The Sun Belt is made of , for the most part, new FBS programs but programs with history, pride and tradition unlike CUSA. Having an opportunity to play Marshall and Southern Miss gets my motor running and maybe one or two others would be nice but when looking at the Sun Belt in it's core geography every team is critical. Who would you trade, with the exception of the two or three obvious flagship programs in CUSA, for what we have in the Sun Belt? Take our two or three flagships and go down the list. I keep saying; no you can't have them.

(12-06-2014 08:54 AM)Oldyeller Wrote:  The Sun Belt is made of , for the most part, new FBS programs but programs with history, pride and tradition unlike CUSA. Having an opportunity to play Marshall and Southern Miss gets my motor running and maybe one or two others would be nice but when looking at the Sun Belt in it's core geography every team is critical. Who would you trade, with the exception of the two or three obvious flagship programs in CUSA, for what we have in the Sun Belt? Take our two or three flagships and go down the list. I keep saying; no you can't have them.

That's a very good point Old Yeller.

Despite my rant I like being in the sun belt. We have like minded programs wanting to advance their athletics programs at the highest level of competition. There will be friction from time to time but I think everyone here has respect for each other's programs and that is important.

Well except Idaho's.

Kidding aside I see this conference making lots of noise in years to come.

(12-06-2014 08:30 AM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 06:21 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 10:00 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 09:20 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  

I feel we added 2 quality Universties in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State and Troy with a new Coach should only help the conference get better in football. Next year we need to win some OOC games to show that the conference is improved

The Administrations of Sun Belt Conferences schools seem committed to improving, expanding, and adding quality facilities.

I feel that we have good Quality Coaches in all sports.

Spring sports are strong. Not to bragg on the Cajuns Baseball but last year they hosted a Super Regional and came 1 game short of their 2nd World Series and ended the season ranked unanimously #1 in the Nation. South Alabama and Texas State are also strong in Baseball.

The Cajun girls made it to, I believe, their 6th World Series appearance. South Alabama is usually ranked in Softball and makes it to Post season play.

Georgia State was really good in basketball last year and deserved to go to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the conference tournament.

So not only do I feel football will inprove but I think the conference spring sports will remain towards the top in the Nation.

The Sun Belt Conferences future is bright in all sports.

Sorry if I left someone out! Feel free to add.

Let's be honest. Spring sports mean nothing to conference perception. Football and Men's Basketball drive everything. A good women's softball team, or a good track and field team are great, but nobody pays any attention to either. There are only four college baseball programs in the entire nation that operate in the black, and not one of them is in a G-5 conference.

I am pretty sure that Louisiana operates in the black in baseball.

Yes

[/quote]
Let's be honest. Spring sports mean nothing to conference perception. Football and Men's Basketball drive everything. A good women's softball team, or a good track and field team are great, but nobody pays any attention to either. There are only four college baseball programs in the entire nation that operate in the black, and not one of them is in a G-5 conference.
[/quote]

This is exactly what we would expect to hear from a school that has terrible Spring Sports!.

Everyone realizes that Football (and Men's Basketball to a lesser degree) drive the bus and must be the main focus. However, if you ever had a good Spring Sports team, you would experience how much fun that could be.

(12-06-2014 10:29 AM)swampbear Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 08:30 AM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 06:21 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 10:00 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 09:20 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  

I feel we added 2 quality Universties in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State and Troy with a new Coach should only help the conference get better in football. Next year we need to win some OOC games to show that the conference is improved

The Administrations of Sun Belt Conferences schools seem committed to improving, expanding, and adding quality facilities.

I feel that we have good Quality Coaches in all sports.

Spring sports are strong. Not to bragg on the Cajuns Baseball but last year they hosted a Super Regional and came 1 game short of their 2nd World Series and ended the season ranked unanimously #1 in the Nation. South Alabama and Texas State are also strong in Baseball.

The Cajun girls made it to, I believe, their 6th World Series appearance. South Alabama is usually ranked in Softball and makes it to Post season play.

Georgia State was really good in basketball last year and deserved to go to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the conference tournament.

So not only do I feel football will inprove but I think the conference spring sports will remain towards the top in the Nation.

The Sun Belt Conferences future is bright in all sports.

Sorry if I left someone out! Feel free to add.

Let's be honest. Spring sports mean nothing to conference perception. Football and Men's Basketball drive everything. A good women's softball team, or a good track and field team are great, but nobody pays any attention to either. There are only four college baseball programs in the entire nation that operate in the black, and not one of them is in a G-5 conference.

I am pretty sure that Louisiana operates in the black in baseball.

Yes

Coach unless I am wrong, but don't both baseball and softball operate in the black at Louisiana?

(12-06-2014 10:50 AM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 10:29 AM)swampbear Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 08:30 AM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  

(12-06-2014 06:21 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 10:00 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  I feel we added 2 quality Universties in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State and Troy with a new Coach should only help the conference get better in football. Next year we need to win some OOC games to show that the conference is improved

The Administrations of Sun Belt Conferences schools seem committed to improving, expanding, and adding quality facilities.

I feel that we have good Quality Coaches in all sports.

Spring sports are strong. Not to bragg on the Cajuns Baseball but last year they hosted a Super Regional and came 1 game short of their 2nd World Series and ended the season ranked unanimously #1 in the Nation. South Alabama and Texas State are also strong in Baseball.

