With Idaho joining the Big Sky in FCS football and with Wichita State bolting for the AAC...will the timing be right for Sun Belt football to go to a permanent 12 team conference? Now is a good time to begin talks with Missouri State to join as they are not that happy with the MVC. With Idaho joining the Big Sky makes it easier for the Sun Belt to offer NMSU full membership.

East:

Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy

West

Arkansas State
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Missouri State
New Mexico State
Texas State

Other Sports

East:

Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Little Rock

West:

Arkansas State
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Missouri State
New Mexico State
Texas Arlington
Texas State

Missouri State offers.....nothing. We aren’t going to 12 any time soon.


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Is Missiouri State having any of the issues Mizzou is having with declining attendance???

(07-04-2017 09:57 PM)WolfBird Wrote:  Missouri State offers.....nothing. We aren’t going to 12 any time soon.


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A thousand times NO MORE MOVE UPS!

If you think the move ups are so great, go join them in FCS.

No to Missouri State. We need teams that have a chance in ooc matchups. Looking at their schedule from last year, their wins and losses were schizophrenic at best. They lost big to some unranked teams but also played some ranked teams pretty close (at least by the score). 2015 looks like a horror story...they only won their tune up game, and every loss was basically a blow out (closest loss was by 28 points). In fact, they have had 4 winning seasons of 6-5 since 1997. I don't see them doing a whole lot for our conference image. All worthwhile FCS teams worth taking a risk on (that are in our footprint) are east of the Mississippi River, likely meaning that whoever came in would force Troy to play in the western division.

(07-04-2017 10:11 PM)TaxusExpress Wrote:  

(07-04-2017 09:57 PM)WolfBird Wrote:  Missouri State offers.....nothing. We aren’t going to 12 any time soon.


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A thousand times NO MORE MOVE UPS!

If you think the move ups are so great, go join them in FCS.

(07-04-2017 10:28 PM)EagleNationRising Wrote:  No to Missouri State. We need teams that have a chance in ooc matchups. They'll do nothing for our conference image. All worthwhile FCS teams worth taking a risk on (that are in our footprint) are east of the Mississippi River, likely meaning that whoever came in would force Troy to play in the western division.

I agree with both of these post. It's time to let things settle in for a few years. No reason to make any more moves until the P5 conferences make any more moves. The longer we are stable the better our perception will get.

More schools more money we have to split. IMO we're good where we at.

(07-04-2017 09:57 PM)WolfBird Wrote:  Missouri State offers.....nothing. We aren’t going to 12 any time soon.


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Not nothing. Their baseball program is Top 15 in the country.

Otherwise...yeah, not much.

The Sun Belt should only expand if the potential teams are from another FBS Conference. Otherwise, there is no incentive to expand FCS further, and not enough perception gain to make it worth our while.

Besides, we've taken pretty much every top team in FCS sans NDSU and JMU.

No expansion from the FCS unless it's JSU or JMU (the only "big names" left that are in our footprint). And that's if we even have to. Ideally, the only teams we should be expanding are teams that boost our conference's perception and expanding from the FCS does not do that regardless of who the team is.

The SBC is focused on making its footprint smaller so adding NMSU and Mo State isn't in our best interests.

I'm still banking on the next round of realignment including a merge of G5 conferences rather than calling up teams.

Patience.

Stability isn't an issue with 10 football members and Liberty, UMass, and NMSU playing as independents.

Let CUSA member disillusionment with their conference continue to grow and when the time is right, pounce.

Zero pressing need to be at 12 football members.

Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

(07-05-2017 06:53 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Patience.

Stability isn't an issue with 10 football members and Liberty, UMass, and NMSU playing as independents.

Let CUSA member disillusionment with their conference continue to grow and when the time is right, pounce.

Zero pressing need to be at 12 football members.

I agree the Sun Belt has time on our side. I like NMSU but they continue to be too far outside the footprint so unless we add them with UTEP as travel partners they are out of luck.

It might be pie in the sky kind of thinking but if Benson manages to negotiate a better TV deal than CUSA this go around and we continue to better CUSA on the field we could have a strong case to raid them for a change should we want to expand.

(07-05-2017 07:59 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

This plus USM or ODU and that's a beautiful conference

Spare me the no move ups whine.

We've done quite well with move-ups. Since the league started every champion except the Cajuns share of the tri-championship and 2013 share with AState has been a former move-up.

The question is always can the potential school sell tickets, fund their program, and have a history of doing things well?

Given the current circumstances for the Sun Belt, we get to ask another question. Do they make the league better?

Right now I don't see anyone that is a clear Yes to the last question.

(07-05-2017 08:18 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 07:59 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

This plus USM or ODU and that's a beautiful conference

In all reality we might see a Gulf & Atlantic conferences very soon there is a lot of chatter

Gulf
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State
South Alabama
USM
La tech
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
WKU*

Atlantic
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Old Dominion
UAB*

*can be switched interchangeably

(07-05-2017 09:53 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 08:18 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 07:59 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

This plus USM or ODU and that's a beautiful conference

In all reality we might see a Gulf & Atlantic conferences very soon there is a lot of chatter

Gulf
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State
South Alabama
USM
La tech
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
WKU*

Atlantic
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Old Dominion
UAB*

*can be switched interchangeably

If we realign based on geography which is the stupidest way to realign imo

(07-05-2017 09:53 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 08:18 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 07:59 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

This plus USM or ODU and that's a beautiful conference

In all reality we might see a Gulf & Atlantic conferences very soon there is a lot of chatter

Gulf
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State
South Alabama
USM
La tech
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
WKU*

Atlantic
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Old Dominion
UAB*

*can be switched interchangeably

Besides message boards, where is all this "chatter" taking place?
Where is al this

(07-05-2017 10:02 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Besides message boards, where is all this "chatter" taking place?
Where is all this?

Several AD's are on record as saying a merge can't be avoided and King Karl has been dodging questions about the subject but implying that there is real talking going on behind the scenes

(07-05-2017 09:53 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 08:18 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(07-05-2017 07:59 AM)Cajun_lannister Wrote:  Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State

Fixed it for you

This plus USM or ODU and that's a beautiful conference

In all reality we might see a Gulf & Atlantic conferences very soon there is a lot of chatter

Gulf
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Texas State
South Alabama
USM
La tech
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
WKU*

Atlantic
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Old Dominion
UAB*

*can be switched interchangeably

Basically a SB and CUSA merger. You have left out Charlotte, Troy, UTEP, and ULM. I would think they would want in on the action too.