esayem
Hark The Sound!
Posts: 16,264
Joined: Feb 2007
Reputation: 1205
I Root For: Olde Ironclad
Location: Tobacco Road
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
I could see Old Dominion and Georgia State back in the Sun Belt.
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02-06-2009 02:48 PM |
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coachacola
Bench Warmer
Posts: 111
Joined: Jul 2007
Reputation: 5
I Root For: LAMAR
Location: Central Texas
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
I think there will be a new FBS conference within 5 or 6 years from now. UTSA has been talking to Larry Coker to be their first head coach. They have big plans for their football program. Texas State is now spending over $17 million on their stadium to add suites and more upgrades are planned for the future.
Lamar is about to spend almost $26 million to build a new 42,000 square foot athletic complex and renovate their 17,000 seat stadium. They are also about to spend $3.7 million for a new soccer field and field house for soccer and softball. The board of regents also gave the approval for Lamar to add women's swimming and bowling in the future if needed to comply with Title IX. I doubt they would do all this just to stay at the FCS level.
Sam Houston State would probably go FBS too if both Texas State and Lamar went FBS since they are all part of the same system.
With the Sunbelt already with 10 football playing schools there will be a need for another conference. Since the moratorium ends in 2011, things should get interesting after that.
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02-06-2009 06:53 PM |
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Burn the Horse
I'm Watching You
Posts: 8,626
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 280
I Root For: TROY
Location: Heart of Dixie
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
the only thing about all these 1-AA teams spending money to improve their facilities is, "do we want this school?" it isn't an insult, college athletics is big business. A conference has to look at a program and ask themselves, "can this school help our image? would they interest fans? could they compete?"
Bringing in a team like App State or Georgia Southern provide names people have heard of (especially the Mountaineers). I've never even thought of Lamar, never seen a game and don't even know what conference they are in. I just don't see them joining the Belt because they won't bring anything with them that we do not already have.
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02-06-2009 06:59 PM |
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CardinalBlackTrojan
Moderator
Posts: 8,386
Joined: Dec 2008
Reputation: 527
I Root For: TROY
Location: Clearwater Beach, FL
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
I wouldn't mind having another Texas school in the SBC. Texas is technically in the Sun Belt region after all! UTSA would be a good addition. Georgia State would give us a team out of Georgia and they are in Atlanta, so that's also good.
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02-06-2009 10:41 PM |
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chargeradio
Vamos Morados
Posts: 7,468
Joined: Mar 2007
Reputation: 121
I Root For: ALA, KY, USA
Location: Louisville, KY
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
If UALR and UNO don't move up to FBS, here are my picks:
1. Charlotte
Pros: Excellent market; former member; possible access to bowl game
Cons: new program; very much on C-USA's radar
2. Georgia State
Pros: Excellent market; former member; domed stadium
Cons: new program; next door to Georgia Tech
3. Georgia Southern
Pros: Excellent FCS tradition
Cons: Modest market
4. Appalachian State
Pros: Excellent FCS tradition
Cons: Little native market
5. UTSA
Pros: Excellent market; domed stadium
Cons: new program; on western edge of existing footprint
6. Texas State
Pros: Already in FCS
Cons: on western edge of footprint; modest market
7. Lamar
Pros: Former member; proximity to Louisiana members
Cons: new program; little native market
8. Sam Houston
Pros: Established FCS program
Cons: little native market
9. Central Arkansas
Pros: Upwardly mobile; would be in-state, in-conference FBS rival for Arkansas State
Cons: Hasn't been Division I very long; modest market duplicated by UALR
10. Jacksonville State
Pros: Existing FCS program; rivalry with Troy
Cons: little native market
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02-06-2009 11:24 PM |
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Burn the Horse
I'm Watching You
Posts: 8,626
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 280
I Root For: TROY
Location: Heart of Dixie
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
you should also add a con on jax state: would add third conference member in same state.
that would really crowd things up and make it difficult for the other two to operate as effectively. why add a new member if it will hurt two others? the conference exists to better and improve its members, this would go against that.
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02-06-2009 11:32 PM |
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chargeradio
Vamos Morados
Posts: 7,468
Joined: Mar 2007
Reputation: 121
I Root For: ALA, KY, USA
Location: Louisville, KY
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
(02-06-2009 11:32 PM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote: you should also add a con on jax state: would add third conference member in same state.
