Will the Sunbelt take them and EKU as the 15th and 16th members? I doubt MTSU is going to allow another school close to Nashville to be in the same conference as them, but I could be wrong. They may have a better relationship with each other than WKU has with EKU

No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced the intention to do so a month ago.

https://clarksvillenow.com/local/austin-...onference/

(01-22-2023 02:16 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced their intentions to do so a month ago.

That's only if the WACSUN works. Neither CUSA or the Sun Belt will take them. The Sun Belt is accepting no one else short of ECU wanting to join in the East and picking a partner to balance out the West, which would likely be WKU, UTSA, Memphis, or SMU in that situation.

(01-22-2023 02:19 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:16 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced their intentions to do so a month ago.

That's only if the WACSUN works. Neither CUSA or the Sun Belt will take them. The Sun Belt is accepting no one else short of ECU wanting to join in the East and picking a partner to balance out the West, which would likely be WKU, UTSA, Memphis, or SMU in that situation.

Aside from WKU, why in the world would Memphis, SMU or UTSA join the Sunbelt? Besides, the Sunbelt has been looking heavily in Missouri State, but those talks have gone quiet.

No private school except Liberty has jumped "up" since the 1970's. No one seems to pick up on that oddity.

(01-22-2023 02:20 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:19 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:16 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced their intentions to do so a month ago.

That's only if the WACSUN works. Neither CUSA or the Sun Belt will take them. The Sun Belt is accepting no one else short of ECU wanting to join in the East and picking a partner to balance out the West, which would likely be WKU, UTSA, Memphis, or SMU in that situation.

Aside from WKU, why in the world would Memphis, SMU or UTSA join the Sunbelt? Besides, the Sunbelt has been looking heavily in Missouri State, but those talks have gone quiet.

Because in the situation I mentioned, it means either the AAC will have lost their money advantage or they would've gotten raided again by the BIG XII or ACC. If ECU is leaving, then others would follow. That won't happen for many years.

(01-22-2023 02:21 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  No private school except Liberty has jumped "up" since the 1970's. No one seems to pick up on that oddity.

Austin Peay is a state public school.

(01-22-2023 02:23 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:20 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:19 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:16 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced their intentions to do so a month ago.

That's only if the WACSUN works. Neither CUSA or the Sun Belt will take them. The Sun Belt is accepting no one else short of ECU wanting to join in the East and picking a partner to balance out the West, which would likely be WKU, UTSA, Memphis, or SMU in that situation.

Aside from WKU, why in the world would Memphis, SMU or UTSA join the Sunbelt? Besides, the Sunbelt has been looking heavily in Missouri State, but those talks have gone quiet.

Because in the situation I mentioned, it means either the AAC will have lost their money advantage or they would've gotten raided again by the BIG XII or ACC. If ECU is leaving, then others would follow. That won't happen for many years.

I could see ECU leaving the AAC for the Sunbelt if the conditions were right. Memphis and SMU would likely head to Big 12, although Memphis could end up in the ACC instead. In that case, UTSA would join SMU in the Big 12.

(01-22-2023 02:19 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:16 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:14 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  No. Never going to happen unless the dumb WACSUN plan happens. The Sun Belt would never ever take them.

They're planning to move up in 2024. The athletic director announced their intentions to do so a month ago.

That's only if the WACSUN works. Neither CUSA or the Sun Belt will take them. The Sun Belt is accepting no one else short of ECU wanting to join in the East and picking a partner to balance out the West, which would likely be WKU, UTSA, Memphis, or SMU in that situation.

SBC would love Missour State, Chattanooga and North Florida to join if North Florida adds football. They will not be able to grab ECU. I think they would grab Delaware to go to 18. If they lose like ODU, Georgia State and Southern Mississippi to the AAC? Then I could see them grabbing EKU, Austin Peay State and UCA to replace them.

With their new ESPN money taking effect in the fall lasting until 2031, the SBC will basically have no motivation to expand until 2031 with the lone exception of the possibility of ECU becoming available when the grandfathered AAC deal ends in 2030. We'll see how the landscape changes in the next 7 years (I actually expect it will change quite a bit). But barring a catastrophic change to the college landscape, the SBC is probably the conference least likely to make any moves in the next 6-7 years.

(01-22-2023 02:21 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  No private school except Liberty has jumped "up" since the 1970's. No one seems to pick up on that oddity.

My tinfoil hat idea is that if any school does it someday, it'll be Campbell. I give them strong odds to move up compared to other private schools. Very Longshot odds, however, to move up compared to 15 public schools.

The Sun Belt isn't losing anyone to the AAC. Georgia State reportedly already turned them down, and the Sun Belt is on the rise while the AAC is falling. Also, the Sun Belt doesn't want Chattanooga or North Florida. If Missouri State improves in football then they could be a western addition with ECU, but they don't move the needle otherwise. They also won't take Delaware, as it's out of the footprint and a diminished brand from their heyday. EKU is also off the table because they could just as easily get WKU, and they're worth a lot more.

(01-22-2023 02:48 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  The Sun Belt isn't losing anyone to the AAC. Georgia State reportedly already turned them down, and the Sun Belt is on the rise while the AAC is falling. Also, the Sun Belt doesn't want Chattanooga or North Florida. If Missouri State improves in football then they could be a western addition with ECU, but they don't move the needle otherwise. They also won't take Delaware, as it's out of the footprint and a diminished brand from their heyday. EKU is also off the table because they could just as easily get WKU, and they're worth a lot more.

Chattanooga have good football and is already a rival to Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. They do fit in. They could be very competitive if they do join SBC. It could also bring SBC's RPI up in men's basketball as well.

(01-22-2023 02:11 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  Will the Sunbelt take them and EKU as the 15th and 16th members? I doubt MTSU is going to allow another school close to Nashville be in the same conference as them, but I could be wrong. They may have a better relationship with each other than WKU has with EKU.

You say "when" as if it's a done deal. They are still in the "if" status.

(01-22-2023 02:53 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 02:48 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  The Sun Belt isn't losing anyone to the AAC. Georgia State reportedly already turned them down, and the Sun Belt is on the rise while the AAC is falling. Also, the Sun Belt doesn't want Chattanooga or North Florida. If Missouri State improves in football then they could be a western addition with ECU, but they don't move the needle otherwise. They also won't take Delaware, as it's out of the footprint and a diminished brand from their heyday. EKU is also off the table because they could just as easily get WKU, and they're worth a lot more.

Chattanooga have good football and is already a rival to Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. They do fit in. They could be very competitive if they do join SBC. It could also bring SBC's RPI up in men's basketball as well.

That's nice. Still pass.

The thread's premise was already invalid when the first word in the title was factually mistaken.

(01-22-2023 03:04 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  The thread's premise was already invalid when the first word in the title was factually mistaken.

Go back a little bit in the thread. There's an article I posted that lays out their plan to move up, with or without the ASUNWAC.

(01-22-2023 03:18 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(01-22-2023 03:04 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  The thread's premise was already invalid when the first word in the title was factually mistaken.

Go back a little bit in the thread. There's an article I posted that lays out their plan to move up, with or without the ASUNWAC.

Their plan is garbage. You can't just declare yourself FBS.

That's a matter of NCAA Division I rules, and a matter of real world politics. It's very doubtful that the G5 schools and FCS schools would stand idly by and watch the ASUN / WAC group jump to FBS status without investing the resources that other G5 schools have, and further decimate FCS. And the P5 isn't going to lift a finger to help, because it doesn't benefit them in any way.