The fact is, if the C-USA offered an invite to ANY Sun Belt School, not a single team would deny it. I've read enough of each team's fan boards to see the chatter. Topper's aren't the only one.

Also, no one is making you read Hilltopper Haven. I don't believe anyone is forcing you. If you don't like what it says, don't read it. It's pretty simple.

Give us our most obnoxious title if that is how everyone feels.. so be it. I'm gonna take my own advice and not read things I don't like reading.. I'm done here. Maybe the MAC board will be more inviting towards Hilltopper fans, cause the hospitality here SUCKS.


GO TOPPERS!!!!!

Honestly, I can totally understand why Sunbelt fans would take offense to the "suckbelt" term, I mean why wouldn't they? I don't think that Jeff or any other WKU fan that posts on here has used the term. Since your (the sunbelt's) ire is not directed at me (I would hope) I won't take offense to your calling some WKU fans "obnoxious."

None of this is directed at Jeff (can't hate someone who shares the same name) and the other topper fans that are on here; y'all are the sane ones. I'm talking about the people who continue to think that the SBC is the reason that WKU never gets an at-large bid. I'm talkin about the ones who continue to think that the MAC is far more superior to the SBC. Look at pretty much every ratings used by people and you will see that SBC football was better rating wise. By the time the administration gets it's act together at WKU, then they will see that Sun Belt is a better fit for the overall WKU athletic program. Like Jeff said, he'd rather have a southern conference. I don't blame him....compare the tailgating of northern schools and southern schools. Compare the game day atmosphere at northern schools and southern schools. There is no comparison. Southern schools in a landslide.

I'm talking about the people who continue to think that the SBC is the reason that WKU never gets an at-large bid.

The SBC is the reason the SBC will not get multiple bids. Let me put it in to terms you can appreciate. Last year... if the Cajuns had not won the SBC tourney they would not have gotten into the NCAAs. WKU (with multiple non-conference losses) was part of the reason that is true. Does that not frustrate you? I mean last year's Cajun team had no control over what the other conference teams do. The previous three years WKU would not have gotten a bid without the SBC championship. In 2002 WKU would not have gotten an at large with a win over UK and what was it... something like 24 wins. Please don't take offense to this, I'm just stating the reality. Oh, and allow me to contradict myself with this (way early) prediction... next year the Sunbelt sends two teams to the NCAAs... Denver and WKU (maybe three if someone else wins the SB tourney.)

I'm talkin about the ones who continue to think that the MAC is far more superior to the SBC.
Look at pretty much every ratings used by people and you will see that SBC football was better rating wise.

I really haven't seen any 1A ratings. I do know that the MAC presently has more bowl games and a better TV deal and has had more ranked teams in recent years. I also recognize that the belt is rapidly improving and given the popularity of college football in the south could overtake the MAC within say a decade. I completely agree that the Sunbelt is on the upswing.

By the time the administration gets it's act together at WKU, then they will see that Sun Belt is a better fit for the overall WKU athletic program. Like Jeff said, he'd rather have a southern conference. I don't blame him....compare the tailgating of northern schools and southern schools. Compare the game day atmosphere at northern schools and southern schools. There is no comparison. Southern schools in a landslide.

I also agree that the south is preferrable other things being equal. As I said in another post I think (with no degree of certainty) that there is a good chance WKU will go to the MAC. I will be excited by 1A football regardless and personally I think either would be a good choice.

Hilltopper2K Wrote:I'm talking about the people who continue to think that the SBC is the reason that WKU never gets an at-large bid.

The SBC is the reason the SBC will not get multiple bids. Let me put it in to terms you can appreciate. Last year... if the Cajuns had not won the SBC tourney they would not have gotten into the NCAAs. WKU (with multiple non-conference losses) was part of the reason that is true. Does that not frustrate you? I mean last year's Cajun team had no control over what the other conference teams do. The previous three years WKU would not have gotten a bid without the SBC championship. In 2002 WKU would not have gotten an at large with a win over UK and what was it... something like 24 wins. Please don't take offense to this, I'm just stating the reality. Oh, and allow me to contradict myself with this (way early) prediction... next year the Sunbelt sends two teams to the NCAAs... Denver and WKU (maybe three if someone else wins the SB tourney.)

