(10-29-2026 09:57 AM)hannibalDawg Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:24 AM)High Country Student Wrote:  Everyone wouldn’t get to play their primary rival that week necessarily

Tech and SoMiss would be primary rival, that would leave ULm and ULl to face off.

You don't have to play what any given fan considers the rivalry to have a "rivalry week" you just need everyone (or almost everyone) to play a rival.

We have 4 in the 'belt. You could probably do any combination of ULL/ULM/USM and Tech (and ASU for the most part) to justify "rivalry week."

But I'd still be against expanding to 16. As discussed elsewhere, if you just really want to have a designated rivalry week you could probably still do something close with 14 you'd just have to work in a permanent OOC series or cross-divisional series or set of fixed Bye dates to make the logistics work. Which you might do if it was a priority, but my understanding from similiar conversations in the past (in a different conference) is that schools don't necessarily want this that much. At least not to be worth the trade-offs to make it happen (however minimal they might be).

(10-29-2026 09:57 AM)hannibalDawg Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:24 AM)High Country Student Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Everyone wouldn’t get to play their primary rival that week necessarily but I will say if we did something like add Missouri State, Ohio & Liberty, we could finally have a legitimate rivalry week where everyone has a rival to play:

Ohio vs Marshall
Liberty vs ODU
App vs Coastal
Georgia Southern vs Georgia State
Troy vs South Alabama
Southern Miss vs Louisiana
ULM vs LA Tech
Arkansas State vs Missouri State

Tech and SoMiss would be primary rival, that would leave ULm and ULl to face off.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

We've played UL more haven't we? Either would be fine.

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Nice Bass Pro and F4 tornadoes...will fit right in.

(10-29-2026 09:42 AM)High Country Student Wrote:  For what it’s worth, Missouri State’s AD was a deputy AD at App for 3 years before taking the AD job at Missouri State in 2024 so he does have a good relationship with our department and possibly others in the conference.

That is correct. While I have an idea who the other 2 teams would be, I could not get confirmation. My source at Missouri State wouldn’t say for sure, and it’s possible they don’t even know at this time.

(10-29-2026 10:13 AM)everyone Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:57 AM)hannibalDawg Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:24 AM)High Country Student Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Everyone wouldn’t get to play their primary rival that week necessarily but I will say if we did something like add Missouri State, Ohio & Liberty, we could finally have a legitimate rivalry week where everyone has a rival to play:

Ohio vs Marshall
Liberty vs ODU
App vs Coastal
Georgia Southern vs Georgia State
Troy vs South Alabama
Southern Miss vs Louisiana
ULM vs LA Tech
Arkansas State vs Missouri State

Tech and SoMiss would be primary rival, that would leave ULm and ULl to face off.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

We've played UL more haven't we? Either would be fine.

We've also played ULL more than anyone else. I'd think you could justify any combination of ASU/ULL/ULM/USM and Tech (although if we did add Missouri State, that locks ASU up).

The Thanksgiving week (or week 1, or week 3, or last week of the season, or first saturday in october, or whatever) annual "rival week" rival game doesn't mean we wouldn't all still have other rivals. You'd just have "the geographically close rival" and "the intense rival" and "the historical rival" and "the rivalry week rival."

(10-29-2026 10:19 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 10:13 AM)everyone Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:57 AM)hannibalDawg Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:24 AM)High Country Student Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Everyone wouldn’t get to play their primary rival that week necessarily but I will say if we did something like add Missouri State, Ohio & Liberty, we could finally have a legitimate rivalry week where everyone has a rival to play:

Ohio vs Marshall
Liberty vs ODU
App vs Coastal
Georgia Southern vs Georgia State
Troy vs South Alabama
Southern Miss vs Louisiana
ULM vs LA Tech
Arkansas State vs Missouri State

Tech and SoMiss would be primary rival, that would leave ULm and ULl to face off.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

We've played UL more haven't we? Either would be fine.

We've also played ULL more than anyone else. I'd think you could justify any combination of ASU/ULL/ULM/USM and Tech (although if we did add Missouri State, that locks ASU up).

The Thanksgiving week (or week 1, or week 3, or last week of the season, or first saturday in october, or whatever) annual "rival week" rival game doesn't mean we wouldn't all still have other rivals. You'd just have "the geographically close rival" and "the intense rival" and "the historical rival" and "the rivalry week rival."

I doubt USM would be ok with ULM if we had a true rivalry week. I know watch them beat us this weekend.

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Ohio and Delaware to East and Missouri State to West. It'll happen.

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Ohio and Delaware to East and Missouri State to West. It'll happen.

That's a lot of schools.

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Ohio and Delaware to East and Missouri State to West. It'll happen.

That's a lot of schools.

Too many.

I like it!

I'd rather Liberty be in the mix but these other three would improve the SBC.

I don't know. I i get the feeling ESPN wants to consolidate the conferences more. Even some in the American are discussing 18 teams.

(10-29-2026 12:47 PM)FreeBirdJohnnyReb Wrote:  I like it!

I'd rather Liberty be in the mix but these other three would improve the SBC.

Would they?

How so?

You think the total control those programs have over their media markets inspires ESPN to break out the money cannon?

