With Idaho, NMSU and Texas State joining the SBC a quarter of the conference will be west of central Texas, pending other additions or defections. What is the general feeling on adding more western schools? Would appeasing the western schools help stabilize the conference and keep them from leaving? Should geography be considered or should the SBC just add the best available schools within reason? How far west is too west?

(04-13-2013 07:22 PM)nsavandal09 Wrote:  With Idaho, NMSU and Texas State joining the SBC a quarter of the conference will be west of central Texas, pending other additions or defections. What is the general feeling on adding more western schools? Would appeasing the western schools help stabilize the conference and keep them from leaving? Should geography be considered or should the SBC just add the best available schools within reason? How far west is too west?

Who do you have in mind? Most of the Western teams mentioned seem to be scattered so much that it seems SB fans find it hard to justify, especially for Olympic Sports.

Didn't the WAC fold because it couldn't find western schools to add?

We've already stretched too far west with the football additions of NMSU and Idaho. I don't think there are too many here that want to expand any further west than TXST.

(04-13-2013 07:52 PM)troy4ever Wrote:  I don't think there are too many here that want to expand any further west than TXST.

I agree. We're a Southern/Southeastern Conference.

(04-13-2013 07:52 PM)troy4ever Wrote:  We've already stretched too far west with the football additions of NMSU and Idaho. I don't think there are too many here that want to expand any further west than TXST.

There are plenty of us that want NMSU in all sports and would love to add UTSA if we could. Frankly, I have no interest at all in adding another team in the East. Missouri State is the only FCS school that interests me at all, and that only because of its close proximity to ASU.

(04-13-2013 08:03 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(04-13-2013 07:52 PM)troy4ever Wrote:  We've already stretched too far west with the football additions of NMSU and Idaho. I don't think there are too many here that want to expand any further west than TXST.

There are plenty of us that want NMSU in all sports and would love to add UTSA if we could. Frankly, I have no interest at all in adding another team in the East. Missouri State is the only FCS school that interests me at all, and that only because of its close proximity to ASU.

I agree with you 100%. I think that we should stay at 11 football schools and wait and see if Missouri St. becomes ready for FBS soon. Adding James Madison does not help our problem of having a lack of schools in close proximity to stAte and UL. We might be surprised and may be able to add another nearby school that is already FBS, which I'd rather do before adding anymore FCS schools. Let's not add a 12th school just for the sake of having a championship game. Let's just be patient.

(04-13-2013 08:03 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(04-13-2013 07:52 PM)troy4ever Wrote:  We've already stretched too far west with the football additions of NMSU and Idaho. I don't think there are too many here that want to expand any further west than TXST.

There are plenty of us that want NMSU in all sports and would love to add UTSA if we could. Frankly, I have no interest at all in adding another team in the East. Missouri State is the only FCS school that interests me at all, and that only because of its close proximity to ASU.

I agree completely about Missouri State and for the exact reason you mentioned. I don't wanna add anymore in the east. I would have no problem with a NMSU add, but I'm not hugely crazy about it.

(04-13-2013 07:22 PM)nsavandal09 Wrote:  With Idaho, NMSU and Texas State joining the SBC a quarter of the conference will be west of central Texas, pending other additions or defections. What is the general feeling on adding more western schools?

First things first, I'd like to welcome you to SunBeltbbs.com.

You're the first Vandals fan I've seen, please bring more.

Now to your question. I think the majority are in agreement that westward expansion beyond Texas is a bad idea. NMSU seems to finally be settling in, and if they bring the rest of their sports with them, I think they'll be fine. Idaho is a different story.

The State of Idaho is a long way from the core of the Conference, and the Vandals fanbase has little in common with the predominantly Southern membership of the Belt.

I hope that Idaho can find a more suitable home soon. I understand they are here for now, and because of that I will be a Vandals fan in OOC play. I just don't see this relationship working out long term.

Again, welcome to the board. I hope you can convince more Vandals fans to come over and join us. Welcome to the Belt.

If the Sun Belt is determined to add one team for the new BCS payout and to have a playoff
I am afraid they make a decision under pressure to add one team. If Missouri State refuses
to act, would rather add someone that even isn't quite ready but would be a good add for the
near future rather than some of the same old names we have heard. Especially since JMU may
not accept if they have an offer.

(04-13-2013 07:22 PM)nsavandal09 Wrote:  With Idaho, NMSU and Texas State joining the SBC a quarter of the conference will be west of central Texas, pending other additions or defections. What is the general feeling on adding more western schools? Would appeasing the western schools help stabilize the conference and keep them from leaving? Should geography be considered or should the SBC just add the best available schools within reason? How far west is too west?

