Hi, I'm an ECU fan and understand that more than likely one or more of you guys will be joining us soon. I'd like you to help familiarize me some with your schools as admittedly I'm not as keen on all teams as I once was. Thanks guys

I think you'll find that most Belt schools are similar to ECU in many ways outside of attendance and length of history in FBS football. Similar academics, similar campuses and moving toward decent attendance etc in football, though it will be a few years before most are up to top Conf USA level.

(11-02-2011 09:18 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  I think you'll find that most Belt schools are similar to ECU in many ways outside of attendance and length of history in FBS football. Similar academics, similar campuses and moving toward decent attendance etc in football, though it will be a few years before most are up to top Conf USA level.

It's fair to say though that playing somewhat more recognized names like Southern Miss, East Carolina, Memphis, etc. will help attendance.

Welcome to the board NBPirate.

I'd say all of us have great respect for ECU. You guys consistently win big games on the gridiron and have a fanbase that cares. You do this in the shadow of the "big boys" who you guys would at least hold your own against if you played. ECU football reminds me of WKU bball (when we were good). I wish WKU football could get close to that level (hell, I wish WKU bball could get BACK to that level too).

What exactly are you looking for? Just a breakdown?

Middle Tennessee enrollment 26,000+

Murfreesboro, Tennessee pop. 110,000 about thirty miles southeast of Nashville.

Best sport: Women's basketball
Worst sport: Softball

Moved up to FBS football in 1999 and joined the Sun Belt in 2001 when the conference added football. Since joining in 2001 Middle Tennessee has won 6 out of 10 conference all sports trophies.

Our football has been consistently above average, but only had a few great years most notably the ten win campaign in 2009 capped off by a New Orleans bowl victory over Southern Miss.

We've also been consistently very strong in women's Volleyball and a consistent underachiever in men's basketball.

Football stadium seats about 31,000
Basketball arena seats about 12,000
Baseball stadium and soccer/track facilities were both totally renovated in the past few years.

Sorry if this has been a bit scatterbrained, but I hope gave you what you're looking for.

Again if you'd be a bit more specific, I could better reply to this thread.

I was looking more for personal opinions of what makes your school valuable. We've had the numbers thing posted on the CUSA board. I wanted to get in touch with the people, not the numbers or TV markets. (Have had enough with TV markets since the Big East thing).

You guys still owe us a game. ECU dumped a trip to Jonesboro to fit in the CUSA schedule.

Will you be making a selection soon? Tonight?

(11-02-2011 09:43 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Will you be making a selection soon? Tonight?

Not for the conference, but for my own personal favorite for which I'm undecided. You dont have to tell me anything. I was just asking.

(11-02-2011 09:37 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  I was looking more for personal opinions of what makes your school valuable. We've had the numbers thing posted on the CUSA board. I wanted to get in touch with the people, not the numbers or TV markets. (Have had enough with TV markets since the Big East thing).

Well personally I think MT is a no brainer, we've been indisputably the strongest overall athletic department in the conference, consistently among the best in attendance in the major sports, have one of the top budgets, and I think we fit the profile of most of the current members. Obviously I'm biased, but there you have it.

(11-02-2011 09:46 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Not for the conference, but for my own personal favorite for which I'm undecided. You dont have to tell me anything. I was just asking.

I was just being a smartazz....but seriously....asking us to tell you why we're worthy to be in your conference? Really? Yeah....I just don't get it.

I guess I'm jaded due to the fact I realize we're kinda like USM, and I'm resigned to the fact we're not going anywhere.

(11-02-2011 09:53 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 09:46 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Not for the conference, but for my own personal favorite for which I'm undecided. You dont have to tell me anything. I was just asking.

I was just being a smartazz....but seriously....asking us to tell you why we're worthy to be in your conference? Really? Yeah....I just don't get it.

I guess I'm jaded due to the fact I realize we're kinda like USM, and I'm resigned to the fact we're not going anywhere.

I actually agree with you, but the guy seemed honest and well meaning, so I played along.

TBH, both FAU/FIU are pretty interchangeable.

FIU enrollment 41K, FAU Enrollment 29K

Both now have Medical schools.

Both now have OCS, FAU is newer and built from ground 0 so is nicer. FIU improved existing bleachers and is doing thier rennovation in stages.

FAU has 2 bowl wins and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.
FIU has 1 bowl win and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.

Both are in major media markets, but neither "dominate" it. Da U still is the top dog in our neck of the woods.

I really think that if a move happens someone will take both of FAU/FIU. Its a built in rivalry, and whatever league has us will have access to some of the best recruiting grounds in the country.

Im still not convinced that a move to CUSA is a slam dunk decision. Its a step up but not a huge one.

