(08-08-2011 11:36 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 10:56 AM)MG61 Wrote:  The Belt does not need to expand with ANY FCS team. Stick to the plan and consider worthy FBS programs only. If there is some type of shakeup, who's to say that existing FBS programs will not be availiable ? We need to shuck the "homeport for moveups" mentality.We need to strengthen existing programs and be very, very, very selective when considering any additions

Like who? New Mexico St.? App. St. would be a stronger football program right out of the gate and who knows what their up-side might be. Not sure what everyone's agenda is here but mine is to make the Sun Belt as strong as we possibly can. Today, which programs do that? I still think the two programs that push us past the MAC and into C-USA territory are App St. and La Tech.

That's all I care about, i.e. making the Belt the best it can be; politics and bad-feelings be damned.

The only thing you can guarantee when expanding with move-up programs is another mouth to feed. NO THANKS, let's build our strength from WITHIN.

(08-08-2011 12:10 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 11:36 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 10:56 AM)MG61 Wrote:  The Belt does not need to expand with ANY FCS team. Stick to the plan and consider worthy FBS programs only. If there is some type of shakeup, who's to say that existing FBS programs will not be availiable ? We need to shuck the "homeport for moveups" mentality.We need to strengthen existing programs and be very, very, very selective when considering any additions

Like who? New Mexico St.? App. St. would be a stronger football program right out of the gate and who knows what their up-side might be. Not sure what everyone's agenda is here but mine is to make the Sun Belt as strong as we possibly can. Today, which programs do that? I still think the two programs that push us past the MAC and into C-USA territory are App St. and La Tech.

That's all I care about, i.e. making the Belt the best it can be; politics and bad-feelings be damned.

The only thing you can guarantee when expanding with move-up programs is another mouth to feed. NO THANKS...

I don't think you can say anything different about latech and nmsu, either. As I said in another post, there's really not a dime's worth of difference between a nmsu or latech, for that matter, and an App State and an argument can be made that App State has better facilities and fan support. Again, I don't see that an argument can be made on an economic basis to add any team, 1A/fbs or 1aa/fcs. I don't see latech or nmsu conference membership being an 'enhancement' to the Sun Belt.

(08-08-2011 12:29 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  I don't see latech or nmsu conference membership being an 'enhancement' to the Sun Belt.

Only true if you believe that eliminating one of your competitors is not beneficial.

(08-08-2011 12:10 PM)MG61 Wrote:  The only thing you can guarantee when expanding with move-up programs is another mouth to feed. NO THANKS, let's build our strength from WITHIN.

I don't look at App St as a move up more than an FBS program trapped in an FCS league. I also view them as the best FCS program east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason/Dixon. And as far as La Tech is concerned they are a 70'ish ranked program year in and year out; they're a C-USA program sans the market. And if you don't trust that fact, look up where they finish each year.

So I see these programs less as mouths-to-feed than 'enhancements' to our competitiveness as a league, plus they'd help round us out as a conference. And if we move consistently past the MAC, their inclusion would at least be a wash as far as dollars are concerned and a boon toward league perception.

(08-08-2011 01:13 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 12:10 PM)MG61 Wrote:  The only thing you can guarantee when expanding with move-up programs is another mouth to feed. NO THANKS, let's build our strength from WITHIN.

I don't look at App St as a move up more than an FBS program trapped in an FCS league. I also view them as the best FCS program east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason/Dixon. And as far as La Tech is concerned they are a 70'ish ranked program year in and year out; they're a C-USA program sans the market. And if you don't trust that fact, look up where they finish each year.

So I see these programs less as mouths-to-feed than 'enhancements' to our competitiveness as a league, plus they'd help round us out as a conference. And if we move consistently past the MAC, their inclusion would at least be a wash as far as dollars are concerned and a boon toward league perception.

Why are you so anxious to add teams ?

(08-08-2011 01:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Why are you so anxious to add teams ?

League Improvement.

(08-08-2011 01:41 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 01:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Why are you so anxious to add teams ?

League Improvement.

Expansion with move ups does not, by any stretch of the imagination, improve the conference. Guess we will just have to agree to disagree on expansion with move ups. Have a nice day !

(08-04-2011 07:51 PM)westcoastwolf Wrote:  If you thought the battle of the "Louisiana" namesake was bad, imagine Ark.St. and App.St. fighting over the ASU namesake.

ULL v. ULM ain't got nothin' on ASU v. ASU.

So we already have two Trojans and two Louisiana schools that fight over names, and now we want to add a second ASU? Haha Funny. We just thought name threads were fun already.