Or. . . like, on average on the field? In football?

(10-29-2026 12:00 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Ohio and Delaware to East and Missouri State to West. It'll happen.

That's a lot of schools.

Too many.

Its 2026, these other conferences have 16 and 18 schools. Its the way it is. Detail in explaining it would probably cause hard feelings.

Just say NO to liberty-biberty

(10-29-2026 12:48 PM)hburg Wrote:  I don't know. I i get the feeling ESPN wants to consolidate the conferences more. Even some in the American are discussing 18 teams.

It does make you wonder how much further CUSA can go before they fall apart. While the Sunbelt is likely being underpaid on our media rights deal, CUSA is being overpaid at this point and if they lose 2 or 3 more valuable pieces, are they going to replace them with FCS teams? Are there even enough FCS teams that can afford the $5mil fee to move up? Yes there’s Tarleton State but what’s after that. Unless they want to have an extremely random geographical window of the conference away from everyone else consisting of Montana, Montana State and/or South Dakota State, the only teams really within or nearby their current footprint are William & Mary, Stony Brook, Norfolk State, Rhode Island, EKU, Chattanooga. Everyone else is under a $6.5mil annual athletic budget aka even if the ones I named could possibly find the $5mil fee to move up, I doubt anyone else is. Maybe Stony Brook and/or Norfolk State based on market and athletic revenue but the line has to be drawn eventually. I mean imagine a CUSA of

Stony Brook
WKU
MTSU
Missouri State
Chattanooga
Norfolk State
Kennesaw State
FIU
Sam Houston State
New Mexico State

That’s if we took Liberty, Delaware and Jax State. That’s not even a top tier FCS conference.

(10-29-2026 01:01 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 12:47 PM)FreeBirdJohnnyReb Wrote:  I like it!

I'd rather Liberty be in the mix but these other three would improve the SBC.

Would they?

How so?

You think the total control those programs have over their media markets inspires ESPN to break out the money cannon?

Or. . . like, on average on the field? In football?

Quality’s not nearly as important as inventory. If we do a 3-team expansion, they could pay us for all the Tuesday/Wednesday games and tell CUSA to kick rocks.

I hate that on the surface, but one Tues & Wed game per week for ESPN spread among 16 teams probably wouldn’t be much worse than what we do now. CUSA’s got it so bad because they’ve got 2 networks for whom they’re providing weeknight content.

I am hearing we are trying hard to add a new member or members by 2027-28 and let JMU go on July 1 2027. Still hearing that the preference is just 1 new addition

(10-29-2026 02:22 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 01:01 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 12:47 PM)FreeBirdJohnnyReb Wrote:  I like it!

I'd rather Liberty be in the mix but these other three would improve the SBC.

Would they?

How so?

You think the total control those programs have over their media markets inspires ESPN to break out the money cannon?

Or. . . like, on average on the field? In football?

Quality’s not nearly as important as inventory. If we do a 3-team expansion, they could pay us for all the Tuesday/Wednesday games and tell CUSA to kick rocks.

I hate that on the surface, but one Tues & Wed game per week for ESPN spread among 16 teams probably wouldn’t be much worse than what we do now. CUSA’s got it so bad because they’ve got 2 networks for whom they’re providing weeknight content.

CUSA was supposed to go away and the 2 remaining PAC schools were supposed to go to the MWC. P4 and G4.
SBC moves on Delaware, Missouri State to deal a severe blow to CUSA and takes the MAC's cornerstone, Ohio.

(10-29-2026 02:00 PM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 12:00 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 11:58 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 08:55 AM)Ed Harley Wrote:  I have it on good authority that the SBC has had discussions at the highest level with Missouri State. All indications are that MoSt would accept if the invitation comes. My guess is that the SBC would be taking 3 teams if this were to occur.

Ohio and Delaware to East and Missouri State to West. It'll happen.

That's a lot of schools.

Too many.

Its 2026, these other conferences have 16 and 18 schools. Its the way it is. Detail in explaining it would probably cause hard feelings.

Most G6 conferences don't have 16 and 18 teams.

Because we're not adding USC and UCLA or UT and OU.

NCAA tournament credits are per conference. We'd be making ourselves poorer (and possibly weaker on the field on average).

(10-29-2026 02:22 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 01:01 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 12:47 PM)FreeBirdJohnnyReb Wrote:  I like it!

I'd rather Liberty be in the mix but these other three would improve the SBC.

Would they?

How so?

You think the total control those programs have over their media markets inspires ESPN to break out the money cannon?

Or. . . like, on average on the field? In football?

Quality’s not nearly as important as inventory. If we do a 3-team expansion, they could pay us for all the Tuesday/Wednesday games and tell CUSA to kick rocks.

I hate that on the surface, but one Tues & Wed game per week for ESPN spread among 16 teams probably wouldn’t be much worse than what we do now. CUSA’s got it so bad because they’ve got 2 networks for whom they’re providing weeknight content.

Strong disagree on all of that. The denominator matters. A higher deal only matters if it's better per school.

And I don't see why we'd necessarily get the dubious privilege of taking mid-week from CUSA by adding 2 too many teams. That doesn't follow.