The Cajun girls made it to, I believe, their 6th World Series appearance. South Alabama is usually ranked in Softball and makes it to Post season play.

Georgia State was really good in basketball last year and deserved to go to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the conference tournament.

So not only do I feel football will inprove but I think the conference spring sports will remain towards the top in the Nation.

The Sun Belt Conferences future is bright in all sports.

Sorry if I left someone out! Feel free to add.

Let's be honest. Spring sports mean nothing to conference perception. Football and Men's Basketball drive everything. A good women's softball team, or a good track and field team are great, but nobody pays any attention to either. There are only four college baseball programs in the entire nation that operate in the black, and not one of them is in a G-5 conference.

I am pretty sure that Louisiana operates in the black in baseball.

Yes

Coach unless I am wrong, but don't both baseball and softball operate in the black at Louisiana?

Wouldn't surprise me with some of the paying crowds that attend softball. Impressive.

(12-06-2014 06:21 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 10:00 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 09:20 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  

I feel we added 2 quality Universties in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State and Troy with a new Coach should only help the conference get better in football. Next year we need to win some OOC games to show that the conference is improved

The Administrations of Sun Belt Conferencnes schools seem committed to improving, expanding, and adding quality facilities.

I feel that we have good Quality Coaches in all sports.

Spring sports are strong. Not to bragg on the Cajuns Baseball but last year they hosted a Super Regional and came 1 game short of their 2nd World Series and ended the season ranked unanimously #1 in the Nation. South Alabama and Texas State are also strong in Baseball.

The Cajun girls made it to, I believe, their 6th World Series appearance. South Alabama is usually ranked in Softball and makes it to Post season play.

Georgia State was really good in basketball last year and deserved to go to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the conference tournament.

So not only do I feel football will inprove but I think the conference spring sports will remain towards the top in the Nation.

The Sun Belt Conferences future is bright in all sports.

Sorry if I left someone out! Feel free to add.

Let's be honest. Spring sports mean nothing to conference perception. Football and Men's Basketball drive everything. A good women's softball team, or a good track and field team are great, but nobody pays any attention to either. There are only four college baseball programs in the entire nation that operate in the black, and not one of them is in a G-5 conference.

The question was to give our opinion that the SBC is moving in the right direction.

Sure Football and Basketball are the major sports, but the conference is not only those 2 sports. I was looking at the conferences as a whole.

As much as they are beginning to show College Baseball and Softball on TV these days. You get noticed when you have a good Baseball and Softball program, which gets the conference known as a good Baseball or Softball conference.

When I was going to Ole Miss for Grad School. They new of the Cajuns, USA, and WKU as good Baseball programs from a good Baseball conference. They take their Baseball serious when you go to a Baseball game with 10,000 in attedance which is close to some football programs you realize that Baseball isn't a minor sport. Even up here in Idaho, they know of UL as a good Baseball program. If they know of it at a predominantly football university, than it must not be a minor sport if it gets you recognition from across the Nation.

Maybe Baseball isn't big at Tech or big in CUSA. I pronise you it's big in most conferences. Like I said, with the TV exposure College Baseball gets, most Universties are enlarging their Baseball stadiums and facilities. The Cajuns are renovating their Baseball Stadium. Most Universties are not enlarging their Stadiums because it's a minor sport that they are losing money on.

Even Softball is shown on TV more and it's exciting to watch. UL elarged their Softball Stadium, not because they were losing money.

It helps the conference as a whole when you have high ranked teams in these 2 sports and does get the programs and conference noticed Nationwide

So when he asked about my opinion if the conference was headed in the right direction. I answered him what I thought of 4 major conference sports, football, basketball, Baseball, and Softball.

He didn't ask about the conferences perception. He didn't ask about just football but if the conference is heading in the right direction. Last time i checked, a conference wasn't just football. A good well rounded conference is more than 1 sport. Read the question before you respond, please!

It's a fun, competitive league. Given a couple years to gel without any defections, it can be a good G5 conference. What it needs is stability and for Troy/Ga State to improve. Beyond that, no need to rush expansion but I would like a conference championship game and a tighter footprint eventually. When measured up against the MAC and CUSA, we aren't far off.

A bigger commitment to football is being made by member schools than ever before. That can be seen in facilities planned and under construction, and in significantly more competitive coaching salaries.

Next step is to use that commitment and the fertile recruiting area Sun Belt to move clearly and significantly past the MAC in performance on the field and in the football stands. I want it to be obvious to everyone and irrefutable that the Sun Belt is NOT the worst conference in FBS.

Folks are pointing out our crummy OOC showing this year but remember this: it's postseason and once again the SBC has a chance to win out and go 3-0 (or 4-0 if TXST gets a bowl invite) to leave a nice last impression of our league. Until next year, that is.

(12-06-2014 04:33 PM)airtroop Wrote:  Folks are pointing out our crummy OOC showing this year but remember this: it's postyseason and once again the SBC has a chance to win out and go 3-0 (or 4-0 if TXST gets a bowl invite) to leave a nice last impression of our league. Until next year, that is.

BINGO!!!. We need to sweep the bowls again. This year we'll have 1 or 2 more teams than last year in bowls. I'll have a short term memory and forget about our losses this year with another big NO Bowl win!. I can't remember who we lost to last year. My memory was wiped clean when that clock hit 0:00 last year.

The bonus was the wiins were against CUSA and the MAC