Ten years of Sun Belt football in the books except for THREE bowl games to be played.

Every member except newcomer WKU (and soon by NCAA edict ASU when the penalties are final) has won at least a share of one title. FAU wasn't on anyone's radar at that point as they played their first season of football and they've gone to two bowls representing the league. FIU hadn't played a game yet and there was a vague awareness that they would come in the league sometime around 2007 to 2009 with the usual fan caveat that such membership was unlikely because CUSA or Big East would surely call before then. The rest of us were too concerned about keeping the rickety collection together long enough to see a 10th anniversary.

There were plenty of sneers directed at the league, accompanied by assurances that the New Orleans Bowl would either fold or kick the Sun Belt out in the next 3, 4, or 5 years depending on the person making the prediction. There were also plenty of predictions the league would never see year 5 and they damn near were correct. If UNT had accepted WAC membership, the league would have been Idaho rather than UNT and Idaho as full member would have led to eventual financial failure for the Vandals and UNT would now be floating along in a left for dead WAC. Survival would probably have rested on Texas State not getting cold feet the last time they considered I-A membership.

10 years ago, who would have predicted that today the WAC would be the one facing multiple announcements of terminated bowl agreements and seeing FCS schools publicly reject their overtures.

We aren't where I expected to be in basketball at this point and despite a very lousy football year across the board, football is on a much stronger footing than I would have committed to writing down and predicting.

It's been a mostly fun ride gang.

(12-14-2010 02:15 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Ten years of Sun Belt football in the books except for THREE bowl games to be played.

Every member except newcomer WKU (and soon by NCAA edict ASU when the penalties are final) has won at least a share of one title. FAU wasn't on anyone's radar at that point as they played their first season of football and they've gone to two bowls representing the league. FIU hadn't played a game yet and there was a vague awareness that they would come in the league sometime around 2007 to 2009 with the usual fan caveat that such membership was unlikely because CUSA or Big East would surely call before then. The rest of us were too concerned about keeping the rickety collection together long enough to see a 10th anniversary.

There were plenty of sneers directed at the league, accompanied by assurances that the New Orleans Bowl would either fold or kick the Sun Belt out in the next 3, 4, or 5 years depending on the person making the prediction. There were also plenty of predictions the league would never see year 5 and they damn near were correct. If UNT had accepted WAC membership, the league would have been Idaho rather than UNT and Idaho as full member would have led to eventual financial failure for the Vandals and UNT would now be floating along in a left for dead WAC. Survival would probably have rested on Texas State not getting cold feet the last time they considered I-A membership.

10 years ago, who would have predicted that today the WAC would be the one facing multiple announcements of terminated bowl agreements and seeing FCS schools publicly reject their overtures.

We aren't where I expected to be in basketball at this point and despite a very lousy football year across the board, football is on a much stronger footing than I would have committed to writing down and predicting.

It's been a mostly fun ride gang.

Here, here!...Here's to longevity, SBC!

It's nice not to be constantly hearing about which SBC football schools will be relegated to FCS due to attendance issues.

And 3 bowl teams - our reputation as the worst league in the history of football is in serious jeopardy.

I think that with our footprint it will be difficult to ever bring this conference down. I for one would still go to games if we had good home schedules against non aq's and never played the "big" boys. Playing the AQ's is nice, but I think the non aq's have a good overall product and most of them have fan bases that are large enough at this point to support their teams even if we had to implement our own bowl system.

(12-14-2010 08:36 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  I think that with our footprint it will be difficult to ever bring this conference down. I for one would still go to games if we had good home schedules against non aq's and never played the "big" boys. Playing the AQ's is nice, but I think the non aq's have a good overall product and most of them have fan bases that are large enough at this point to support their teams even if we had to implement our own bowl system.

I don't know that 10 years from now there will be a conference called the Sun Belt because weird things happen and I believe CUSA is going to fracture, either geographically or financially and that is going to impact us but everyone is still going to be playing football.

True and the good thing is that at this point, even the non aq's will be viable enough to continue on in the face of change.

I have the 10th SBC Anniversary Book signed by Coach Stock. It is very well done. Just don't want to see any more pictures of Booger Kennedy.

The most interesting part of the brief history of the sunbelt to me is watching rivalries develop between league members. MT/Troy is a good rivalry right now, and watching NT and MT fans spar is always fun. FIU and FAU hate each other, and that's pretty much the way the cajuns are with the warhawks (I'll say I think its a rivalry because I've grown to absolutely hate everything about that school). I feel like the cajuns have a little bit of a rivalry with ASU as well as every game in that series is always close. WKU will develop football rivalries eventually, but right now, they just still have their basic rivalry with MT, but MT really looks more towards Troy as their rival as of right now.

