With the fairly evident expansion coming with the b12 it would imo be wise to add 3 schools so as to be prepared for what is coming.

(08-08-2015 01:42 PM)cleburneslim Wrote:  With the fairly evident expansion coming with the b12 it would imo be wise to add 3 schools so as to be prepared for what is coming.

I really doubt the dominoes get to us if the big 12 adds only two schools. If they go BYU and Boise there really is very little impact since CUSA has two schools more than they really need... Especially now UAB is being back football. If we lose one... It will likely be USA and that opens the door to JSU.

(08-08-2015 12:04 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 11:32 AM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 10:00 AM)GoAppsGo92 Wrote:  Whoever it is wants secrecy. NMSU would be a good guess, followed by JMU and Missouri State. If it's NMSU, it's almost a dead lock that coastal and EKU both get invites. If it's any of the others, it would be a huge move by the conference to form two distinct and pretty compact divisions. If it's the latter, I say JMU is more likely than MSU.

What possible benefit would there be to NMSU being secretive?

Why would NMSU be buttoned up?
Reason 1. They were public about their desire a couple years ago and it gained them nothing. Do you want to be interviewed by the local beat guy who is going to ask what the future is after being rejected by the MWC, being rejected for full membership by the Sun Belt when the WAC collapsed in football, rejected again when WKU left, and rejected again for some FCS schools. How do you keep the fan attitude positive in light of that. No you want it NAILED DOWN before it leaks.
Reason 2. You are THE face of the WAC, you give the current line-up what credibility it has and that carries with it some persuasive rate in league discussions. If the press about you is how you want out, you accelerate the influence of whichever school is starting to show leadership at the cost of some of your own leadership.

EKU and CCU haven't plowed that ground in the past

I think you've nailed it with the additional experience of hiring an AD but having, by hiring practice rules, all candidates announced publicly ( including some who wanted anonymity ). I think it's dawned on the current administration to maintain as much privacy until a public announcement is appropriate.

@DEwiseTrojan:

He said Mew Mexico State is next to discuss inclusion in Belt in all sports. Visit us mid-week next week.

Not saying whom he was speaking with...that's a secret.

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(08-08-2015 12:30 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 11:08 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 10:48 AM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  At this point I would be very surprised if the 3rd school is jmu or Missouri st.

Applying logic.

If the third school is JMU then we are almost certainly looking to add only one school.
We aren't going to add three to the east to go to 12/14. Doing so makes the Olympic east JMU, APP, GASO, GAST, CCU and two of TROY EKU USA.

Only way I see the obviously west schools liking that is if USA is the school pushed west. Cajuns, Warhawks, LR Trojans, and AState can bus to USA if needed. In all cases if flying Mobile is easier.

After the past history, JMU letting this fly under radar while EKU and CCU are leaking like inflatable rafts hit with buckshot seems improbable. JMU also has comments to walk back.

Missouri State, keeping in under radar with the Springfield press would be a challenge. A snap announcement would set off a number of fans who like finishing behind a better class of hoops teams. This would be the time to soften up the base and explain your concern over the need to be FBS for the long-term health of the program.

NMSU has nothing to back off of. They've previously said they were interested and couldn't get the votes. They can interact with Sun Belt leadership without raising eyebrows since they already do business with the Sun Belt.

If we are applying logic, then this is a one school offer for a 12th school in the east and a travel partner for App State. If there is in fact a third school, then it is Liberty.

Any school that does not make the cut this time around could be a candidate if there is a need to expand in the future. NMSU can be added at anytime. They are not going anywhere and there is no need to go to 14 for Olympic sports at this time.

If we apply logic, a basketball school like Missouri State is never going to leave a bus league and a quality basketball conference for a league like the SBC. When they decide to become a football school first, then maybe they consider FBS football.

I think logic tells me that Coastal Carolina is going to be the choice. They seem to check all the boxes. They get the conference to the long awaited goal of 12/12 for football and basketball.

