(11-12-2009 11:21 AM)galojah Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 09:11 AM)statefanatic Wrote:  If Denver is the next to go, would we add a Missouri St. as a basketball only member?

Why in the world would Missouri State leave the MVC?!

D-1A Football. They won't get it in the MVC.

If we add them and lose UNO (not that I want to see them go), our conference basketball won't be too far off from the MVC.

They're pretty much the only school I've ever seen mentioned that could bring more to the table than what they'd be eating. They'd have a home to play D-1A football, which I believe they've investigated.

And what east coast conference would Tech be joining? CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

(11-12-2009 03:56 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

Ain't gonna happen

(11-12-2009 03:56 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  And what east coast conference would Tech be joining? CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

Who said anything about Tech joining a East coast conf. Tech is where they want to be and should stay there. We don't want them and neither does anybody else.

I brought this up last spring when the UNO rumors started swirling the first time. UALR ought not be booted out of the conference, so another non-football school should be added, allowing the 10/12 model to be retained. North Texas is kind of isolated from the rest of the league right now so I would recommend that the Sun Belt take a long look at Texas-Arlington.

SUN BELT WEST DIVISION
Texas-Arlington / North Texas
Louisiana-Lafayette / Louisiana-Monroe
UALR / Arkansas State

SUN BELT EAST DIVISION
Western Kentucky / Middle Tennessee
Troy / South Alabama
Florida Atlantic / Florida International

Doing this would balance out conference geography and set up very efficient travel pairings for non-revenue sports. If people really want to be mean though, by pushing UALR to the Ohio Valley Conference or something, I suppose you could always go after Texas State and Missouri State in an attempt to imitate the SEC, Big 12, ACC, MAC, CUSA, and former WAC.

(11-12-2009 06:25 PM)Krocker Krapp Wrote:  I brought this up last spring when the UNO rumors started swirling the first time. UALR ought not be booted out of the conference, so another non-football school should be added, allowing the 10/12 model to be retained. North Texas is kind of isolated from the rest of the league right now so I would recommend that the Sun Belt take a long look at Texas-Arlington.

SUN BELT WEST DIVISION
Texas-Arlington / North Texas
Louisiana-Lafayette / Louisiana-Monroe
UALR / Arkansas State

SUN BELT EAST DIVISION
Western Kentucky / Middle Tennessee
Troy / South Alabama
Florida Atlantic / Florida International

Doing this would balance out conference geography and set up very efficient travel pairings for non-revenue sports. If people really want to be mean though, by pushing UALR to the Ohio Valley Conference or something, I suppose you could always go after Texas State and Missouri State in an attempt to imitate the SEC, Big 12, ACC, MAC, CUSA, and former WAC.

There really isn't a need to expand. Believe Arkstfan posted that if UNO did leave and Denver departs doing NOTHING will actually raise the strength of the Belt.

I didn't know Missouri State was interested in I-A.

(11-12-2009 06:25 PM)Krocker Krapp Wrote:  I brought this up last spring when the UNO rumors started swirling the first time. UALR ought not be booted out of the conference, so another non-football school should be added, allowing the 10/12 model to be retained. North Texas is kind of isolated from the rest of the league right now so I would recommend that the Sun Belt take a long look at Texas-Arlington.

SUN BELT WEST DIVISION
Texas-Arlington / North Texas
Louisiana-Lafayette / Louisiana-Monroe
UALR / Arkansas State

SUN BELT EAST DIVISION
Western Kentucky / Middle Tennessee
Troy / South Alabama
Florida Atlantic / Florida International

Doing this would balance out conference geography and set up very efficient travel pairings for non-revenue sports. If people really want to be mean though, by pushing UALR to the Ohio Valley Conference or something, I suppose you could always go after Texas State and Missouri State in an attempt to imitate the SEC, Big 12, ACC, MAC, CUSA, and former WAC.

KK,

UTA could be a good choice geographically speaking. You get a team that is a "cross town" rival for UNT, and it is not much farther to stAte or ULM. Additionally, travel to DFW is pretty cheap. That said, you are getting another non-football team. At least with Texas State (or even UTSA) the SBC would get someone who is committed to a football program and bring in another media market

If UNO and Denver leave.... it seems we have two decisions.

1) Ask UALR to leave since they would be the only non-football member. This would give the conference 10 full-sport members. This would allow a 18-game round-robin basketball schedule. I love it!
2) Add another team to get back to 12. I am tired of uneven divisions. With 10 football schools, I don't know if you'd add another football and go to 11 football or if you add another non-football and keep 10 football with 12 basketball.

(11-13-2009 09:12 AM)galojah Wrote:  If UNO and Denver leave.... it seems we have two decisions.

1) Ask UALR to leave since they would be the only non-football member. This would give the conference 10 full-sport members. This would allow a 18-game round-robin basketball schedule. I love it!
2) Add another team to get back to 12. I am tired of uneven divisions. With 10 football schools, I don't know if you'd add another football and go to 11 football or if you add another non-football and keep 10 football with 12 basketball.

