Cutting through the ignorant crap too many writers are throwing out there.

http://beltboard.com/?p=403

(06-13-2010 01:35 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Cutting through the ignorant crap too many writers are throwing out there.

http://beltboard.com/?p=403

Going to post this over on CFN if that's ok.

My thoughts, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but it seems as though teams near major TV markets will be in demand: UNT, MT, and WKU (near Nashville and not terribly far from Lousiville) are the only teams that standout from the Sun Belt, except maybe ASU because they are somewhat near Memphis. Seems like remaining Non AQ schools will pool together based on TV markets to a great extent. Oh and Troy is near Birmingham, sort of.

Outside the elite, it is a different economy and has been for some time.

CUSA has taken the viewpoint that markets are of paramount importance but a very high level achiever can be invited.

MWC has taken the viewpoint that aligning regional rivalries are of top importance but market is a consideration if a good enough program is available outside the region. MWC has elected to forego a higher income from ESPN and higher income to get a TV package that keeps them from having to play mid-week to get their main exposure.

CUSA is built to chase TV dollars, MWC is built to sell tickets and get the best possible teams in and around their footprint.

And whats the SunBelts strategy?

(06-13-2010 09:22 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Outside the elite, it is a different economy and has been for some time.

CUSA has taken the viewpoint that markets are of paramount importance but a very high level achiever can be invited.

MWC has taken the viewpoint that aligning regional rivalries are of top importance but market is a consideration if a good enough program is available outside the region. MWC has elected to forego a higher income from ESPN and higher income to get a TV package that keeps them from having to play mid-week to get their main exposure.

CUSA is built to chase TV dollars, MWC is built to sell tickets and get the best possible teams in and around their footprint.

So, the most likely invite for any of us would be Conf USA and possibly UNT and or ASU to the WAC if the Sun Belt folds up.

(06-13-2010 09:27 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  And whats the SunBelts strategy?

Great question! We are not able to take advantage of any of the markets we are in as we are subordinate to major programs. So we are not about television. It appears that we are pretty much on par with the MWC and MAC in that we are subordinate to major programs, but if we stay together and grow we can continue to establish fan base and a following in those areas to become relevant.

I really dont think the SBC has positioned itself to do much in this rearrangement. It has not prepared for the future. Look at the basketball RPI. It blows. Who wants anyone from the SBC anyway?

(06-13-2010 12:05 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  I really dont think the SBC has positioned itself to do much in this rearrangement. It has not prepared for the future. Look at the basketball RPI. It blows. Who wants anyone from the SBC anyway?

Well, rearrangment came early and we've done our best. I can't think of one school that hasn't improved facilites to at least a decent, if not a nice level. We've added a quality b ball school in WKU that will also turn out to be a decent football school, if not a really good one. We are adding USA, a quality FBS program. We have improved our bowl game and tv scenarios. We are continuing to improve when we can, just look at UNT's new stadium. What more can we do? If we had a $100 million endowment at each school, we might be able to improve things more quickly, but I doubt it. I don't think you are very educated on the Sun Belt. No offense, but you may want to read and learn a little more before you form an opinion.

What would we be able to do to better our conference when it comes to expansion? Is there any team that we could get that would bring more than they'd take away? Even adding C-USA teams (probably the best we could get) would dilute more than enhance.

We're not in a position to be proactive. We must be reactive. The best planning the conference can do is to imagine how to replace teams that get lost. If any get poached.

(06-13-2010 12:27 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 12:05 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  I really dont think the SBC has positioned itself to do much in this rearrangement. It has not prepared for the future. Look at the basketball RPI. It blows. Who wants anyone from the SBC anyway?

Well, rearrangment came early and we've done our best. I can't think of one school that hasn't improved facilites to at least a decent, if not a nice level. We've added a quality b ball school in WKU that will also turn out to be a decent football school, if not a really good one. We are adding USA, a quality FBS program. We have improved our bowl game and tv scenarios. We are continuing to improve when we can, just look at UNT's new stadium. What more can we do? If we had a $100 million endowment at each school, we might be able to improve things more quickly, but I doubt it. I don't think you are very educated on the Sun Belt. No offense, but you may want to read and learn a little more before you form an opinion.