I'm talkin about the ones who continue to think that the MAC is far more superior to the SBC.
Look at pretty much every ratings used by people and you will see that SBC football was better rating wise.

I really haven't seen any 1A ratings. I do know that the MAC presently has more bowl games and a better TV deal and has had more ranked teams in recent years. I also recognize that the belt is rapidly improving and given the popularity of college football in the south could overtake the MAC within say a decade. I completely agree that the Sunbelt is on the upswing.

By the time the administration gets it's act together at WKU, then they will see that Sun Belt is a better fit for the overall WKU athletic program. Like Jeff said, he'd rather have a southern conference. I don't blame him....compare the tailgating of northern schools and southern schools. Compare the game day atmosphere at northern schools and southern schools. There is no comparison. Southern schools in a landslide.

I also agree that the south is preferrable other things being equal. As I said in another post I think (with no degree of certainty) that there is a good chance WKU will go to the MAC. I will be excited by 1A football regardless and personally I think either would be a good choice.

When you break it down, there aren't many conferences that get multiple bids. 33 automatic bids leaves only 32 at-large teams. 90% of those go to the BE, ACC, B10, SEC, B12, and P10. CUSA has recently come to be known as a power in college basketball, but with the losses of Louisville, Cincy, and Marquette, you will see their stock decline. Is that a chance for the SBC to pick up some bids? Absolutely, but you have to have UNO get better, UNT get better, and have multple OOC wins against the big boys. That's the only way. If WKU goes to the MAC, there is no guarantee they will get an at-large bid every year. Yes, their chances are better, but what happens if y'all go about 3 years without a bid to the NCAAs, then what?

That's the only way. If WKU goes to the MAC, there is no guarantee they will get an at-large bid every year. Yes, their chances are better, but what happens if y'all go about 3 years without a bid to the NCAAs, then what?

Well, what if we go three years in the Sunbelt without a bid... or are you conceeding that's not possible?

Bowls. MAC has had contracts with 2 bowls for 14 members, ie one game per 7 schools. The Sun Belt 1 game for 7, one for 8 year before last, one for 9 last year, one for 8 this year. Not a huge ratio difference. This year the MAC has 2 for 12 and until the GMAC Bowl opened up the MAC had 1 for 12.

This year was odd because a lot of schools came up short and 2 pulled out of bowls. In 2003 Northern Illinois stayed home with a 10-2 record.

TV deals are nearly equal and adjusted per team they are even to an edge to the Belt.

The Belt is trending upwards with big investments in facilities. Also remember that when ASU, the Cajuns, and ULM joined they all had coaches on the way out the door. They now have coaches with either 3 or 2 years under their belt who have exceeded the win total of the people they replaced in fewer seasons. The trend is very positive.

Over take in a decade? 3-1 vs. the MAC in 2004 football and 4-1 in hoops this year.

[QUOTE]Well, what if we go three years in the Sunbelt without a bid... or are you conceeding that's not possible?


well if that did happen we would prolly fire the coach. after.....coach horn has brought in his players. once he gets his in here, we will be dancing and dancing often. only some of u old timers can remember just how good western was during the willard years. horn is putting together a team molded after the willard teams. it actually looks like he's getting better talent than willard had.

ya'll better get us this year cuz horn is putting together a beast. this is not one of those, our coach is the greatest so we'll be the best kind of fans. 'beed been followin' western hoops since '71 and is always realistic. don't know how he's gettin it done but horn is closing the deal on some very, very good players.

BeltMan Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:Considering the way you guys treat WKU fans, I can see why many of their fans want to see their school move to another conference.

Rocket, imagine that all the Bowling Green fans post on one board but won't let other conference members post there but they can view the posts.

