Looks like Benson may have pulled off a coup if he gets JMU. JMU never appeared to be interested in the SBC, but by making the call to go to 12 and knowing WKU would be leaving, Benson has put JMU in a bind and may force them to join the SBC. He is using Liberty against JMU saying that if you don't accept the invite, we are inviting another school from your state to FBS. JMU can't let Liberty pasS them and potentially be stuck in FCS.

Well played Benson if you land JMU.

This guy, Benson, he's alright. Though he may have made some mistakes in the past, he's playing his cards right now to make sure the conference gets (mostly) what it wants.

That does appear to be what is happening, although I am not sure that I would call being forced to bully James Madison into joining a "coup"

I remember when he tried this game in the WAC.

After Boises departure, and Before Fresno, Nevada, and Hawaiis defections, Benson tried to get BYU a Notre Dame deal, and rumored to have approached SDSU and UNLV. To shift power back to the WAC.

The MWC commish turned around and offered Fresno and Nevada a spot in their conference and we know how that went

(03-30-2013 08:02 PM)chrisattsu Wrote:  I remember when he tried this game in the WAC.

After Boises departure, and Before Fresno, Nevada, and Hawaiis defections, Benson tried to get BYU a Notre Dame deal, and rumored to have approached SDSU and UNLV. To shift power back to the WAC.

The MWC commish turned around and offered Fresno and Nevada a spot in their conference and we know how that went

Benson has never really been successful with the "or else" approach.

I can't believe people buy that JMU isn't interested in joining the SBC. Nobody is ever publicly interested in joining any league until they join.

(03-30-2013 08:02 PM)chrisattsu Wrote:  I remember when he tried this game in the WAC.

After Boises departure, and Before Fresno, Nevada, and Hawaiis defections, Benson tried to get BYU a Notre Dame deal, and rumored to have approached SDSU and UNLV. To shift power back to the WAC.

The MWC commish turned around and offered Fresno and Nevada a spot in their conference and we know how that went

and it may have worked in WAC if some school didn't run off with their mouth to the MWC commish

(03-30-2013 08:40 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  [quote='chrisattsu' pid='9176060' dateline='1364691768']
I remember when he tried this game in the WAC.

After Boises departure, and Before Fresno, Nevada, and Hawaiis defections, Benson tried to get BYU a Notre Dame deal, and rumored to have approached SDSU and UNLV. To shift power back to the WAC.

The MWC commish turned around and offered Fresno and Nevada a spot in their conference and we know how that went

and it may have worked in WAC if some school didn't run off with their mouth to the MWC commish

You are absolutely right. I have knowledge of what actually went on and it was rather underhanded. Benson was about to pull off the deal that you outlined but a number of the conference members at that time were already plotting their strategy with the Mountain West to move to that conference when being told of what the WAC was doing to strengthen itself by adding the new members. If you knew the leadership at those schools during that period you would understood why they did this. In short, it was an impossible situation that Benson had to work with yet that does not stop the uninformed on this board from assigning him with blame. Facts are ignored and just get in the way.

(03-30-2013 08:02 PM)chrisattsu Wrote:  I remember when he tried this game in the WAC.

After Boises departure, and Before Fresno, Nevada, and Hawaiis defections, Benson tried to get BYU a Notre Dame deal, and rumored to have approached SDSU and UNLV. To shift power back to the WAC.

The MWC commish turned around and offered Fresno and Nevada a spot in their conference and we know how that went

Yes But Benson didn't know the 2 Presidents would back stab him, that was on them he damn near pulled it off...

Yes, it is such a "coup" to turn the Sun Belt into the SoCon.

Being a Tech fan and experiencing his reign as the WAC tsar, he's not a bad leader. The WAC was just a bad situation with no available call ups. Benson has balls and isn't afraid to swing for the fences. The Belt isn't going anywhere and is probably just experiencing a bump in the road.

(03-30-2013 10:16 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  Yes, it is such a "coup" to turn the Sun Belt into the SoCon.