If I was in control of the SBC I would have to see where we are today in relation to CUSA. It is my opinion that the current makeup of the SBC, which is years younger than CUSA, is a few million dollars away from being on par with CUSA. Based upon this information, I would gather Tulsa, Southern Miss, UAB and SMU together and sell them on the facts. Their addition, coupled with the current makeup of the SBC, would actually make the SBC a more lucrative conference than CUSA in football. Their additions would place the SBC into markets that it needs to be in, would cut down on their travel, and would allow the SBC to negotiate a television deal with ESPN or Fox that would eclipse CUSA's current deal. This offer would be very appealing given the fact that Memphis (and their basketball program) is already trying to leave CUSA. Moreover, whenever the Big East does take E. Carolina (and UCF for that matter), CUSA will be hurting.

There is little strategy that can be employed other than staying calm and trying to calm down our neighbors who can hurt us and panic those who can help.

La.Tech who can help our BCS numbers is over a barrel. It's CUSA or Sun Belt, we know their preference, that's pretty easy but there has to be a spot to go to.

Texas State isn't a high value target but they offer some benefits, one taking them seals off the WAC from helping Tech stay, two it works to smooth out the western edge. They just don't help TV or hoops.

Missouri State can help basketball and while they are probably in the same non-FBS stance as WKU was, opening the books might have the same impact it had on WKU. If the last gasp save the Big 12 plan works we are probably setting the stage for another realignment round in the next 4-8 years and Missouri State needs FBS to be relevant.

Past member NMSU has found the WAC to be rough sledding and may not be firm members at this point.

(06-13-2010 12:54 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  There is little strategy that can be employed other than staying calm and trying to calm down our neighbors who can hurt us and panic those who can help.

La.Tech who can help our BCS numbers is over a barrel. It's CUSA or Sun Belt, we know their preference, that's pretty easy but there has to be a spot to go to.

Texas State isn't a high value target but they offer some benefits, one taking them seals off the WAC from helping Tech stay, two it works to smooth out the western edge. They just don't help TV or hoops.

Missouri State can help basketball and while they are probably in the same non-FBS stance as WKU was, opening the books might have the same impact it had on WKU. If the last gasp save the Big 12 plan works we are probably setting the stage for another realignment round in the next 4-8 years and Missouri State needs FBS to be relevant.

Past member NMSU has found the WAC to be rough sledding and may not be firm members at this point.

I know they were a part of the 'Belt before but if wanted to stay more geographically based isnt this school WAY out there?

(06-13-2010 01:02 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 12:54 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  There is little strategy that can be employed other than staying calm and trying to calm down our neighbors who can hurt us and panic those who can help.

La.Tech who can help our BCS numbers is over a barrel. It's CUSA or Sun Belt, we know their preference, that's pretty easy but there has to be a spot to go to.

Texas State isn't a high value target but they offer some benefits, one taking them seals off the WAC from helping Tech stay, two it works to smooth out the western edge. They just don't help TV or hoops.

Missouri State can help basketball and while they are probably in the same non-FBS stance as WKU was, opening the books might have the same impact it had on WKU. If the last gasp save the Big 12 plan works we are probably setting the stage for another realignment round in the next 4-8 years and Missouri State needs FBS to be relevant.

Past member NMSU has found the WAC to be rough sledding and may not be firm members at this point.

I know they were a part of the 'Belt before but if wanted to stay more geographically based isnt this school WAY out there?

Las Cruces, NM to Fort Lauderdale, FL - 1,957 miles...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As a fan I prefer the MWC approach.

However IF C=USA had a team or two that could get
into and stay in the top 15 etc... maybe even earn an
at-large BCS bowl invite----then the C-USA approach might
give the conference some real financial legs.

The closest WAC school to NMSU is Utah State and its like 20 miles closer than the second closest WAC team, La.Tech.

(06-13-2010 12:27 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 12:05 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  I really dont think the SBC has positioned itself to do much in this rearrangement. It has not prepared for the future. Look at the basketball RPI. It blows. Who wants anyone from the SBC anyway?

Well, rearrangment came early and we've done our best. I can't think of one school that hasn't improved facilites to at least a decent, if not a nice level. We've added a quality b ball school in WKU that will also turn out to be a decent football school, if not a really good one. We are adding USA, a quality FBS program. We have improved our bowl game and tv scenarios. We are continuing to improve when we can, just look at UNT's new stadium. What more can we do? If we had a $100 million endowment at each school, we might be able to improve things more quickly, but I doubt it. I don't think you are very educated on the Sun Belt. No offense, but you may want to read and learn a little more before you form an opinion.

Exerpt from an article in today's Denton Record Chronicle

A changing landscape

North Texas has built or is in the process of building 11 new facilities that have dramatically upgraded the school’s athletic program at a cost of approximately $100 million. The following is a list of new facilities and what they cost:

Football stadium (opens in 2011) -- UNT is in the process of building a football stadium that will seat more than 30,000. The estimated cost is $78 million.

