(02-06-2021 11:28 AM)Duckster Wrote:  Do away with football divisions. Play 9 conference games. Top two play in championship game. With three non conference games you can still play a P5, a G5, and an FCS game if you want to.

For MBB, only Top 6 play Conference tourney for NCAA bid with 1 and 2 seeds getting a bye. If the name of the game is turning a profit off the conference tourney let the 1 seed host. If they can't host it goes to 2 seed and so forth. I know neutral site is ideal, but the number of traveling basketball fans in SBC is minute. Bigger crowds will add excitement and to the bottom line. Keeps the fan dollars circulating in conference university towns instead of some distant metro.

That's going to be a pretty unpopular opinion not just among the fans but the ADs as well.

If you don't like unbalanced schedules the solution is to only count division games toward division championships.

(02-06-2021 11:29 AM)MOTIAW Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 11:23 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 11:20 AM)MOTIAW Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 10:51 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  I'm going to leave out things that are obvious that everyone wants like "get better bowl tie-ins" and "improve basketball".

1. Either get rid of the MBB tournament or adopt a 4-team round robin format with everyone playing each other twice. If we want to improve conference perception we need to send our best team to the NCAAs and stop letting teams steal bids.

2. Establish a much better presence on social media and and do more media interviews (e.g. Jonesboro Radio).

3. End the guarantee of both baseball division champs getting a top seed.

4. Work with other G5 commissioners and perhaps even some lower-tier P5s to undermine one-time transfer rule if it is passed to keep G5s from being P5 farm system. Basically, establish G5-wide guidelines on who gets a release from their LOI.

And while we are at it Jesus... this too.

That might be a possibility but not until after the Spring 2028 season. ESPN has got their teeth on a full MBB tournament. We're lucky that Pensacola wants it for the next several years

I’d agree “getting rid of it” isn’t going to happen. But I do think it can be better structured to give #1 the best chance. If ESPN puts a limit on # of participants, fine, just bracket it (double byes or whatever) so the lesser teams are dog tired and the top team has every edge.

I’m not worried about keeping hope alive for everyone outside the top 1-2... I’m worried about raising the profile of the conference by having #1 pass through and get those GaSt, Murray St, Winthrop, Liberty, etc type wins.

I’m for keeping the conference tournament open to all teams. If you don’t want a bottom team to win the league, do t lose to the bottom team.

(02-06-2021 11:44 AM)AppinVA Wrote:  I’m for keeping the conference tournament open to all teams. If you don’t want a bottom team to win the league, do t lose to the bottom team.

Sames. I LOVE college conference tournaments. I am usually glued to the tv in the same way I am with Bowl Season.

The way you keep that lower seed fro, winning it all and taking the regular season champs spot from the big dance, easy answer. We all have to do better during the season and get past this one bid league BS. We have to prove it on the court in OOC games.

(02-06-2021 11:51 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 11:44 AM)AppinVA Wrote:  I’m for keeping the conference tournament open to all teams. If you don’t want a bottom team to win the league, do t lose to the bottom team.

Sames. I LOVE college conference tournaments. I am usually glued to the tv in the same way I am with Bowl Season.

I doubt the tournament format will change any time soon. I'm pretty sure the deal with Pensacola included an agreement that all teams would be there. No way they would have bid for a tournament that would have included only 4 teams (i.e. last year's set-up).

(02-06-2021 11:36 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 11:28 AM)Duckster Wrote:  Do away with football divisions. Play 9 conference games. Top two play in championship game. With three non conference games you can still play a P5, a G5, and an FCS game if you want to.

For MBB, only Top 6 play Conference tourney for NCAA bid with 1 and 2 seeds getting a bye. If the name of the game is turning a profit off the conference tourney let the 1 seed host. If they can't host it goes to 2 seed and so forth. I know neutral site is ideal, but the number of traveling basketball fans in SBC is minute. Bigger crowds will add excitement and to the bottom line. Keeps the fan dollars circulating in conference university towns instead of some distant metro.

That's going to be a pretty unpopular opinion not just among the fans but the ADs as well.

If you don't like unbalanced schedules the solution is to only count division games toward division championships.

I hear you Eagle, I'd be an even less popular Commissioner than Gill. Ha. OK, assuming divisions remain as , why not play all your conference mates every year given we have 10 football playing members?

Or, have the tourney, for a trophy and bragging rights, but send the regular season champ by decree. It’s a much more honest, and beneficial, representation. Wanna give little Johnny #12 team a prize... a tourney trophy and trip to the NIT can be it. Doesn’t help anyone to send Johnny to the NCAAs play-in games.

If you can't hold up steam playing daily and winning in a conference tourney you shouldn't be the representative of the conference in the NCAA tourney, imo.

(02-06-2021 02:52 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  If you can't hold up steam playing daily and winning in a conference tourney you shouldn't be the representative of the conference in the NCAA tourney, imo.

Maybe. And, yes, most years it works out that way. But the way the hoops landscape is changing, “most”, isn’t good enough anymore.

We used to dream of being a 2 bid conference... it will NEVER happen now. Tides have shifted to the smallest number of non-P5 teams we’ve ever seen in March Madness.

You don’t get a chance to develop a reputation anymore, as giant killers, or as a good, solid G5 conference without a multi-year run of solid tourney appearances. That can’t be interrupted by a lucky underdog. Just can’t.