Woe is me.

Never seen a group like the Cajuns that like to blame others for their own shortcomings.

(03-30-2013 10:31 PM)GSU Eagles Wrote:  

(03-30-2013 10:16 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  Yes, it is such a "coup" to turn the Sun Belt into the SoCon.

Woe is me.

Never seen a group like the Cajuns that like to blame others for their own shortcomings.

You'll learn to love them, especially after tailgating with them.

With new "friends" like you we will not need enemies.

BTW, We are doing fine, having won bowl games 2 years in a row. GSU, nothing yet on this level. Maybe your team should do something before you start casting stones.

(03-30-2013 10:31 PM)GSU Eagles Wrote:  

(03-30-2013 10:16 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  Yes, it is such a "coup" to turn the Sun Belt into the SoCon.

Woe is me.

Never seen a group like the Cajuns that like to blame others for their own shortcomings.

(03-30-2013 10:25 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote:  Being a Tech fan and experiencing his reign as the WAC tsar, he's not a bad leader. The WAC was just a bad situation with no available call ups. Benson has balls and isn't afraid to swing for the fences. The Belt isn't going anywhere and is probably just experiencing a bump in the road.

Early in our season, Benson over-rode the head of officials on a call that resulted in one of our star defensive guys having to sit out a game. At best, it was a judgment call....and he should have left that decision to the ones that he hired to make those decisions.
From that point on, right or wrong, I just don't like him. And I think there's a good portion of our fanbase with the same feelings. Look no further than our conference trophy ceremony for proof.

(03-30-2013 10:31 PM)GSU Eagles Wrote:  

(03-30-2013 10:16 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  Yes, it is such a "coup" to turn the Sun Belt into the SoCon.

Woe is me.

Never seen a group like the Cajuns that like to blame others for their own shortcomings.

Never seen a group like you Georgia Southern fans for shooting off your mouth before you even play a down in this league....crass

(03-30-2013 06:11 PM)GSU Eagles Wrote:  Looks like Benson may have pulled off a coup if he gets JMU. JMU never appeared to be interested in the SBC, but by making the call to go to 12 and knowing WKU would be leaving, Benson has put JMU in a bind and may force them to join the SBC. He is using Liberty against JMU saying that if you don't accept the invite, we are inviting another school from your state to FBS. JMU can't let Liberty pasS them and potentially be stuck in FCS.

Well played Benson if you land JMU.

I think you're giving benson way too much credit, if JMU decides to come to the Sun Belt, it may be they've decided it's better to take the opportunity in front of them instead of waiting for some other imagined opportunity that might never materialize.

I'd like to add both James Madison and Liberty personally.

(03-30-2013 06:13 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  This guy, Benson, he's alright. Though he may have made some mistakes in the past, he's playing his cards right now to make sure the conference gets (mostly) what it wants.

I think he is doing a good job, and has positioned the SBC, not only to survive, but where it can continue to grow its football brand going forward.

You will notice that a lot of the attacks on him are from Ark State fans who are mostly just frustrated that they have not moved on. They are just very negative people.

Fact is the SBC that ASU has been the champion of the last two years is a conference made up of up 'call-ups', and that did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of ASU fans.

(03-31-2013 07:49 AM)Seminole Indian Wrote:  

(03-30-2013 06:13 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  This guy, Benson, he's alright. Though he may have made some mistakes in the past, he's playing his cards right now to make sure the conference gets (mostly) what it wants.

I think he is doing a good job, and has positioned the SBC, not only to survive, but where it can continue to grow its football brand going forward.

You will notice that a lot of the attacks on him are from Ark State fans who are mostly just frustrated that they have not moved on. They are just very negative people.

Fact is the SBC that ASU has been the champion of the last two years is a conference made up of up 'call-ups', and that did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of ASU fans.

There is nothing wrong with our FCS additions. There is a problem with Idaho and football only NMSU.

UL fans have more of a problem with FCS additions than we do.