http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/...sion_1.htm


DESTIN, Fla. - The Sun Belt Conference is holding its annual spring meetings at the Sandestin Beach Hilton this week. Coaches and administrators for the league's 11 members started gathering Sunday for meetings and discussions about the league and its future.

During a long day of meetings and other duties, Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson took a few minutes to talk with the Alabama Media Group's Tommy Hicks to talk about some of the issues facing the league and its future.

Q: Will there be any movement this week on conference membership?

A: I'm not expecting that any decision will be made and that we will continue to evaluate and assess. As much as I've gone on record and indicated a strong desire to get to 12 teams, not just for football, but for all sports, I don't think we need to rush to a decision. We're still in a period of transition. We're adding App State (Appalachian State) and Georgia Southern. These meetings are the first time in three years that there isn't somebody serving a lame duck season. All 11 teams are in the Sun Belt and planning and preparing and trying to build the Sun Belt. We finally have a full set of members around the table here this week and as we go into next season, everyone is in and that's what we should be focusing on and building what we have.

Q: Is there a preferred timetable or an existing timetable for adding another team to the league?

A: It's usually done in the January, February, March, April quarter of the year. Not that it can't happen some other time of the year, but that's the traditional time.