Yep, adding JSU would be the third member from Alabama out of what would be six FBS schools (Alabama, Auburn, and UAB are the others). The market limitations could be overcome, but adding JSU could make for an ugly divisional alignment if no one else left:
East:
Florida International/Florida Atlantic
South Alabama/Troy
Jacksonville State/???
West:
Western Kentucky/Middle Tennessee State
Louisiana/Louisiana-Monroe
North Texas/Arkansas State
Obviously you could move MTSU to the East or USA to the West, but you'll just be creating a different problem: either USA and Troy get separated, or WKU and MTSU get separated. Additionally, MTSU and WKU don't really belong in the West division given their proximity to Birmingham, Alabama. Adding JSU pretty much dictates adding another eastern school, preferably Georgia State.
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02-07-2009 12:04 AM |
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Burn the Horse
I'm Watching You
Posts: 8,626
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 280
I Root For: TROY
Location: Heart of Dixie
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
adding JSU presents more problems than benefits. i would be very dissapointed in this conference if they added the Gamecocks.
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02-07-2009 12:10 AM |
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TopCoog
Heisman
Posts: 6,940
Joined: Dec 2003
Reputation: 19
I Root For:
Location:
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
Many do not know that North Texas very nearly got into the SWC when Hayden Fry was coach there in the late 1960's. They were also the runner up when UTEP was added to CUSA back in 2004. North Texas and La Tech are the obvious front runners in cusa west should the league ever expand.
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02-07-2009 06:01 PM |
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DawgNBama
the Rush Limbaugh of CSNBBS
Posts: 8,320
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation: 446
I Root For: conservativism/MAGA
Location: US
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
I'm against adding Jax State as well because of their lack of a new, important market. Jax State is not far from Anniston, which in turn, is not far from B'ham. However, the B'ham market is saturated with Alabama, Auburn, and UAB, and I'm sure Anniston gives those guys lots of coverage as well. Ga. State would be a much better choice, IMO, considering we don't have the Atlanta market and we also have no Georgia teams.
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02-12-2009 01:07 PM |
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Burn the Horse
I'm Watching You
Posts: 8,626
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 280
I Root For: TROY
Location: Heart of Dixie
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
Georgia State brings us the Atlanta market, App State brings us the publicity of a great 1-AA program. those are the two we need.
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02-12-2009 01:33 PM |
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statefanatic
Howl at the Moon
Posts: 3,380
Joined: Feb 2009
Reputation: 95
I Root For: stAte
Location: jonesboro
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
I like UCA. They have been spending money and have a good football team.
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02-12-2009 02:16 PM |
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Burn the Horse
I'm Watching You
Posts: 8,626
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 280
I Root For: TROY
Location: Heart of Dixie
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
there are tons of 1-AA programs who spend money and play decent football. the trick is finding the programs that bring something to the table.
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02-12-2009 02:48 PM |
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statefanatic
Howl at the Moon
Posts: 3,380
Joined: Feb 2009
Reputation: 95
I Root For: stAte
Location: jonesboro
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
UCA brings the Little Rock market, plus an in state rival in football for ASU.
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02-12-2009 02:50 PM |
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sotsclarinet08
2nd String
Posts: 468
Joined: Feb 2009
Reputation: 17
I Root For: TROY
Location: Troy, AL
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
yeah UCA is located in Conway, Ark which is down the rode from Little Rock, both cities are GREAT markets! and for a 1-AA their stadium is great and their campus is gorgous, located in a large city.
I would rather like to see Georgia Southern than Georgia State. Yes we'd get the ATL market but I'm from Columbus, GA and you don't hear of anyone going to Georgia State for football... If you play football in Georgia you go to UGA, GATech, or Georgia Southern thats about it....
I think adding a Georgia team would really help the Belt but also I hear complaints of adding them would take away Middle Tenn. and TROY's recruits. So it has its pros and cons...
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02-12-2009 03:45 PM |
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NCowl
Go Owls!
Posts: 2,065
Joined: Feb 2009
Reputation: 64
I Root For: FAU
Location: South Cackalack
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RE: 1-AA to the Belt
(02-06-2009 09:13 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote: TROY knows all about having to prove themselves. We've had to climb the mountain without ropes.
Yeah, we climbed that same 1-AA mountain, only we did it in 3 years going to the championship game.... boya!
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02-12-2009 03:52 PM |
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