(08-04-2011 03:38 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(08-04-2011 03:25 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  The same can be said for ULM over Bama and Troy over Missouri yet those games are still fresh in the minds of football fans/experts.

Fresher in the minds of each schools fans.

sort of like unT fans still talking about beating a not that good Tennessee team in the 70s or a "win" at UT even though the score board had a loss in the early 90s and the list goes on from there

(08-08-2011 02:55 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(08-04-2011 07:51 PM)westcoastwolf Wrote:  If you thought the battle of the "Louisiana" namesake was bad, imagine Ark.St. and App.St. fighting over the ASU namesake.

ULL v. ULM ain't got nothin' on ASU v. ASU.

So we already have two Trojans and two Louisiana schools that fight over names, and now we want to add a second ASU? Haha Funny. We just thought name threads were fun already.

there may be two teams with the Trojan as a mascot, but TROY is the one people recognize. UALR doesn't have a football team so that helps our case. to be honest, I wasn't aware we were arguing over the usage.

So if UALR goes FBS, do you want to see the Belt stay at 11, or add a 12th school?

(08-09-2011 05:50 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  So if UALR goes FBS, do you want to see the Belt stay at 11, or add a 12th school?

If and when it happens, we will consider our options.

how does app state help the sunbelt? app state needs us, we dont need them.....its just another FCS program trying to move up and take recruits from schools like UNT, ASU, MTSU, Troy, etc... it wont help our prestige at all... the win was nice vs Michigan but they dont bring anything besides decent football the table. As a UNT fan I would prefer a more Texas based league with large public enrollments like Tx St. or UTSA. La Tech wont be coming but that could change. Given the current chaos that is FBS conference reshuffling, i would just wait it out. App state is in the conversation though. I just dont think they are best right now.

(08-08-2011 04:00 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 02:55 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(08-04-2011 07:51 PM)westcoastwolf Wrote:  If you thought the battle of the "Louisiana" namesake was bad, imagine Ark.St. and App.St. fighting over the ASU namesake.

ULL v. ULM ain't got nothin' on ASU v. ASU.

So we already have two Trojans and two Louisiana schools that fight over names, and now we want to add a second ASU? Haha Funny. We just thought name threads were fun already.

there may be two teams with the Trojan as a mascot, but TROY is the one people recognize. UALR doesn't have a football team so that helps our case. to be honest, I wasn't aware we were arguing over the usage.

No nickname disputes here, never really thought about it. And you make a good point without us having football, but respectfully, we were here first. I just figured we'd play nice and let you borrow OUR nickname.

(08-09-2011 06:44 PM)adub4ever Wrote:  how does app state help the sunbelt? app state needs us, we dont need them.....its just another FCS program trying to move up and take recruits from schools like UNT, ASU, MTSU, Troy, etc... it wont help our prestige at all... the win was nice vs Michigan but they dont bring anything besides decent football the table. As a UNT fan I would prefer a more Texas based league with large public enrollments like Tx St. or UTSA. La Tech wont be coming but that could change. Given the current chaos that is FBS conference reshuffling, i would just wait it out. App state is in the conversation though. I just dont think they are best right now.

Honestly, that should be at the top of the list for the SunBelt to earn more respect from the FBS and not be viewed as the consensus worst conference in FBS. If the Sun Belt would begin to improve on the field it would help recruiting for all of the conference teams and perhaps even one day pass the CUSA in terms of conference rankings such as Sagarin. The SunBelt could use a program like App that has a good chance to pull of major upsets and get some positive chatter our there for the conference and even get the guys on college gameday saying good things about the Sun Belt. Is App a guarantee to do this? No, but I like their chances better than all but a few current SunBelt teams. La Tech, mediocre at best for the last 20 years so don't expect much from them.

(08-09-2011 09:19 PM)eh9198 Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 04:00 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 02:55 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(08-04-2011 07:51 PM)westcoastwolf Wrote:  If you thought the battle of the "Louisiana" namesake was bad, imagine Ark.St. and App.St. fighting over the ASU namesake.

ULL v. ULM ain't got nothin' on ASU v. ASU.

So we already have two Trojans and two Louisiana schools that fight over names, and now we want to add a second ASU? Haha Funny. We just thought name threads were fun already.

there may be two teams with the Trojan as a mascot, but TROY is the one people recognize. UALR doesn't have a football team so that helps our case. to be honest, I wasn't aware we were arguing over the usage.

No nickname disputes here, never really thought about it. And you make a good point without us having football, but respectfully, we were here first. I just figured we'd play nice and let you borrow OUR nickname.

touche' good sir.