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Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
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Adler Offline
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Post: #1
Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
I am going to preface that there is not an immediate need to add teams. The Sun Belt has the luxury of waiting to see what the Big East moves will be, and then if there are any ensuing reactions by CUSA and the MWC.

The Sun Belt has six football members east of Mississippi and four schools west of Mississippi. If only two football schools are added to build a 12 team league with a championship game, those schools will need to be added to the western division.

If the Sun Belt may also desire to change to a 14 football league like the MAC. There are huge advantages in this because the balanced divisional play (3 home and 3 away within division) and the decreased travel costs by playing fewer cross-divisional games. If the Sun Belt creates two seven team divisions, one school will be added to the current eastern schools and three added to the western.

Who are these expansion candidates? They wont be coming from any of the auto-bid BCS conferences, CUSA, or the MAC, the Sun Belt just does not have the ability to entice anybody to leave those conferences. That leaves the WAC and FCS schools as the only candidates. Schools should not be selected by recent or historic winning records, but instead by their geographic fit into the Sun Belt, their potential to elevate their programs and what markets they add to the Sun Belt.

In the eastern Sun Belt: Only one school can be added and that's only if the Sun Belt moves to two 7 team divisions. There have been a lot of schools mentioned on this forum with locations ranging up and down the eastern seaboard. Unfortunately for many of those candidates, looking at a map the most logical choice would be to add a team from Georgia. Everything else leaves a gaping hole in the eastern division configuration and leaves out one of the southeast's most populous states. Of the two Georgia schools most often mentioned, Georgia Southern has the historically stronger football program, but Georgia State has the larger media market, better facilities, and probably more long term potential.

In the western Sun Belt: The potential candidates include current WAC member Louisiana Tech and NMSU, future WAC members Texas State and UTSA, and Missouri State of the MVC. Of these, NMSU is the least geographically desirable because, well, it is distant from everything. Louisiana Tech is the least desirable from a market standpoint because it sits in the same tiny market already occupied by current (but unstable) Sun Belt member ULM.

By default, who does that leave for the best football configuration?

Sun Belt Eastern Division:

Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee
Troy
South Alabama
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
And if the SUN BELT goes to two 7 team divisions Georgia State OR Georgia Southern.

Sun Belt Western Division:

Arkansas State
Louisiana
North Texas
Missouri State
Texas State
ULM OR La Tech - whichever one shows a real commitment to athletics
UTSA - only if the Sun Belt goes to two seven team football divisions or if Missouri State declines offer.

This builds a potentially much stronger Sun Belt than currently exists; more big media markets and more big state schools which have the ability to capture the attention of their markets, creates a lucrative conference championship game, creates more regional rivalries, and eliminates much of the expenditures wasted on travel.

Within a few years the fledgling Sun Belt could be playing, bowling, and negotiating media contracts as one of the big boys; no longer thought of as FCS in name only.
(This post was last modified: 05-09-2011 12:57 AM by Adler.)
05-08-2011 10:24 PM
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MG61 Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
Up there, please save us from these endless, useless expansion threads03-banghead
05-08-2011 10:37 PM
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Adler Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-08-2011 10:37 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Up there, please save us from these endless, useless expansion threads03-banghead

Thank you. That's exactly what I am trying to do by clarifying the situation for those that cannot understand the need for expansion or cannot see what direction in which the Sun Belt should be moving.

There are some amazingly short sighted fans on these boards, and worse yet, some that are unable to count that we already have six teams in the eastern Sun Belt.
05-08-2011 11:57 PM
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GoApps70 Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
Since this is the hourly Sun Belt Expansion, but the Sun Belt doesn't have to expand, thread; I normally just read, but have a question since probably everyone else is just sick to death of these threads, and are either falling asleep reading about it or throwing up seeing the title.
Why does the Mississippi River have anything to do with where teams are? Does the Sun Belt need to be balanced on a lever atop the Mississippi River?
If you think you need a team from Georgia, why did you pick a team as far north as WKU? (No offense intended or inferred toward WKU - a fine school)
05-09-2011 01:35 AM
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MTPiKapp Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 01:35 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Since this is the hourly Sun Belt Expansion, but the Sun Belt doesn't have to expand, thread; I normally just read, but have a question since probably everyone else is just sick to death of these threads, and are either falling asleep reading about it or throwing up seeing the title.
Why does the Mississippi River have anything to do with where teams are? Does the Sun Belt need to be balanced on a lever atop the Mississippi River?
If you think you need a team from Georgia, why did you pick a team as far north as WKU? (No offense intended or inferred toward WKU - a fine school)

For starters, Western Kentucky has been a conference member since 1982, only South Alabama has been a member longer.

I also don't think anyone has said we need a team in Georgia.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to expand period, but if we're going to, I think the best package would be App State and Old Dominion, that said, I prefer to not expand the existing footprint so that excludes both schools. It has nothing to do with the Mississippi, only to do with falling outside the existing footprint.
05-09-2011 04:22 AM
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Hilltopper2K Offline
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Post: #6
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 01:35 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Since this is the hourly Sun Belt Expansion, but the Sun Belt doesn't have to expand, thread; I normally just read, but have a question since probably everyone else is just sick to death of these threads, and are either falling asleep reading about it or throwing up seeing the title.
Why does the Mississippi River have anything to do with where teams are? Does the Sun Belt need to be balanced on a lever atop the Mississippi River?
If you think you need a team from Georgia, why did you pick a team as far north as WKU? (No offense intended or inferred toward WKU - a fine school)

LOL. Rep points for you. You nailed it. Adler's "need" for teams west of the Mississippi is arbitrary and self serving. Some North Texas fans seem to be unhappy being a "fringe" western team in a southeastern conference. So they want to remake the conference in thier image.