You guys do realize the commissioner is a figure head with very little power to do what you guys want to do? right?

I'd dump UTA and LR unless they get football. Let them hang out in basketball conferences or the WAC. They're doing nothing to improve the Sun Belt brand. (Just my opinion as a UTA fan.)

(02-10-2021 11:50 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  I'd dump UTA and LR unless they get football. Let them hang out in basketball conferences or the WAC. They're doing nothing to improve the Sun Belt brand. (Just my opinion as a UTA fan.)

I like the honesty, because yes these two teams should be dominating the conference. UTA probably could have a nice home in the new WAC ad LR would crush everyone in the Southland.

(02-10-2021 11:50 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  I'd dump UTA and LR unless they get football. Let them hang out in basketball conferences or the WAC. They're doing nothing to improve the Sun Belt brand. (Just my opinion as a UTA fan.)

I'll be honest, I'm just the opposite. I'd prefer both schools without football. I think Texas already has more college football teams than it can support and I don't know if LR has the resources.

They definitely help the eastern schools out by getting two conference games on the same trip out west. However, the Belt needs them to be pulling in NCAA credits too. I think they get equal share of the TV deal with ESPN. Get the conference some dough.

(02-10-2021 12:43 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  They definitely help the eastern schools out by getting two conference games on the same trip out west. However, the Belt needs them to be pulling in NCAA credits too. I think they get equal share of the TV deal with ESPN. Get the conference some dough.

This is the problem with them. they have not brought anything other than travel partners to the league. ( Little Rock had one great year, and a bunch of terrible years). But they getting equal T.V. money. We need them to be strong in Basketball.

(02-10-2021 12:59 PM)balanced_view Wrote:  

(02-10-2021 12:43 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  They definitely help the eastern schools out by getting two conference games on the same trip out west. However, the Belt needs them to be pulling in NCAA credits too. I think they get equal share of the TV deal with ESPN. Get the conference some dough.

This is the problem with them. they have not brought anything other than travel partners to the league. ( Little Rock had one great year, and a bunch of terrible years). But they getting equal T.V. money. We need them to be strong in Basketball.

I didn't even think about TV money. Yeah, that'll keep UTA or LR from leaving to go to any of the FCS leagues because those leagues get nothing from TV.

(02-10-2021 11:50 AM)wewererebels Wrote:  I'd dump UTA and LR unless they get football. Let them hang out in basketball conferences or the WAC. They're doing nothing to improve the Sun Belt brand. (Just my opinion as a UTA fan.)

Wow, you are being brutally honest as a UTA fan. I like being in the Sun Belt. I also believe UTA and LR bring value as basketball members. While our value on the women's side is irrefutable, I think our men have held their own over the years. More recently, we have won 2 Sun Belt championships in the past 5 years. I also think the 12 and 10, football and basketball, respectively, works quite well. UTA had some really good years with Coach Cross, despite flaming out in tournament.

We have a commissioner? What does he look like? The first thing I'd do would be to hire a good commissioner.

(02-06-2021 09:12 AM)MOTIAW Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 08:51 AM)balanced_view Wrote:  

(02-06-2021 08:27 AM)MOTIAW Wrote:  Officially revoke Louisiana’s co-Champ silliness.

In seriousness, establish rulings about any post season tourney that can’t be completed, to do what’s best for the Sun Belt as a whole and send it’s regular season winner to NCAA post season play. And do it now, instead of on the fly, which we’ve proven to be horrible at.

Ex#1 this past football season
Ex#2 the Statesboro rain shortened baseball best-of-one fiasco
Ex#3 you know it’s gonna happen with hoops this year

If i were Commissioner, i would create a section on the Sun Belt home page website stating what the duties of a commissioner are, so fans stop confusing what the presidents decide with their power and what i say to the public.

I get what your saying, and believe it or not, I agree with you. However, let’s be real, regardless of who decides, the Commissioner is the “official mouthpiece”, no?

I mean how many times have we seen 10-12 school prez hunkered behind a microphone at a press conference, making announcements. Sure they decide, duh.

But if the Commissioner isn’t helping lay groundwork, garner support, mediating differences, etc... then why have one? If we have a Commissioner, then he/she should be the one up front, making it seem some someone is running/advocating for the conference.

If not, we aren’t going anywhere good, because forget to outward appearance, how are a bunch of JerryJones-esque, dysfunctional individual ADs/prez/fan bases ever gonna get along for a common good?

But maybe it's time for fans to take a realistic lay of the land and realize where they are at.

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(02-06-2021 09:30 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  1. Set standards for video production. No more video board bull****. Give me two guys in the booth. One reporter on the field. Four cameras. Real lag-free internet speeds. HD Cameras built after 2015.

2. Work with ESPN to sell the 3rd tier rights to local ABC owned HD side-channels, or any local stations really, and split the money. There's no reason App vs. in-state FCS school isn't on WXII/WLOS/WSOC. Same with UL and CCU baseball games airing on local stations.

3. Do away with the thought of basketball pods.

4. No more lower-tier basketball games unless they're preseason/exhibition

5. Work with NOLA or Mobile bowl to increase the payout to lure in a P5 vs. SBC Champ.

6. Weekly Q&A with the Commish online

7. Separate our FB officiating from the SEC and their rejects/newbies

8. Travel (post-COVID) to a school hosting a game/match each week for a TV appearance.

Can agree with most of this, particularly 1 and 2

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