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+---- Thread: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? (/thread-619630.html)
Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - BullsFanInTX - 02-20-2013 09:44 AM
Don't follow the Sun Belt scene too closely, so if this has already been asked/posted, sorry. The Sun Belt is now down to 7 schools. They obviously need to add between 1 and 5 schools, depending on how big they go. Who are they going to add? Who is being considered? Has Benson stated who they are going after and what the time table is for adding teams. I'd like to see NMSU find a home and think they would be a good fit. Idaho might be too far out there. What other FCS schools are seriously being considered (not a wish list but serious candidates).
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - stever20 - 02-20-2013 09:51 AM
Sun Belt actually is at 8
Georgia St
Texas St
La-Lafayette
La-Monroe
Arkansas St
South Alabama
Western Kentucky
Troy
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - ValleyBoy - 02-20-2013 09:56 AM
(02-20-2013 09:44 AM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: Don't follow the Sun Belt scene too closely, so if this has already been asked/posted, sorry. The Sun Belt is now down to 7 schools. They obviously need to add between 1 and 5 schools, depending on how big they go. Who are they going to add? Who is being considered? Has Benson stated who they are going after and what the time table is for adding teams. I'd like to see NMSU find a home and think they would be a good fit. Idaho might be too far out there. What other FCS schools are seriously being considered (not a wish list but serious candidates).
No timeline by Benson.
What other FCS schools are seriously being considered
Georgia Southern
AppSt
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - HawaiiMongoose - 02-20-2013 10:43 AM
(02-20-2013 09:56 AM)ValleyBoy Wrote:(02-20-2013 09:44 AM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: Don't follow the Sun Belt scene too closely, so if this has already been asked/posted, sorry. The Sun Belt is now down to 7 schools. They obviously need to add between 1 and 5 schools, depending on how big they go. Who are they going to add? Who is being considered? Has Benson stated who they are going after and what the time table is for adding teams. I'd like to see NMSU find a home and think they would be a good fit. Idaho might be too far out there. What other FCS schools are seriously being considered (not a wish list but serious candidates).
No timeline by Benson.
What other FCS schools are seriously being considered
Georgia Southern
AppSt
If the nBE adds Tulsa and CUSA backfills with another Sun Belt school, there's speculation that NMSU could slip in a a third Sun Belt addition. But Georgia Southern and App State seem to have the inside track as the next two invitees.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - BullsFanInTX - 02-20-2013 10:46 AM
(02-20-2013 09:51 AM)stever20 Wrote: Sun Belt actually is at 8
Georgia St
Texas St
La-Lafayette
La-Monroe
Arkansas St
South Alabama
Western Kentucky
Troy
OK, you're right. Maybe I was thinking 7 conference games, not 7 members.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - rbostic287 - 02-20-2013 11:06 AM
I think we will see some sort of decision around march madness. The Ga Southern AD was quoted in saying that he thinks that it will happen around then. I think he knew their would be more movements before then and then the Sun Belt would "RE-ACT". Not a good strategy if you ask me but they make the big bucks. I see the SB loosing at the min. 2 schools had they added 4 they would have been good with 10 football play schools. I think if they do get raided again it makes them look alot less attractive to gasou and app st.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - Niner National - 02-20-2013 11:21 AM
If CUSA takes another program from the Belt, doesn't the Belt have to add NMSU? If CUSA takes an FBS program and the SBC replaces with an FCS school, won't the Sun Belt not meet the requirements to be an FBS conference next season?
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - TOPPERSonTOP - 02-20-2013 11:21 AM
Imho, sb just needs to hold on and fold. Bringing in gsu was a mistake. Wait for the acc to raid, then the be raids, then cusa merges with sbc. Wku finally gets a decent basketball league, and football is not too bad either.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - chrisattsu - 02-20-2013 11:22 AM
(02-20-2013 09:51 AM)stever20 Wrote: Sun Belt actually is at 8
Georgia St
Texas St
La-Lafayette
La-Monroe
Arkansas St
South Alabama
Western Kentucky
Troy
Don't forget the 2 Non-football schools
Texas-Arlington
Arkansas-Little Rock
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - MWC Tex - 02-20-2013 11:27 AM
Sunbelt should add NMSU for football only at the least so they can have balance home and away games in football. With the WAC now getting quite stable, they can keep their olys sports in that league. That'll setup the league for a nice 9/10 setup.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - HawaiiMongoose - 02-20-2013 11:29 AM
(02-20-2013 11:21 AM)Niner National Wrote: If CUSA takes another program from the Belt, doesn't the Belt have to add NMSU? If CUSA takes an FBS program and the SBC replaces with an FCS school, won't the Sun Belt not meet the requirements to be an FBS conference next season?
