(01-15-2017 11:16 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 04:53 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  3. State supported.
4. Enrollment of 10,000 or more.

Sun Belt wouldn't take Wake Forest?? Please.

It's one thing to say that you don't think any likely candidates would fall outside these criteria anyway, but to pretend the Sun Belt would care is false.

(01-13-2017 04:53 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  6. Academically at least 50 to 75 in US News Regional ratings or higher.

Ditto.

Sun Belt wouldn't care, if the athletics were there.

(01-13-2017 05:03 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  8. Not overshadowed overly by a nearby P5 team.

Arbitrary, contrived, and patently false.

S Alabama is completely overshadowed by Alabama and Auburn. GA St is completely overshadowed by Georgia and Georgia Tech. ETC

(01-13-2017 05:03 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  9. Demonstrated ability to attract fans

Frankly I doubt this too. Sun Belt would take a winner over a program that draws big but doesn't win.

True story.
President of Liberty is visiting a Sun Belt president, the president expresses his concerns and says he wouldn't be in favor of adding Liberty. The Liberty president replies "so you wouldn't be in favor of adding Baylor?"

President replies, "When you become Baylor in national reputation, fan base, television value, and success on the biggest stage, call me, I can probably overlook those issues."

Thus with Wake Forest. Some small private can bring 22 NCAA appearances, 9 Sweet Sixteens, 8 Great Eights, history of being ranked in the past decade, winning bowl record as an FBS, we can overlook the failure to fit.

But if Wake Forest is an FCS wanting to join the Sun Belt, even with App State's track record, odds are strongly against them.

You don't know crap of what you are talking about regarding USA and Mobile.

I've spent a LOT of time in Mobile. Yeah there are tons of Bama fans, and smaller number of Auburn fans but I can pick up the newspaper or tune in to a Mobile television station and see a South Alabama story above the fold in the newspaper. I can (have seen!) see South Alabama be the top sports story of the night on television.

Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette have built programs in areas where an SEC team has a huge fan base but because of local media attention have built a niche that works well. You can't do what Arkansas State has done in Dallas or Miami because you literally have to beg for exposure from local TV and radio.