Imagine now that for a decade they sit in their hole while a group of them add little to the conversation other than to complain about the MAC. :crying:

Regal each other with the tales of how they would have been in CUSA or the A10 had the administration not turned them down. :laugh:

Go on about how the MAC is a bunch of academic lightweights in comparison, nevermind they are one of the few schools in the MAC without doctorate programs.

When they have losing teams that declare it is because the conference is so bad it pulled their program down.

When they have winning teams, it is solely the eternal superiority of it over all those beneath them.

Then you read about their greatest in the conference fan support, but when they lose a couple of other programs also doing bad outdraw them, when they are doing great, a program doing bad still outdraws them.

Imagine now that BGSU is playing I-AA football and they devote more time talking about the inferiority of the schools that play I-A ball never mind that some of the conference draws nearly double and never mind that they were the poster child of mediocrity in I-AA just a few years earlier.

Then you get to read them drooling over another conference with such greater support for basketball even though the average attendance in the two leagues is almost identical.

You'd whack 'em like a mole every time they pop their head up.

I don't have to imagine. You explained the exact situation of Marshall and the MAC over the last seven years. As much as I hate the way many of the Marshall fans treat other MAC school's and their fans, I also know that the rest of the MAC is also to blame for treating the Marshall fans that way.

Hilltopper2K Wrote:The SBC is the reason the SBC will not get multiple bids. Let me put it in to terms you can appreciate. Last year... if the Cajuns had not won the SBC tourney they would not have gotten into the NCAAs. WKU (with multiple non-conference losses) was part of the reason that is true. Does that not frustrate you? I mean last year's Cajun team had no control over what the other conference teams do. The previous three years WKU would not have gotten a bid without the SBC championship. In 2002 WKU would not have gotten an at large with a win over UK and what was it... something like 24 wins. Please don't take offense to this, I'm just stating the reality. Oh, and allow me to contradict myself with this (way early) prediction... next year the Sunbelt sends two teams to the NCAAs... Denver and WKU (maybe three if someone else wins the SB tourney.)

If the Sun Belt is so bad, how do you know you will do better in the MAC? You still have to win games on the road in your conference to even get consideration for an at-large bid. Losing 91-76 in the MAC won't help you.

This is just one reason I voted wky fans as the most obnoxious:


The photo of the three wku fans was taken inside the Murphy Center last year. This was at the game with wku that was called Operation Full House - an effort to fill Murphy Center to honor the request of long time professor Dr. Todd who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Edit: T-shirt was too vulgar. If you would like to see what SpaceRaider is talking about, please check out their Delphi forum <a href='http://forums.delphiforums.com/mtraiders/messages?msg=28028.1' target='_blank'>here</a>. Please take my warning that what you see if very offensive. View at your own risk.

Bowls. MAC has had contracts with 2 bowls for 14 members, ie one game per 7 schools. The Sun Belt 1 game for 7, one for 8 year before last, one for 9 last year, one for 8 this year. Not a huge ratio difference. This year the MAC has 2 for 12 and until the GMAC Bowl opened up the MAC had 1 for 12.

Great point ArkStfan!

If the Sun Belt is so bad, how do you know you will do better in the MAC? You still have to win games on the road in your conference to even get consideration for an at-large bid.

I never said the sunbelt was bad. And I didn't mean to imply it. In fact I said I would be excited about 1A football in either. But, the MAC does usually finish slightly higher in bball rpi than the Sunbelt. If you replace Marshall and UCF with WKU and maybe eventually Temple... I think it is hard to argue that the MAC wouldn't have at least a shot at 2 bids and if they had only one bid... I think that bid will be seeded higher than the Sunbelt champ. Is that a dramatically better situation than the Sunbelt? No of course not. But it is potentially a better situation.

Losing 91-76 in the MAC won't help you.

No doubt about that. Keep in mind Haynes is the only significant loss after this year. And next year Cajuns come to Diddle. And we have a great recruiting class for next year.


:)

PS- Space Raider... GREAT screen name!