MVC just signed a new TV deal I doubt MSU is Itching to leave.
They spent thirty million on facilities but did not add seats

(08-08-2015 01:53 PM)trojanbrutha Wrote:  @DEwiseTrojan:

He said Mew Mexico State is next to discuss inclusion in Belt in all sports. Visit us mid-week next week.

Not saying whom he was speaking with...that's a secret.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

Interesting. So far everything seems to falling they we've all speculated

If Dr.Hawkins says they are going to NMSU next week then the mystery is over.Period.

(08-08-2015 12:30 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 11:08 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 10:48 AM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  At this point I would be very surprised if the 3rd school is jmu or Missouri st.

Applying logic.

If the third school is JMU then we are almost certainly looking to add only one school.
We aren't going to add three to the east to go to 12/14. Doing so makes the Olympic east JMU, APP, GASO, GAST, CCU and two of TROY EKU USA.

Only way I see the obviously west schools liking that is if USA is the school pushed west. Cajuns, Warhawks, LR Trojans, and AState can bus to USA if needed. In all cases if flying Mobile is easier.

After the past history, JMU letting this fly under radar while EKU and CCU are leaking like inflatable rafts hit with buckshot seems improbable. JMU also has comments to walk back.

Missouri State, keeping in under radar with the Springfield press would be a challenge. A snap announcement would set off a number of fans who like finishing behind a better class of hoops teams. This would be the time to soften up the base and explain your concern over the need to be FBS for the long-term health of the program.

NMSU has nothing to back off of. They've previously said they were interested and couldn't get the votes. They can interact with Sun Belt leadership without raising eyebrows since they already do business with the Sun Belt.

If we are applying logic, then this is a one school offer for a 12th school in the east and a travel partner for App State. If there is in fact a third school, then it is Liberty.

Any school that does not make the cut this time around could be a candidate if there is a need to expand in the future. NMSU can be added at anytime. They are not going anywhere and there is no need to go to 14 for Olympic sports at this time.

If we apply logic, a basketball school like Missouri State is never going to leave a bus league and a quality basketball conference for a league like the SBC. When they decide to become a football school first, then maybe they consider FBS football.

I think logic tells me that Coastal Carolina is going to be the choice. They seem to check all the boxes. They get the conference to the long awaited goal of 12/12 for football and basketball.

You can't ignore history.

Just over a year ago the membership agreed it wanted to add a 12th member.
JMU said no. Mo State indicated no interest. Liberty, Jacksonville State, EKU, NMSU expressed interest and the process ended without naming anyone.

By all reliable accounts the process derailed because a group of western schools refused to support any of the eastern options and a group of eastern schools refused to support NMSU.

What has changed regarding Liberty, Jacksonville State, JMU, Mo State, NMSU? Nothing that we know anything about other than some facility work at NMSU.

What has changed with EKU? Stadium upgrade.
What else has changed? Coastal now in the mix.

So maybe Coastal is more appealing to the presidents than the last pool of candidates, EKU is seen as a more appealing and one of those either rejected or rejecting is in a different status.

But is any of this enough to offset the vote split last time where neither a western or eastern school could get 3/4ths vote.

I don't think Liberty is under consideration, circumstances haven't changed enough to be the ONE.

Seems far more likely that NMSU still has western support, there is still insufficient support for them alone or an eastern alone and the solution is to compromise taking two east and one west to get to 12/14

So does Idaho get the boot?

Looks like this is going to happen. No need to visit schools unless the conference is serious about adding. After visit to NMSU next week we could have 3 invites within weeks. I say get it done b4 football season starts.

Agreed. If all three want in, current SBC members agree to it get it done now

EKU is improving facilities and asking for more money to improve even further. You don't do that unless you know you are gonna eventually get an invite.

CCU make it public they will accept an invite if offered and states they already have funds to add onto the football stadium. You don't do that if you don't think an invite is happening.