I don't know of any other western schools to add that would be interested, for the first thing. Then, there's the issue of travel costs. Idaho is palatable because it's football only, so every other year travel costs go up. Not too shabby (and that's not a knock on Idaho as a university or it's history, it's a knock on Idaho the state being so far from the rest of the schools).

I really don't think adding a western school would even sate the western schools. For the most part, the western schools aren't really western, but central. I don't count Idaho and NMSU in this group because I don't think (at the administration level) they want to be here. It was a case of "we need bodies, and you need a home. Let's work together" type of deal.

And lastly, I think the prospect of adding anyone to keep other schools from leaving is an act of futility. It will take some timely wins from the existing schools combined with a renegotiation of television contracts to significantly improve the payouts to keep schools here.

Heck, gamble on an increased TV deal by 2020 and add:

East
Liberty
Coastal Carolina/College of Charelston (Olympic sports only)
UT Chattanooga

West
NMSU (all sports)
Weber State
Oral Roberts (Olympic sports)

Good balance, tightens up divisions, and betters all Olympic sports.

(04-13-2013 08:48 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  And lastly, I think the prospect of adding anyone to keep other schools from leaving is an act of futility. It will take a renegotiation of television contracts to significantly improve the payouts to keep schools here.

I agree with you 100% here. Fortunantly for the Sun Belt, I think we're going to make this happen. C-USA has bombed, losing their best and adding our worst. It won't take long before their TV contracts reflect that fact. We deserve better, because I think we have added some names that people like, namely App State.

The Sun is Rising ladies and gents, it's a great time to be riding the wave. I'm glad the Eagles, Bobcats, Mountaineers, and Panthers managed to get in before the doors closed.

(04-13-2013 08:53 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  Heck, gamble on an increased TV deal by 2020 and add:

East
Liberty
Coastal Carolina/College of Charelston (Olympic sports only)
UT Chattanooga

West
NMSU (all sports)
Weber State
Oral Roberts (Olympic sports)

Good balance, tightens up divisions, and betters all Olympic sports.

Good Lord, just stop it! Leave it alone! We're done! No more adding schools unless it's a current FBS program or Missouri State.

Cal Poly !
http://www.gopoly.com/landing/index

Football adds are a different animal than all-sports adds. Someone said Army awhile back, and I'd say 'yes' in a minute if they were interested for a football-only membership. A football outlier doesn't bother me if it helps the conference accomplish its goals. Idaho brings us an established FBS program, and we need that right now. But long-term, we all know this is a marriage of convenience.

The conference footprint for all-sports adds is the Southeast, and everyone else is an outlier. Our goal should be to keep the bulk of our members in the Southern tier of the US -- in the Central/Eastern time zones. I'd make an exception for NMSU, but they are definitely an exception, not a rule.

(04-14-2013 09:39 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  Football adds are a different animal than all-sports adds. Someone said Army awhile back, and I'd say 'yes' in a minute if they were interested for a football-only membership. A football outlier doesn't bother me if it helps the conference accomplish its goals. Idaho brings us an established FBS program, and we need that right now. But long-term, we all know this is a marriage of convenience.

The conference footprint for all-sports adds is the Southeast, and everyone else is an outlier. Our goal should be to keep the bulk of our members in the Southern tier of the US -- in the Central/Eastern time zones. I'd make an exception for NMSU, but they are definitely an exception, not a rule.

Your position would exclude MO State and Wichita State should they become options, as they are more Midwest than Southern.

(04-14-2013 11:14 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  

(04-14-2013 09:39 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  Football adds are a different animal than all-sports adds. Someone said Army awhile back, and I'd say 'yes' in a minute if they were interested for a football-only membership. A football outlier doesn't bother me if it helps the conference accomplish its goals. Idaho brings us an established FBS program, and we need that right now. But long-term, we all know this is a marriage of convenience.

The conference footprint for all-sports adds is the Southeast, and everyone else is an outlier. Our goal should be to keep the bulk of our members in the Southern tier of the US -- in the Central/Eastern time zones. I'd make an exception for NMSU, but they are definitely an exception, not a rule.

Your position would exclude MO State and Wichita State should they become options, as they are more Midwest than Southern.

I doubt if witchita state would be interested but with nmsu in all sports might appeal to them..there just arent any schools to the west to pick from..I think mo state should be picked up..they are up and coming and would be a good get geographicaly..

TX St is not in West Texas. It is smack dab in the middle of the state between San Antonio and Austin. No way can you compare them to MSU and Idaho.

We may be a SE conference, but the presidents last year wanted back into Texas.
Now NMSU and Idaho, wonder if we will reach the West coast soon?