http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#sectio...-81764663/

"Sun Belt Conference puts expansion on hold - for now"

Looks like we might-could be waiting another year to find out if Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, Liberty, JMU or another school gets asked to join the Sun Belt...

More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

This is very old news. Article might be today, but Benson gave almost the same quotes word for word back in March, minus the Georgia Southern bit.

(10-24-2014 10:24 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

Missouri State and UT-Arlington Football (team X)

I doubt Idaho gets the boot. Just my gut feeling

(10-24-2014 10:43 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:24 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

Missouri State and UT-Arlington Football (team X)

Would be nice but don't see UTA adding FBS football.

On another note, a good question to ask the Sun Belt is when the automony rules get activated, will the Sunbelt become a conference without basketball only schools?

The Sun Belt is the only FBS conference that has bb-only schools in its conference. UTA and UALR will have to compete with other schools in the conference that get the CFP $$. That at least give the football schools $$ to apply some of the automony benefits and UTA and UALR won't probably be able to do.
Its not like both won't be able to find a home in a non-football conference.

(10-24-2014 11:00 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:43 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:24 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

Missouri State and UT-Arlington Football (team X)

Would be nice but don't see UTA adding FBS football.

On another note, a good question to ask the Sun Belt is when the automony rules get activated, will the Sunbelt become a conference without basketball only schools?

The Sun Belt is the only FBS conference that has bb-only schools in its conference. UTA and UALR will have to compete with other schools in the conference that get the CFP $$. That at least give the football schools $$ to apply some of the automony benefits and UTA and UALR won't probably be able to do.
Its not like both won't be able to find a home in a non-football conference.

No, they'll stay. ASU wont get rid of UALR, and Texas State isn't dumping UTA. If anything both will stay because they will be able to offer stipends that they might not be able to offer in a basketball first league.

I think Idaho stays as a safety net just in case another round of alignment comes and also to provide enough teams for SBC to have 4 bowl tie-ins. With 11 teams, you have a better chance of 4 bowl eligible teams each year.

Bet it was new news to the Orlando press. Imagine they thought they have a
good lead line, etc.

By the way, thanks Benson:
"...If there was another Georgia Southern out there right now that might make the decision a little easier," he added.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/co...-post.html

IMO...the Sun Belt needs to DROP Idaho when their 2 year review comes up, ADD New Mexico State in all sports, DROP Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington, and DROP the affiliate soccer members (Hartwick College, Howard University, New Jersey Institute of Technology). This gives us a clean, 10 member all sports league and we can wait for number 11 and 12 while we build on the core of the conference.

WEST:

- Arkansas State

- Louisiana

- New Mexico State

- Texas State

- ULM


EAST:

- Appalachian State

- Georgia Southern

- Georgia State

- South Alabama

- Troy

The affiliate soccer members are what allows us to have soccer in the Sun Belt.

(10-24-2014 11:21 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  The affiliate soccer members are what allows us to have soccer in the Sun Belt.

Oh I see, well my point was that it just feels like we have loose ends with the affiliates and non-footballs. It would be nice to see a "cleaner" version of the Sun Belt.

(10-24-2014 11:25 AM)I AM an Eagle! Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 11:21 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  The affiliate soccer members are what allows us to have soccer in the Sun Belt.

Oh I see, well my point was that it just feels like we have loose ends with the affiliates and non-footballs. It would be nice to see a "cleaner" version of the Sun Belt.

Just not enough other Sun Belt schools playing soccer for the SBC to offer it as a sport with out having them.

I would doubt very seriously if UALR or UTA are going anywhere. I could see letting Idaho go after 2 more years and staying at 10 football playing schools however. If that was done I wonder if we go to a 9 game conference schedule so everyone plays everyone.

(10-24-2014 11:03 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 11:00 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:43 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:24 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

Missouri State and UT-Arlington Football (team X)

Would be nice but don't see UTA adding FBS football.

On another note, a good question to ask the Sun Belt is when the automony rules get activated, will the Sunbelt become a conference without basketball only schools?

The Sun Belt is the only FBS conference that has bb-only schools in its conference. UTA and UALR will have to compete with other schools in the conference that get the CFP $$. That at least give the football schools $$ to apply some of the automony benefits and UTA and UALR won't probably be able to do.
Its not like both won't be able to find a home in a non-football conference.

No, they'll stay. ASU wont get rid of UALR, and Texas State isn't dumping UTA. If anything both will stay because they will be able to offer stipends that they might not be able to offer in a basketball first league.

What about the unlimited food, training table, insurance...etc.
Without a ton of NCAA basketball credits, how would b-ball only teams to able to offer that without having football giving them the additional revenue.
This is a new era involved here now with the autonomy and it will really stretch UALR and even UTA.

Idaho can be let go easy as an affiliate. Same with NMSU.

UTA and UALR would take the conference booting them, which means 9 votes, and that isn't happening.

(10-24-2014 11:31 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 11:03 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 11:00 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:43 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 10:24 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  More likely its going to give Idaho the heave ho after the contract expires and stay at a 10 football teams. No reason anymore to keep Idaho if you aren't going to expand. Given that scenario, you can wait for both Missouri St. and JMU or team X to take time to get facilities and funding for FBS football.

Missouri State and UT-Arlington Football (team X)

Would be nice but don't see UTA adding FBS football.

On another note, a good question to ask the Sun Belt is when the automony rules get activated, will the Sunbelt become a conference without basketball only schools?

The Sun Belt is the only FBS conference that has bb-only schools in its conference. UTA and UALR will have to compete with other schools in the conference that get the CFP $$. That at least give the football schools $$ to apply some of the automony benefits and UTA and UALR won't probably be able to do.
Its not like both won't be able to find a home in a non-football conference.

No, they'll stay. ASU wont get rid of UALR, and Texas State isn't dumping UTA. If anything both will stay because they will be able to offer stipends that they might not be able to offer in a basketball first league.

What about the unlimited food, training table, insurance...etc.
Without a ton of NCAA basketball credits, how would b-ball only teams to able to offer that without having football giving them the additional revenue.
This is a new era involved here now with the autonomy and it will really stretch UALR and even UTA.

It'll stretch, but they're pretty much stuck. They have to offer it if they want to compete. SBC isn't kicking anyone out.

The real question is how much does the Sun Belt membership want a championship game for football. It is clear that Benson wants that and I am convinced if he could decree it Liberty would be the 12th member right now. Obviously the membership did not want Liberty or at last 3/4 of the membership didn't.

When some of conference leaders (Ark. St. and Louisiana) come out and say that they don't see the real benefit in a championship game it is clear many other members will agree with them.

Within the next 1-2 years the membership will have to decide whether going to 12 is the right move or dropping back to 10. If you aren't very interested in a championship game I don't know what the real benefit in keeping Idaho is.

(10-24-2014 11:16 AM)I AM an Eagle! Wrote:  IMO...the Sun Belt needs to DROP Idaho when their 2 year review comes up, ADD New Mexico State in all sports, DROP Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington, and DROP the affiliate soccer members (Hartwick College, Howard University, New Jersey Institute of Technology). This gives us a clean, 10 member all sports league and we can wait for number 11 and 12 while we build on the core of the conference.

WEST:
- Arkansas State
- Louisiana
- New Mexico State
- Texas State
- ULM

EAST:
- Appalachian State
- Georgia Southern
- Georgia State
- South Alabama
- Troy

UALR has been a member for 23 years. Georgia Southern has been a member for a few months. Get on with this noise. UALR isn't going anywhere, not should we force them.