(08-08-2015 02:58 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  EKU is improving facilities and asking for more money to improve even further. You don't do that unless you know you are gonna eventually get an invite.

CCU make it public they will accept an invite if offered and states they already have funds to add onto the football stadium. You don't do that if you don't think an invite is happening.

I agree that Coastal is very confident that an invite is coming.

I'm just curious to see what we choose to do here: Do we bring in a single team to even out numbers and wait for a potentially better option to show interest, or do we pull the trigger and invite all three, closing ourselves off to expansion for the foreseeable future?

I just don t see the 3 visits unless all 3 are about to be added

(08-08-2015 02:58 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  EKU is improving facilities and asking for more money to improve even further. You don't do that unless you know you are gonna eventually get an invite.

CCU make it public they will accept an invite if offered and states they already have funds to add onto the football stadium. You don't do that if you don't think an invite is happening.

I agree. Coastal made it clear it has the money to expand without raising student fees which I think is huge. They will also do the expansion in a single phase instead of two and have BOT approval to do it. Huge.

EKU is stiring the base to raise money and step up their campaign on the heels of the visit, plus the fact they already have begun stadium expansion are all signs and I its is pending as well.

I think it's all over except for the formalities.

If upgrading facilities were an indication of an imminent invite then Jax st. Liberty and mo st. Would have already been invited.
Also jax st has and are remodeling facilities every year for years now with more coming in the next few years.

(08-08-2015 03:10 PM)cleburneslim Wrote:  If upgrading facilities were an indication of an imminent invite then Jax st. Liberty and mo st. Would have already been invited.
Also jax st has and are remodeling facilities every year for years now with more coming in the next few years.

Yes but neither of those schools are getting a visit.

We were visited a couple years ago by a conference or conferences but that also does not equate an invititation.

(08-08-2015 02:27 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  You can't ignore history.

Just over a year ago the membership agreed it wanted to add a 12th member.
JMU said no. Mo State indicated no interest. Liberty, Jacksonville State, EKU, NMSU expressed interest and the process ended without naming anyone.

By all reliable accounts the process derailed because a group of western schools refused to support any of the eastern options and a group of eastern schools refused to support NMSU.

What has changed regarding Liberty, Jacksonville State, JMU, Mo State, NMSU? Nothing that we know anything about other than some facility work at NMSU.

What has changed with EKU? Stadium upgrade.
What else has changed? Coastal now in the mix.

So maybe Coastal is more appealing to the presidents than the last pool of candidates, EKU is seen as a more appealing and one of those either rejected or rejecting is in a different status.

But is any of this enough to offset the vote split last time where neither a western or eastern school could get 3/4ths vote.

I don't think Liberty is under consideration, circumstances haven't changed enough to be the ONE.

Seems far more likely that NMSU still has western support, there is still insufficient support for them alone or an eastern alone and the solution is to compromise taking two east and one west to get to 12/14

I don't think this is ignoring history and I think the Sun Belt has been looking for a 12th member for a couple of years.

I think we both basically agree on how we got here. The question...is there a 12th school in the east that will be a good addition and balance the league out in a manner that Benson and the Presidents originally envisioned?

I think that addition in the east is Coastal Carolina. That gets the league to 12/12, six eastern schools, six western schools. To the goal of divisions and reduced travel.

To add NMSU, the conference either goes to an 11/12 set-up or a 12/14 set-up. Why not add Coastal and be done with it? What makes it imperative to add NMSU at this point in time?

(08-08-2015 03:33 PM)statefanatic Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 03:10 PM)cleburneslim Wrote:  If upgrading facilities were an indication of an imminent invite then Jax st. Liberty and mo st. Would have already been invited.
Also jax st has and are remodeling facilities every year for years now with more coming in the next few years.

Yes but neither of those schools are getting a visit.

I'm being told JSU isn't interested at this time.