then the fans that support those schools. If that's your vision of the next SBC, then you are welcome to it. Small time vision!

Do you honestly think anyone outside the fans/alumni care about that 1-11 WAC team down the road just because they are FBS? If that were the case, they'd get more than 14K per home game.

With the exception of the big boys, very few people care about any football program they have no connection to, whether FCS or FBS. We all thrive on alumni support, not casual fans.

(12-28-2012 02:44 PM)CrazyCajun Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 01:42 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:23 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  So we may invite a program whose AD does not believe his football program can either win...or make money. Smart way to re-build a league and keep it moving up in the power rankings don't you think?

Smarter than inviting moveups.

That is hilarious. Why did Conference USA take UTSA instead of NMSU? I guess it is because they are dumb.

It is smarter to invite a moribund FBS school that nobody else wants, who's AD has no confidence in it.........over a school that packs its stadium for every game and has a history of winning at the FCS level.

Stoopid.

No, stupid would be not accepting one of the few FBS programs available at this time. Sorry, very few care about winning FCS programs beyond then the fans that support those schools. If that's your vision of the next SBC, then you are welcome to it. Small time vision!

Then you would select nmsu and Idaho before you get to the FCS teams? Fortunately the Sun Belt Presidents are not that foolish. They have worked too hard for too long to improve the conference on the field only to spend tons of travel money to add the two worst football programs in FBS with no upside just for the sake of being able to say we added FBS teams.

(12-28-2012 02:44 PM)CrazyCajun Wrote:  

(12-28-2012 02:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  It is smarter to invite a moribund FBS school that nobody else wants, who's AD has no confidence in it.........over a school that packs its stadium for every game and has a history of winning at the FCS level.

Stoopid.

No, stupid would be not accepting one of the few FBS programs available at this time. Sorry, very few care about winning FCS programs beyond then the fans that support those schools. If that's your vision of the next SBC, then you are welcome to it. Small time vision!

Crazy, I don't necessarily disagree with your perspective, you know that I view FCS with the same disdain and general lack of interest as you do. I'd probably take an existing FBS team over a FCS team 9 out of 10 times, but I think NMSU is that one time you pass on the existing FBS team. WKU was a move up just four years ago, do you think NMSU would have been a better addition to Sun Belt football than WKU?

Hell just look at this season USA is still experiencing some growing pains, but they won a FBS game, something NMSU failed to do and they had some more close calls. Conversely NMSU didn't win a FBS game, not only that but they only played within ten points of one FBS team all season and that was an eight point loss to Idaho and that game was Idaho's lone win on the season, furthermore NMSU got boat raced by two teams in transition 35-21 loss to UTSA and 66-28 loss to Texas State. Do you think NMSU would be a better add to Sun Belt football than USA?

NMSU football is beyond bad and they'd be a major outlier in the conference. I agree with you that FCS isn't the way to go, but in this instance when your options are NMSU, Idaho or FCS...I think FCS is the way you have to go.