I don't think its an issue. There's a two-year grace period to get back to eight FBS members. By the time it ran out Georgia Southern and App State would be in their third year of transition and would presumably count as FBS.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - chrisattsu - 02-20-2013 11:31 AM
Earlier this month, AppStateNation (fan blog) posted some information obtained via Freedom of Information Act. It showed a potential map of the Sun Belt with Georgia Southern and App State Added
http://www.appstatenation.com/2013/02/01/exclusive-foia-request-reveals-possible-sun-belt-expansion-plan/
In a second email from Benson to Georgia Southern, he has a list of "potential members" that they use to compare budgets.
http://www.appstatenation.com/2013/02/01/exclusive-e-mail-obtained-via-foia-request-reveals-sun-belt-expansion-candidates/
That list includes-
Appalachian State
Delaware
Georgia Southern
Idaho
Illinois State
Jacksonville State (Alabama)
James Madison (Virginia)
Lamar (Texas)
Liberty (Virginia)
Missouri State
New Mexico State
Richmond (Virginia)
Sam Houston State (Texas)
Towson (Maryland)
UT Chattanooga (Tennessee)
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - CPslograd - 02-20-2013 11:38 AM
(02-20-2013 11:27 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: Sunbelt should add NMSU for football only at the least so they can have balance home and away games in football. With the WAC now getting quite stable, they can keep their olys sports in that league. That'll setup the league for a nice 9/10 setup.
That's not a bad plan. It would maximize the revenue for the Sunbelt schools by adding only 1 instead of two or three. If I was Benson I would add Oral Roberts too and go to 9/12. Oral Roberts has comparable basketball to NMSU and is better geographically.
The FCS schools will always be there if the Sunbelt needs them.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - arkstfan - 02-20-2013 11:42 AM
My guess is that the Sun Belt acts before Memorial Day.
It really makes no difference whether they announce today or announce on May 31, so no need to rush.
My hunch is they KNOW they can get App, Georgia Southern or Jacksonville State by merely calling but have some other schools like Missouri State and Chattanooga who are a bit more travel friendly that would require some courting and/or time to get their house in order and aren't pulling the trigger until they see where those schools stand.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - chrisattsu - 02-20-2013 11:42 AM
The presidents have come out and said that they are interested in keeping a geographically compact league focused in the South and East.
The eastern schools don't want to think about NMST, "it stretches the league too far". Eastern schools would rather go for Carolina, Georgia, Florida. While I am not sure about the Western schools.
The Fans from UT Arlington and Texas State would prefer the addition of New Mexico State compared to more eastern schools. New Mexico is much closer (at least culturally) with Texas than NC or Virginia. It gives the league a land grant, "name university", that has solid diamond and court sports.
From a name point of view the league would look like
New Mexico State
Texas State
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Georgia State
Troy
Western Kentucky
South Alabama
UT-Arlington
UALR
ULM
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - arkstfan - 02-20-2013 11:51 AM
Chris I don't think the western teams are thrilled about going into North Carolina or deeper into Georgia. I suspect they would prefer a Chattanooga/Missouri State solution if either is prepared to go FBS.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - TOPPERSonTOP - 02-20-2013 11:59 AM
What the heck. Lets just grab msu nmsu asu gsu jmu oru unf jsu fgcu utc tsu nku eku ark tech uca. Then get ualr to add football. 4 divisions of six teams. Get the univesity of phonix on the phone as well as seminole st. That way if we get raided, we can backfill quickly.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - Waterford Rider - 02-20-2013 12:03 PM
I have no inside knowledge nor am I associated with Missouri State in any sort of way. However, I find it difficult to believe Missouri State would give up their place at the table of the Missouri Valley Conference as that league is far far and away much better at bball than the Sunbelt. Not even a close comparison. While football is growing somewhat at MSU let's not forget that it is a basketball school first.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - MWC Tex - 02-20-2013 12:03 PM
(02-20-2013 11:42 AM)chrisattsu Wrote: The presidents have come out and said that they are interested in keeping a geographically compact league focused in the South and East.
The eastern schools don't want to think about NMST, "it stretches the league too far". Eastern schools would rather go for Carolina, Georgia, Florida. While I am not sure about the Western schools.
The Fans from UT Arlington and Texas State would prefer the addition of New Mexico State compared to more eastern schools. New Mexico is much closer (at least culturally) with Texas than NC or Virginia. It gives the league a land grant, "name university", that has solid diamond and court sports.
From a name point of view the league would look like
New Mexico State
Texas State
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Georgia State
Troy
Western Kentucky
South Alabama
UT-Arlington
UALR
ULM
I think the only eastern schools concern about NMSU is being an all-sports member. I don't think there is an issue if football only....at least there shouldn't be as it would only be 1 every 2 years they travel El Paso and take a short 40 minute ride up to Las Cruces.
RE: Sun Belt Expansion coming soon? - TOPPERSonTOP - 02-20-2013 12:10 PM
(02-20-2013 12:03 PM)Waterford Rider Wrote: I have no inside knowledge nor am I associated with Missouri State in any sort of way. However, I find it difficult to believe Missouri State would give up their place at the table of the Missouri Valley Conference as that league is far far and away much better at bball than the Sunbelt. Not even a close comparison. While football is growing somewhat at MSU let's not forget that it is a basketball school first.
Thats what they say about wku...fbs football pays the bills for other sports, other sports dont do that. Even the university of central kentucky makes more off of football than basketball.