Speaking from someone who's team has won several Sun Belt titles in a row...I'll take the bowl wins. In 2007, Troy had to share the title with Florida Atlantic. They came in to our house and beat us, they also hurt our QB's knee...again. Anyways, at the time the Sun Belt only had one bowl tie-in, which was in New Orleans. We got our ring, then we sat at home with an 8-4 record.

Like I said in my previous post, winning a single SBC ring is nice and all, but a bowl win trumps it. Now, if we're talking a string of SBC rings, that is different.



The ability to showcase a "ring collerction" to recruits is a powerful weapon in the recruiting wars.

Bowl wins for me. Outright conference championships would have more thrill to me, if there was a championship game.

The problem with the question is it assumes that without the title you're still bowling. The preseason goal of every team is to win the conference title which of course guarantees you a bowl bid.

(04-16-2013 10:28 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

(04-17-2013 02:23 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-16-2013 10:28 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

Boise comes to mind.

(04-17-2013 02:29 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:23 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-16-2013 10:28 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

Boise comes to mind.

In what regard?

(04-17-2013 02:43 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:29 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:23 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-16-2013 10:28 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

Boise comes to mind.

In what regard?

Bowl victories doing more for a school than Conference Victories.

(04-17-2013 02:49 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:43 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:29 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:23 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-16-2013 10:28 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

Boise comes to mind.

In what regard?

Bowl victories doing more for a school than Conference Victories.

Ah yes, I just couldn't tell if you were referring to their conference victories cause they have dominated the WAC as well. But who know's that? Nobody cares about your conference victories outside of your conference. Unles you're winning the SEC year in and year out, nobody gives a rat's behind. It's bowls that impress audiences nationally.

(04-17-2013 02:57 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:49 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:43 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:29 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 02:23 PM)CajunJuice Wrote:  Right, because getting a Bowl Bid in the first place didn't take a season long accomplishment either.

These past two years with our 2 New Orleans Bowl victories have done WAY MORE for our university and recruiting than 2 Conference Championships would have EVER done. And it's not even close.

Bowl victories means you not only beat a team in a post season nationally televised game, but that you most likely had a great regular season and maybe fell a game or two short of Conference champs.

Give me Bowl victories every year and no conference championship and I'm a happy guy.

Boise comes to mind.

In what regard?

Bowl victories doing more for a school than Conference Victories.

Ah yes, I just couldn't tell if you were referring to their conference victories cause they have dominated the WAC as well. But who know's that? Nobody cares about your conference victories outside of your conference. Unles you're winning the SEC year in and year out, nobody gives a rat's behind. It's bowls that impress audiences nationally.

I agree.

Both are very nice but without a conference championship game, no one really sees how a conference is won.

Also, the bowl is against another conference which adds to the prestige of the bowl win.

So put a gun to my head and say I can have one or the other, but not both, I'll take the bowl win.

It's also easier to sell Bowl wins to recruits than it is Conference titles.

When you win the Conference you get a cool ring.

When you win a Bowl Game you get a cool ring, money, expensive goodies, clothing, and various other items we all would love to get.

It's a no brainer. You choose what the recruits would choose, because if you get the kids you need/want, you'll win more Conference titles and bowl games.

Conference championship.

It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

What was the viewership for the stAte/MT game that settled the conference championship?

While most people will forget who won which bowl, those same people, having never seen the SBC championship will probably not even know who the champ was in the first place.

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

Very very true. Noon title game (10am local kick off time) on ESPN 3 has really killed the viewership.

Factoid: Last season, the quarter final game between GSU/ODU had higher tv ratings than the FCS Championship game. Really weird.

(04-18-2013 10:27 AM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

Very very true. Noon title game (10am local kick off time) on ESPN 3 has really killed the viewership.

Factoid: Last season, the quarter final game between GSU/ODU had higher tv ratings than the FCS Championship game. Really weird.

Both of our games with ODU have been very exciting games to watch. In our two games, we have combined for 2,333 yards of offense, 113 first downs, and 187 points. Would love to meet them in a bowl game down the road.

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

What was the viewership for the stAte/MT game that settled the conference championship?

While most people will forget who won which bowl, those same people, having never seen the SBC championship will probably not even know who the champ was in the first place.

First off, who said anything about the FCS Championship Game? Do you think because we are newbies to the conference that that is all we can talk about? Second, who said anything about TV viewership at all or how many people watched a particular bowl game or conf champ game?

This thread is about opinion and I gave mine. You are more than welcome to have yours as well. All that I am saying is that I would prefer that my team won a conference championship more often than a bowl game. As I said a conf championship to me means my team is winning more games than it's losing and overall that means more to me than the possibility of winning one specific game at the end of what could have very well been a 6-6 season. That to me is not success in the long run.