Mean Green Athletic Center (2005) -- UNT spent $8 million to build a new athletic center that houses offices for the football coaching staff and athletic department administration. The Darrell R. Dickey Practice Facility with two football fields was built at the same time.

Liberty Christian campus acquisition (2005) -- UNT purchased Liberty Christian’s campus at a cost of $5.1 million and renovated it to create coaches offices for women’s sports, a new soccer field, a volleyball court, locker rooms for its soccer and volleyball teams, indoor batting cages for softball, a golf practice facility and an academic center. Renovations to the softball field, indoor batting cages and golf greens alone cost approximately $3.5 million.

Waranch Tennis Center (2006) -- UNT built a $3 million tennis facility complete with offices for coaches and a locker room for its women’s tennis team.

Lovelace Stadium (2007) -- Opened a new field in its softball stadium for approximately $900,000.

(06-13-2010 01:21 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The closest WAC school to NMSU is Utah State and its like 20 miles closer than the second closest WAC team, La.Tech.

And Google directions say drivetime is about 10 minues less to Ruston than it is to Logan, Utah.

(06-13-2010 04:59 PM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 01:21 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The closest WAC school to NMSU is Utah State and its like 20 miles closer than the second closest WAC team, La.Tech.

And Google directions say drivetime is about 10 minues less to Ruston than it is to Logan, Utah.

Sorry - no one is driving from Las Cruces to Logan - or to Ruston for that matter...

NMSU is just plain isolated from almost everyone, except UTEP and UNM (oh and Texas Tech and Azizona -lol - good luck to us on those rivalries...).

Best connections for NMSU are the airports - El Paso to where ever. Texas makes sense and California makes sense. That' s about it.

And...except for FB, NMSU has thrived in the WAC. (I know, it's all about FB - we're still hopeful).

(06-13-2010 02:21 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 12:27 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(06-13-2010 12:05 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  I really dont think the SBC has positioned itself to do much in this rearrangement. It has not prepared for the future. Look at the basketball RPI. It blows. Who wants anyone from the SBC anyway?

Well, rearrangment came early and we've done our best. I can't think of one school that hasn't improved facilites to at least a decent, if not a nice level. We've added a quality b ball school in WKU that will also turn out to be a decent football school, if not a really good one. We are adding USA, a quality FBS program. We have improved our bowl game and tv scenarios. We are continuing to improve when we can, just look at UNT's new stadium. What more can we do? If we had a $100 million endowment at each school, we might be able to improve things more quickly, but I doubt it. I don't think you are very educated on the Sun Belt. No offense, but you may want to read and learn a little more before you form an opinion.

Exerpt from an article in today's Denton Record Chronicle

A changing landscape

North Texas has built or is in the process of building 11 new facilities that have dramatically upgraded the school’s athletic program at a cost of approximately $100 million. The following is a list of new facilities and what they cost:

Football stadium (opens in 2011) -- UNT is in the process of building a football stadium that will seat more than 30,000. The estimated cost is $78 million.

Mean Green Athletic Center (2005) -- UNT spent $8 million to build a new athletic center that houses offices for the football coaching staff and athletic department administration. The Darrell R. Dickey Practice Facility with two football fields was built at the same time.

Liberty Christian campus acquisition (2005) -- UNT purchased Liberty Christian’s campus at a cost of $5.1 million and renovated it to create coaches offices for women’s sports, a new soccer field, a volleyball court, locker rooms for its soccer and volleyball teams, indoor batting cages for softball, a golf practice facility and an academic center. Renovations to the softball field, indoor batting cages and golf greens alone cost approximately $3.5 million.

Waranch Tennis Center (2006) -- UNT built a $3 million tennis facility complete with offices for coaches and a locker room for its women’s tennis team.

Lovelace Stadium (2007) -- Opened a new field in its softball stadium for approximately $900,000.

With all due respect to North Texas:

I'm so sick of this facility crap you keep throwing out. These upgrades didn't make you SUPERIOR to the rest of the conference, they made you COMPARABLE.

In the last 10 years, MT has built new track/soccer, golf, softball, baseball and volleyball facilities, but you don't see us out here having a d*** measuring contest every day.

And for the record, our volleyball's better than yours, our track and soccer's better than yours, our golf's better than yours, our baseball's better than yours (LOL, you don't have baseball) and our softball is equal.

Just because you are building a new football stadium doesn't magically make you the class of the Sun Belt. You've won like five freaking SBC games in the last five years.