I don't know...MT and WKU have been rivals for a loooooooong time...

(12-15-2010 02:17 AM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  The most interesting part of the brief history of the sunbelt to me is watching rivalries develop between league members. MT/Troy is a good rivalry right now, and watching NT and MT fans spar is always fun. FIU and FAU hate each other, and that's pretty much the way the cajuns are with the warhawks (I'll say I think its a rivalry because I've grown to absolutely hate everything about that school). I feel like the cajuns have a little bit of a rivalry with ASU as well as every game in that series is always close. WKU will develop football rivalries eventually, but right now, they just still have their basic rivalry with MT, but MT really looks more towards Troy as their rival as of right now.

Feeling's mutual.

(12-15-2010 02:17 AM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  The most interesting part of the brief history of the sunbelt to me is watching rivalries develop between league members. MT/Troy is a good rivalry right now, and watching NT and MT fans spar is always fun. FIU and FAU hate each other, and that's pretty much the way the cajuns are with the warhawks (I'll say I think its a rivalry because I've grown to absolutely hate everything about that school). I feel like the cajuns have a little bit of a rivalry with ASU as well as every game in that series is always close. WKU will develop football rivalries eventually, but right now, they just still have their basic rivalry with MT, but MT really looks more towards Troy as their rival as of right now.

sound about right

As long as we can stay in the same conference as Middle and stAte I'll be happy.

I actually don't think MT and Troy is a rivalry at all. The only sport that either fan base cares about head to head is football and its been so one sided recently that it's hard to even consider it a rivalry. As for MT and WKU, both schools are extremely competitive in all sports. I love to hate Western Kentucky, Troy doesn't come close to them.

Troy vs. MT is still a bigger football rivalry than WKU. Troy brings twice as many fans to Murfreesboro than WKU.

All other sports it's MT vs. WKU.

Troy vs. USA will be the "rivalry of the future".

Troy fans have to realize that MT and WKU go back about 30 years. I would HATE to lose to WKU in ANY sport. I don't like losing to Troy.

(12-15-2010 07:19 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  Troy fans have to realize that MT and WKU go back about 30 years. I would HATE to lose to WKU in ANY sport. I don't like losing to Troy.

I guess Middle fans have just gotten used to living under our oppressive heel in football. no fight left in 'em.

just for the record, i hate UAB way more than Middle.

(12-15-2010 05:49 PM)JohnnyRed Wrote:  I actually don't think MT and Troy is a rivalry at all. The only sport that either fan base cares about head to head is football and its been so one sided recently that it's hard to even consider it a rivalry. As for MT and WKU, both schools are extremely competitive in all sports. I love to hate Western Kentucky, Troy doesn't come close to them.

I'm only talking about football because of the fact we're celebrating 10 years of SBC Football. With that said, I agree, yall and WKU despise each other, but for football purposes, that rivalry hasn't taken off mainly because WKU has been down the past few years, but that will change (and looks like it could be soon), but until the series gets a little more balanced, that rivalry won't be as ferocious as the Troy/MT game in football.

(12-15-2010 08:48 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  

(12-15-2010 05:49 PM)JohnnyRed Wrote:  I actually don't think MT and Troy is a rivalry at all. The only sport that either fan base cares about head to head is football and its been so one sided recently that it's hard to even consider it a rivalry. As for MT and WKU, both schools are extremely competitive in all sports. I love to hate Western Kentucky, Troy doesn't come close to them.

I'm only talking about football because of the fact we're celebrating 10 years of SBC Football. With that said, I agree, yall and WKU despise each other, but for football purposes, that rivalry hasn't taken off mainly because WKU has been down the past few years, but that will change (and looks like it could be soon), but until the series gets a little more balanced, that rivalry won't be as ferocious as the Troy/MT game in football.

Ok well... as pathetic as it is, in football the rivalry between MT and WKU has been far more ferocious (and competitive) than the "rivalry" between MT and Troy.

(12-15-2010 08:59 PM)JohnnyRed Wrote:  Ok well... as pathetic as it is, in football the rivalry between MT and WKU has been far more ferocious (and competitive) than the "rivalry" between MT and Troy.

Consequently, it has been less attended, as well. Ya'll just need Andy McCollum somewhere on your sideline to back-up Rick Stockstill. If there was one thing that McCollum had going for him in his tenure at Middle Tennessee State, it was that he knew how to beat Larry Blakeney.