I'd be inclined to go with choice 1 only because I'm getting tired of the musical-chairs the Sun Belt has been playing for as long as I can remember. Great Conferences are stable conferences (for the most part). I know change is inevitable, but seriously, we've had way more than our share.

the Sun Belt is one of the most stable conferences out in America. they are all stable but the WAC. The belt has feeder schools waiting to move in if someone leaves and it wouldn't make one bit of difference. The Wac will crumble if MWC takes the three biggest schools and there is really nobody to move in. I think Hawaii is shaking in there shoes right now because there is absolutely nowhere for them to go if that happens

I don't see it, especially as UNO's leaving would make the divisions even for basketball.

(11-13-2009 09:12 AM)galojah Wrote:  If UNO and Denver leave .... it seems we have two decisions.

1) Ask UALR to leave since they would be the only non-football member. This would give the conference 10 full-sport members. This would allow a 18-game round-robin basketball schedule. I love it!
2) Add another team to get back to 12. I am tired of uneven divisions. With 10 football schools, I don't know if you'd add another football and go to 11 football or if you add another non-football and keep 10 football with 12 basketball.

This was exactly my point above. It is incumbent upon the Sun Belt to make a serious decision about which direction it wants to pursue as UNO leaves the league.

1) They could give Denver a waiver and ask them to stay around as the league's 12th member.

2) Still allow Denver to leave, due to geography, but replace them with a non-football program.

3) Kick out UALR, resulting in a 10-team league, where everyone plays mostly the same sports.

Since most schools probably want Denver gone, no matter what, this means a choice between option two and option three. It is a question of the Sun Belt's vision.

(11-12-2009 04:51 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 03:56 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  And what east coast conference would Tech be joining? CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

Who said anything about Tech joining a East coast conf. Tech is where they want to be and should stay there. We don't want them and neither does anybody else.

Uh well we will see about that. but the original post said he sees La Tech joining an East Coast league and I was wondering what East coast league is out there that isnt BCS. And N. Texas is going to have to do alot more than just have a new stadium to one up Tech to CUSA. Besides the same people that are building your stadium are completely overhauling ours so you won't have any special one ups with your stadium. Everybody else is doing the same thing with their facilities. people at North Texas think they will be ready to host the Superbowl or Olympics with this so called village. Last time I checked we had 8 nationally televised games this year on ESPN affiliates. Our image will far outweigh your wing tip stadium

(11-13-2009 03:53 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 04:51 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 03:56 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  And what east coast conference would Tech be joining? CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

Who said anything about Tech joining a East coast conf. Tech is where they want to be and should stay there. We don't want them and neither does anybody else.

Uh well we will see about that. but the original post said he sees La Tech joining an East Coast league and I was wondering what East coast league is out there that isnt BCS. And N. Texas is going to have to do alot more than just have a new stadium to one up Tech to CUSA. Besides the same people that are building your stadium are completely overhauling ours so you won't have any special one ups with your stadium. Everybody else is doing the same thing with their facilities. people at North Texas think they will be ready to host the Superbowl or Olympics with this so called village. Last time I checked we had 8 nationally televised games this year on ESPN affiliates. Our image will far outweigh your wing tip stadium

NT basketball is better than Tech. They are building a state of the art football stadium that even Tech's remodeled stadium won't compare to. They draw more fans with a losing season than Tech with a winning season. NT is a better all around school than Tech.

[/quote]They draw more fans with a losing season than Tech with a winning season.[/quote]

In basketball or football?

I've been saying for a while to drop the non-football schools. (Nothing personal against UALR, UNO, and Denver). Have 10 schools, with plenty in common, in a fairly tight geographical footprint (fairly when compared to the WAC and CUSA for example).

Seems it would work out fairly well in all of the major sports... that is... if our friends in Denton could learn how to play baseball.

They draw more fans with a losing season than Tech with a winning season.[/quote]

In basketball or football?
[/quote]

Football! I don't know what Tech gets in basketball.

(11-13-2009 04:12 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(11-13-2009 03:53 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 04:51 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(11-12-2009 03:56 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  And what east coast conference would Tech be joining? CUSA maybe but that is hardly east coast

Who said anything about Tech joining a East coast conf. Tech is where they want to be and should stay there. We don't want them and neither does anybody else.

Uh well we will see about that. but the original post said he sees La Tech joining an East Coast league and I was wondering what East coast league is out there that isnt BCS. And N. Texas is going to have to do alot more than just have a new stadium to one up Tech to CUSA. Besides the same people that are building your stadium are completely overhauling ours so you won't have any special one ups with your stadium. Everybody else is doing the same thing with their facilities. people at North Texas think they will be ready to host the Superbowl or Olympics with this so called village. Last time I checked we had 8 nationally televised games this year on ESPN affiliates. Our image will far outweigh your wing tip stadium

NT basketball is better than Tech. They are building a state of the art football stadium that even Tech's remodeled stadium won't compare to. They draw more fans with a losing season than Tech with a winning season. NT is a better all around school than Tech.

(11-13-2009 05:29 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(11-13-2009 05:15 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

They draw more fans with a losing season than Tech with a winning season.

In basketball or football?
[/quote]

Football! I don't know what Tech gets in basketball.
[/quote]

Wow! Are you serious? You really need to stop making statements until you get facts.

2009 Attendance
UNT 17,144 average
La Tech 20,478 average

Last two home games for UNT did not break 15,000 in attendance.

UNT has 36,000 students. Tech has just under 10,000.