Not to incite a speculation war, but they asked him if he had any insight on conference affiliation and while he said he didn't know anything, he then said that he knew that SoCon, OVC and Sun Belt had all been discussed...just throwing that out there, FWIW.

Sun Belt? Now thats thinking big!

Supposedly when ETSU dropped football, they reached out to Conference USA, who laughed at them and told them to build new facilities.

By the way, I thought the new facilities ETSU built were going to get the Bucs into a new conference. I mean, isn't that what we were told? Almost to the point of when you asked someone it, and came up with the very obvious: "A soccer stadium instead of a basketball arena? That's really what the bigger conferences want?" you'd hear them tell you it was.

Lunacy! And we're seeing it played out now.

(04-09-2013 09:32 AM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Supposedly when ETSU dropped football, they reached out to Conference USA, who laughed at them and told them to build new facilities.

By the way, I thought the new facilities ETSU built were going to get the Bucs into a new conference. I mean, isn't that what we were told? Almost to the point of when you asked someone it, and came up with the very obvious: "A soccer stadium instead of a basketball arena? That's really what the bigger conferences want?" you'd hear them tell you it was.

Lunacy! And we're seeing it played out now.

That C-USA story seemed always a demonstration of the surreal to the extreme. You drop football and seek membership in an FBS conference? That must have drawn a BIG hee haw. Please don't tell me Stanton and Mullins were that far out in left field to even think of such a thing. It's surprising those two kept us DI. And now, why would the baseball coach mention the Sun Belt Conference?

66- I have it on good authority that it actually did take place, and if you don't think it happened, you're giving Stanton and Mullins too much credit.

Which they received for the last 10 years.

As far as Skole, remember ETSU coaches aren't necessarily kept in the loop that well. Or at least they weren't. Remember a couple of years ago when ETSU was in the CSI (scoop on their invite was credited to WHO, by the way?) and they'd ask Murry Bartow about it.

All he could say was that we'd have to look at the cost, etc. etc. He's basically trying to play the party line and keeping up with the mindset that ETSU had to play poor these past few years.

As it turns out, ETSU not only plays in the CSI, but hosts all three games they play.

For a coach to be kept that far out of the loop, that's the administration at the time not communicating with the very person they should be.

More proof of the total incompetence. Remember the one thing Mullins could say about his 10 years on the job- "We've created an atmosphere where our coaches stay."

Yeah, because who would want them?

He's mentioning it because Noland and Sander are leaving no stone unturned in evaluating where we would want to fit, and where we *can* fit (not necessarily the same thing, as we know). Doesn't mean it's even remotely likely, of course.

Does anyone have any video of conference USA laughing at us???
Did all the Presidents and AD's from all their schools get together in one place to have a good laugh??? Was it a big belly laugh or more of a snicker?? Did they invite us to be there so they could laugh in our faces.. or did they tape it and send it to us??? Or did they only laugh at us over the phone??? And if so did we at least hang up on them??? If they turned us down in writing, did they put a smiley face on it??? I'm laughing right now just thinking about it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually CUSA came to tour ETSU because we were interested and I guess they were wanting to see what we were all about. They basically laughed at all of our facilities and told us that we had no shot of being in CUSA.

With the Sun Belt mentioned, would ETSU consider moving all non-football sports to the Belt and playing football in the Big South?

The Sun Belt wouldn't consider that would they? If they would, we should jump on it! But really, I think we are talking crazy here.

(04-09-2013 04:19 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  The Sun Belt wouldn't consider that would they? If they would, we should jump on it! But really, I think we are talking crazy here.

No, my guess is the Sun Belt wants all sports schools. If ETSU showed enough out of the gates like ODU, I don't think it's out of the question that conference realignment in '18 or '19 (if it's still going on) would help get them a spot.

It's not out of the question. I don't think the Sun Belt really wants to take Liberty, and the whole idea of Idaho and NMSU staying there longterm isn't realistic.
It's a longshot, but if the SunBelt called, I bet Noland would atleast listen, especially when you consider ETSU's budget by '15 will be in the upper half of the Sun Belt.

(04-09-2013 10:25 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  It's not out of the question. I don't think the Sun Belt really wants to take Liberty, and the whole idea of Idaho and NMSU staying there longterm isn't realistic.
It's a longshot, but if the SunBelt called, I bet Noland would atleast listen, especially when you consider ETSU's budget by '15 will be in the upper half of the Sun Belt.

Excellent point. Why not play up if you're already spending the money to do so. As this conference shifting continues, and given the fact that the Sun Belt has already reached into the FCS Division for two new members, who knows how far they will reach going forward to maintain their membership. Hate to say it, but they're beginning to show some characteristics of a transition league, similar to another conference we're real familiar with.

(04-09-2013 04:19 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  The Sun Belt wouldn't consider that would they? If they would, we should jump on it! But really, I think we are talking crazy here.

There's a precedent for it: Western Kentucky joined the Sun Belt for all sports in 1982 and its football team played as an independent for 16 years, then two years in the OVC, then five in the MVFC, then another year as a I-AA independent before moving up to I-A and then joining the SBC in 2009.

It would give football a chance to get off the ground while allowing us to elevate our other sports to a higher overall level of exposure and competition. We would also give the league a renewed presence in Tennessee AND renew our rivalries with App State and Georgia Southern.

(04-10-2013 08:44 PM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  

(04-09-2013 04:19 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  The Sun Belt wouldn't consider that would they? If they would, we should jump on it! But really, I think we are talking crazy here.

There's a precedent for it: Western Kentucky joined the Sun Belt for all sports in 1982 and its football team played as an independent for 16 years, then two years in the OVC, then five in the MVFC, then another year as a I-AA independent before moving up to I-A and then joining the SBC in 2009.

It would give football a chance to get off the ground while allowing us to elevate our other sports to a higher overall level of exposure and competition. We would also give the league a renewed presence in Tennessee AND renew our rivalries with App State and Georgia Southern.

That was long before football was pretty much the only factor in realignment (other than the old/new Big East and MVC) like it is now. Can't see the Sun Belt being okay with that arrangement.

(04-10-2013 09:12 PM)LetsgoBucs Wrote:  

(04-10-2013 08:44 PM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  

(04-09-2013 04:19 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  The Sun Belt wouldn't consider that would they? If they would, we should jump on it! But really, I think we are talking crazy here.

There's a precedent for it: Western Kentucky joined the Sun Belt for all sports in 1982 and its football team played as an independent for 16 years, then two years in the OVC, then five in the MVFC, then another year as a I-AA independent before moving up to I-A and then joining the SBC in 2009.

It would give football a chance to get off the ground while allowing us to elevate our other sports to a higher overall level of exposure and competition. We would also give the league a renewed presence in Tennessee AND renew our rivalries with App State and Georgia Southern.

That was long before football was pretty much the only factor in realignment (other than the old/new Big East and MVC) like it is now. Can't see the Sun Belt being okay with that arrangement.

I can see them handling it on a much more compressed timetable, say 2-4 years instead of 27. I get the SBC wanting a 12th football member ASAP, but to drop a program in at that level right away is more than a little extreme. Charlotte is playing FCS football for their first two years of football before they join C-USA, and that can be used as precedent, as well.