If we feel the need to expand and the best programs are west of the Mississippi (but within a reasonable distance west) then so be it. But La Tech is probably the only school that fits that description and they aren't coming.
05-09-2011 05:05 AM
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MG61 Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-08-2011 11:57 PM)Adler Wrote:  
(05-08-2011 10:37 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Up there, please save us from these endless, useless expansion threads03-banghead

Thank you. That's exactly what I am trying to do by clarifying the situation for those that cannot understand the need for expansion or cannot see what direction in which the Sun Belt should be moving.

There are some amazingly short sighted fans on these boards, and worse yet, some that are unable to count that we already have six teams in the eastern Sun Belt.

Folks can count and it's doubtful that we need the situation clarified. It's not short sighted to want to build a stronger conference from within and be patient about expansion.
05-09-2011 08:18 AM
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FloridaJag Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 04:22 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  
(05-09-2011 01:35 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Since this is the hourly Sun Belt Expansion, but the Sun Belt doesn't have to expand, thread; I normally just read, but have a question since probably everyone else is just sick to death of these threads, and are either falling asleep reading about it or throwing up seeing the title.
Why does the Mississippi River have anything to do with where teams are? Does the Sun Belt need to be balanced on a lever atop the Mississippi River?
If you think you need a team from Georgia, why did you pick a team as far north as WKU? (No offense intended or inferred toward WKU - a fine school)

For starters, Western Kentucky has been a conference member since 1982, only South Alabama has been a member longer.

I also don't think anyone has said we need a team in Georgia.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to expand period, but if we're going to, I think the best package would be App State and Old Dominion, that said, I prefer to not expand the existing footprint so that excludes both schools. It has nothing to do with the Mississippi, only to do with falling outside the existing footprint.

Mississippi River?

Order of preference for the moment.

1. Georgia State
2. UNCC
3. App State
4. Kennesaw State
5. La Tech
6. Georgia Southern
05-09-2011 08:20 AM
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OwlFamily Offline
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Post: #9
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
Offseason has almost begun.

'Belt Baseball is in the home stretch and then the long, slow summer till Fall football camp.

Expect the following.

1.) Expansion threads.
2.) Louisianna higher eductaional naming threads.
4.) Thuggery thread for first 'Belt football player arrested threads.
5.) Goat threads.

You get the picture.
05-09-2011 08:58 AM
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NCowl Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
03-idea
maybe this thread can be merged with the umteen-thousand other expansion threads started by FCS Schools. (which we don't need)
05-09-2011 10:18 AM
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FIUFan Offline
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Post: #11
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
I'll say it again....there are only two teams strong enough to receive consideration from the entire SBC membership and they are La Tech and App. St.; that's it!

Tech wants to try their luck with the 2001 version of the Sun Belt, and App. St. needs 'a reason' for expansion. Both school will make our conference stronger. All others have potential but we do not need to take risks on potential at this time.

Bring this topic up again and I'll say the same. 03-melodramatic
05-09-2011 10:54 AM
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panama Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
So is this forecast to be a 4, 10 or 18 page thread?
05-09-2011 11:44 AM
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CAJUNNATION Offline
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Post: #13
RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
In a best case scenario, your expansion candidates would provide benefit to your conference immediately and offer potential for further growth and vitality of your conference.

In the case of the SBC, the only fair thing to do is expand westward to create a western division.

Given these criteria, at least 2 schools should be added, today, to the SBC.


Texas State
UTSA


Both are going FBS.

Within a 60 mile radius of the 2 schools are over 3 million people.

Brings the Alamo Dome into the SBC almost assuring the league of a future bowl game in that vacation destination.

Adding these 2 schools would kill WAC football offerring untold financial benefits to the SBC through greater share of the BCS pie and expanded coverage of the SBC on ESPN networks.
05-09-2011 12:37 PM
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Cajunman02 Offline
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CrappiesCrappies
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
05-deadhorse05-deadhorse05-deadhorse05-deadhorse
05-09-2011 12:53 PM
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NCowl Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 11:44 AM)panama Wrote:  So is this forecast to be a 4, 10 or 18 page thread?

Moved to Smacktalk Forum! 04-chairshot
05-09-2011 02:55 PM
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panama Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
Gee Golly! Was just a question...
05-09-2011 03:13 PM
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FIUFan Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 03:13 PM)panama Wrote:  Gee Golly! Was just a question...

03-lmfao

We don't mess around over here. 03-lmfao
05-09-2011 03:29 PM
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panama Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 03:29 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  
(05-09-2011 03:13 PM)panama Wrote:  Gee Golly! Was just a question...

03-lmfao

We don't mess around over here. 03-lmfao
03-bored






05-stirthepot
05-09-2011 03:33 PM
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NCowl Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
(05-09-2011 03:13 PM)panama Wrote:  Gee Golly! Was just a question...

naw, it was just my prediction that's where this thread will end up!
(This post was last modified: 05-10-2011 07:09 AM by NCowl.)
05-09-2011 03:44 PM
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KAjunRaider Offline
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RE: Sun Belt Expansion: Who and When?
Methinks we need a subfolder for "expansion". There all of the GaStates and GaSoutherns and GaKennesws and Lamars and UNCC'ers and Sam Bowie's and Old Dominicans can hash it out amongst themselves.
(This post was last modified: 05-09-2011 03:53 PM by KAjunRaider.)
05-09-2011 03:53 PM
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