By: Drew Champlin | Dothan Eagle
Published: June 16, 2012

It’s mid-June, and Karl Benson can finally relax.

Benson, the Sun Belt’s commissioner since March 15, left a conference (Western Athletic) that is a shell of its former self thanks to college football realignment and came to one where there was uncertainty. Recently, the conference got to 12 member institutions and halted expansion efforts for the time being.

“That has allowed me to pause and catch my breath,” Benson said. “This has stopped the merry-go-round a little bit. That’s good. Now, to focus on three or four other important issues.”

Benson and Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., who is Troy University’s chancellor and is the Sun Belt Conference Executive Committee President, both believe the Sun Belt is in better shape now than before realignment hit.

“We anticipated change,” Hawkins said. “We didn’t get washed away by change. The Sun Belt Conference today, in my estimation, is stronger. We’re stronger academically and athletically.

“We wanted to avoid that life support system,” Hawkins said. “We didn’t want to be in a desperate situation. What we also wanted to avoid was being a threshold conference. We didn’t want to be a threshold conference for any institution that was just looking for a step up. If an institution didn’t bring something to the table, we weren’t going to look at them.”

Sun Belt Conference officials studied getting to 12 or 14 football-playing schools, but elected not to go that route. With 10 football schools, that also means no championship game, which Benson said now wasn’t even on the to-be-discussed list.

“What we weren’t willing to compromise was the geographic footprint,” Hawkins said. “It could have been enticing if we kept our eyes on that prize and not the geography.”

“It’s a conference going like this (Hawkins points upward). I’m not sure all conferences are going like this. I think we’ve passed two, and may be on the verge of passing a third, without mentioning names.”

http://www2.dothaneagle.com/sports/2012/...r-3985937/

LOL.

(06-18-2012 01:27 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  By: Drew Champlin | Dothan Eagle
Published: June 16, 2012

It’s mid-June, and Karl Benson can finally relax.

Benson, the Sun Belt’s commissioner since March 15, left a conference (Western Athletic) that is a shell of its former self thanks to college football realignment and came to one where there was uncertainty. Recently, the conference got to 12 member institutions and halted expansion efforts for the time being.

http://www2.dothaneagle.com/sports/2012/...r-3985937/

Hold up Karl Benson. Your kool and all...and I'ma let you finish but....before you start toasting the WAC for being a shell of it's former self, lets not forget how it got there and who was in charge. :bean:

Also...

Why is this on the CUSA board?

(06-18-2012 01:34 PM)gata_dawg Wrote:  Also...

Why is this on the CUSA board?

Because Benson's dumb ass thinks he surpassed CUSA by adding Georgia State & Texas State? Apparently he thinks Troy is on the same level as ECU, USM, Marshall, UTEP, LA Tech and Tulsa.

I think they think they surpased 2 conferences for sure. I'm guessing WAC is one of them.

(06-18-2012 01:40 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 01:34 PM)gata_dawg Wrote:  Also...

Why is this on the CUSA board?

Because Benson's dumb ass thinks he surpassed CUSA by adding Georgia State & Texas State? Apparently he thinks Troy is on the same level as ECU, USM, Marshall, UTEP, LA Tech and Tulsa.

I think they think they surpased 2 conferences for sure. I'm guessing WAC is one of them.

No where on there does it say the SBC has passed the CUSA...Also it wasnt Bensons words...It was Jack Hawkins words.

Most polls have the SBC ahead of the WAC and MAC as of last year.

Like I said, it's pretty funny he'd even bring up bypassing the WAC. It's pretty clear why you posted this here.

And what does this have to do with CUSA exactly?

(06-18-2012 01:49 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  And what does this have to do with CUSA exactly?

Hawkins saying we are gaining ground on a 3rd conference. Hinting towards CUSA more than likely. Thats what it has to do with CUSA.

When teams like South Alabama get added to the studs like ULM, Sun Belt is far off from CUSA.

(06-18-2012 02:00 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 01:49 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  And what does this have to do with CUSA exactly?

Hawkins saying we are gaining ground on a 3rd conference. Hinting towards CUSA more than likely.

(06-18-2012 02:04 PM)meangreener Wrote:  When teams like South Alabama get added to the studs like ULM, Sun Belt is far off from CUSA.

Ya because charlotte and UAB are football powerhouses....

(06-18-2012 02:19 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 02:04 PM)meangreener Wrote:  When teams like South Alabama get added to the studs like ULM, Sun Belt is far off from CUSA.

Ya because charlotte and UAB are football powerhouses....

CALMER THAN YOU ARE!!!

that UAB leads the all-time D1A series w/troy really does bother you, doesn't it atlanta condom boy?

(06-18-2012 02:19 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 02:04 PM)meangreener Wrote:  When teams like South Alabama get added to the studs like ULM, Sun Belt is far off from CUSA.

Ya because charlotte and UAB are football powerhouses....

what does that make Troy when you can't beat us by more than a TD with Neil Callaway as our coach? Before you guys start talking smack you might want to see what Coach Mcgee has for Troy this year

(06-18-2012 02:00 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 01:49 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  And what does this have to do with CUSA exactly?

Hawkins saying we are gaining ground on a 3rd conference. Hinting towards CUSA more than likely. Thats what it has to do with CUSA.

So a sunbelt conf employee is spouting homerish bull****. great.

(06-18-2012 02:00 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-18-2012 01:49 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  And what does this have to do with CUSA exactly?

Hawkins saying we are gaining ground on a 3rd conference. Hinting towards CUSA more than likely. Thats what it has to do with CUSA.

(06-18-2012 01:27 PM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  “It’s a conference going like this (Hawkins points upward). I’m not sure all conferences are going like this. I think we’ve passed two, and may be on the verge of passing a third, without mentioning names.”

That's commendable, but shouldn't they have already passed those FCS conferences?

Why is this here? I do not care one bit about the sunset conference

Funny everyone assumes he means WAC/MAC and pulling up on CUSA.

When WAC/MAC, and MWC is the more likely answer.

Fascinating responses though. It is apparently bad in CUSA land that the Sun Belt has added USA, Georgia State and Texas State yet it is good that CUSA added UTSA, Charlotte and Old Dominion.

Interesting to me that in realignment, that the Big East lost their co #1 team from last year, co -#4 and co-lost place (they had a bunch of ties #6 UConn only one who didn't tie someone), MWC lost 1, 2, and 4. CUSA lost their runner-up (but best conference regular season record, co#3, co#7 and co-last place), WAC lost 1 through 6 and Sun Belt lost 4 and 5 and then Sun Belt is coming out bad on the deal?