(04-18-2013 12:58 PM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

What was the viewership for the stAte/MT game that settled the conference championship?

While most people will forget who won which bowl, those same people, having never seen the SBC championship will probably not even know who the champ was in the first place.

First off, who said anything about the FCS Championship Game? Do you think because we are newbies to the conference that that is all we can talk about? Second, who said anything about TV viewership at all or how many people watched a particular bowl game or conf champ game?

This thread is about opinion and I gave mine. You are more than welcome to have yours as well. All that I am saying is that I would prefer that my team won a conference championship more often than a bowl game. As I said a conf championship to me means my team is winning more games than it's losing and overall that means more to me than the possibility of winning one specific game at the end of what could have very well been a 6-6 season. That to me is not success in the long run.

Before you get offended, my point was that bowls (and bowl victories) have far more exposure than conference championships. Evidence the fact that every single bowl drew far more viewers than the FCS championship game. I'm not running down the championship game, but I'd figure that even an FCS championship game is more signficant event than a conference championship that's not crowned with a championship game.

(04-18-2013 01:32 PM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 12:58 PM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

What was the viewership for the stAte/MT game that settled the conference championship?

While most people will forget who won which bowl, those same people, having never seen the SBC championship will probably not even know who the champ was in the first place.

First off, who said anything about the FCS Championship Game? Do you think because we are newbies to the conference that that is all we can talk about? Second, who said anything about TV viewership at all or how many people watched a particular bowl game or conf champ game?

This thread is about opinion and I gave mine. You are more than welcome to have yours as well. All that I am saying is that I would prefer that my team won a conference championship more often than a bowl game. As I said a conf championship to me means my team is winning more games than it's losing and overall that means more to me than the possibility of winning one specific game at the end of what could have very well been a 6-6 season. That to me is not success in the long run.

my point was that bowls (and bowl victories) have far more exposure than conference championships. Evidence the fact that every single bowl drew far more viewers than the FCS championship game. I'm not running down the championship game, but I'd figure that even an FCS championship game is more signficant event than a conference championship that's not crowned with a championship game.

The better comparison would be to compare the TV viewership of Bowl Games to a FBS Conference Championship Games to see if that helps your point. Comparing an FBS product vs FCS product is not very valid, they don't even have a common denominator (Two different leagues).

(04-18-2013 01:32 PM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 12:58 PM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:24 AM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(04-18-2013 10:22 AM)KJ Eagle Wrote:  It would be Conference Championship for me. In theory, you could go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record or if you are GT with a losing record..... But I don't see many conference champions getting by with a .500 record. Most people will forget who won which bowl the next year.

More people watched ANY bowl game on TV over the FCS championship game.

What was the viewership for the stAte/MT game that settled the conference championship?

While most people will forget who won which bowl, those same people, having never seen the SBC championship will probably not even know who the champ was in the first place.

First off, who said anything about the FCS Championship Game? Do you think because we are newbies to the conference that that is all we can talk about? Second, who said anything about TV viewership at all or how many people watched a particular bowl game or conf champ game?

This thread is about opinion and I gave mine. You are more than welcome to have yours as well. All that I am saying is that I would prefer that my team won a conference championship more often than a bowl game. As I said a conf championship to me means my team is winning more games than it's losing and overall that means more to me than the possibility of winning one specific game at the end of what could have very well been a 6-6 season. That to me is not success in the long run.

Before you get offended, my point was that bowls (and bowl victories) have far more exposure than conference championships. Evidence the fact that every single bowl drew far more viewers than the FCS championship game. I'm not running down the championship game, but I'd figure that even an FCS championship game is more signficant event than a conference championship that's not crowned with a championship game.

No one's offended. But you are arguing the point of exposure being better in a bowl game. My point is that I don't care about exposure in this sense because it is short lived. Who cares about exposure that no one remembers two months later.

My point is that with conference championships comes more of what I am looking for and more importance to the program long term. If Ga Southern is winning multiple conference championships, then that means we are only losing 2-3 games per year (yes, I know it is an assumption, hear me out). I will take the long term rewards of consistently winning on that high of a percentage to the short lived exposure of a "normal" bowl game. Now, if we are talking a Fiesta Bowl like Boise........then sign me up!!!!

But overall winning at a consistent level like would be needed for multiple conf championships will get us the exposure that we need.

Conference championships are great, they give you a banner to hang and be proud of, but nothing compares to winning bowl games. For a conference at our level, a conference championship doesn't get you much respect because outside of the belt, teams will say "you only beat sub-par SBC teams", on the other hand, when you win a bowl game, you beat a team from another conference and gain respect for your fans, program, and mostly your conference.