Welcome to 'Belt board, your off to a great start with your tone and sincere questions. We get a lot of folks deriding us here so sometimes were a lil wary of folks asking questions.

Well, Troy has great facilities in every sport except basketball. The new Trojan Arena is set to be open for the 2012 season though and is practically finished. The football stadium expanded in 2003 and is a pretty nice stadium. The baseball stadium is one of the best in the conference, it almost looks like a minor league stadium.

Academics at Troy are pretty good, you can go online and find out for yourself... although people tend to hate on Troy academics for no good reason at all. The school has been growing at a fast rate, as well as the city. Troy is a college town of only about 18,000, but has been growing a lot and is located less than an hour away from Montgomery and Dothan, and just a little over 2 hours away from Panama City Beach, FL.

Very beautiful campus and competitive in all SBC sports.

(11-02-2011 10:00 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Well, Troy has great facilities in every sport except basketball. The new Trojan Arena is set to be open for the 2012 season though and is practically finished. The football stadium expanded in 2003 and is a pretty nice stadium. The baseball stadium is one of the best in the conference, it almost looks like a minor league stadium.

Academics at Troy are pretty good, you can go online and find out for yourself... although people tend to hate on Troy academics for no good reason at all. The school has been growing at a fast rate, as well as the city. Troy is a college town of only about 18,000, but has been growing a lot and is located less than an hour away from Montgomery and Dothan, and just a little over 2 hours away from Panama City Beach, FL.

Very beautiful campus and competitive in all SBC sports.

When you guys beat Missouri one time I remember them saying the name of your stadium was Movie Gallery Stadium as I believe they went out of business did you guys rename it for Troy history or has another corporate sponsor bought naming rights?

(11-02-2011 09:59 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  TBH, both FAU/FIU are pretty interchangeable.

FIU enrollment 41K, FAU Enrollment 29K

Both now have Medical schools.

Both now have OCS, FAU is newer and built from ground 0 so is nicer. FIU improved existing bleachers and is doing thier rennovation in stages.

FAU has 2 bowl wins and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.
FIU has 1 bowl win and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.

Both are in major media markets, but neither "dominate" it. Da U still is the top dog in our neck of the woods.

I really think that if a move happens someone will take both of FAU/FIU. Its a built in rivalry, and whatever league has us will have access to some of the best recruiting grounds in the country.

Im still not convinced that a move to CUSA is a slam dunk decision. Its a step up but not a huge one.

Welcome to 'Belt board, your off to a great start with your tone and sincere questions. We get a lot of folks deriding us here so sometimes were a lil wary of folks asking questions.

It really would not make sense to take one and not the other. Also cut down your costs some as you can be travel partners and vice versa.

(11-02-2011 10:09 PM)cyc46 Wrote:  When you guys beat Missouri one time I remember them saying the name of your stadium was Movie Gallery Stadium as I believe they went out of business did you guys rename it for Troy history or has another corporate sponsor bought naming rights?

The name was Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium. When Movie Gallery went under it reverted back to its original name Veterans Memorial Stadium. The field has been named in honor of our head coach Larry Blakeney.

(11-02-2011 10:11 PM)cyc46 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 09:59 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  TBH, both FAU/FIU are pretty interchangeable.

FIU enrollment 41K, FAU Enrollment 29K

Both now have Medical schools.

Both now have OCS, FAU is newer and built from ground 0 so is nicer. FIU improved existing bleachers and is doing thier rennovation in stages.

FAU has 2 bowl wins and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.
FIU has 1 bowl win and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.

Both are in major media markets, but neither "dominate" it. Da U still is the top dog in our neck of the woods.

I really think that if a move happens someone will take both of FAU/FIU. Its a built in rivalry, and whatever league has us will have access to some of the best recruiting grounds in the country.

Im still not convinced that a move to CUSA is a slam dunk decision. Its a step up but not a huge one.

Welcome to 'Belt board, your off to a great start with your tone and sincere questions. We get a lot of folks deriding us here so sometimes were a lil wary of folks asking questions.

It really would not make sense to take one and not the other. Also cut down your costs some as you can be travel partners and vice versa.

Why take essentially the same program twice?

(11-02-2011 10:13 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 10:11 PM)cyc46 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 09:59 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  TBH, both FAU/FIU are pretty interchangeable.

FIU enrollment 41K, FAU Enrollment 29K

Both now have Medical schools.

Both now have OCS, FAU is newer and built from ground 0 so is nicer. FIU improved existing bleachers and is doing thier rennovation in stages.

FAU has 2 bowl wins and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.
FIU has 1 bowl win and 1 conference co-championship since joining in 2005.

Both are in major media markets, but neither "dominate" it. Da U still is the top dog in our neck of the woods.

I really think that if a move happens someone will take both of FAU/FIU. Its a built in rivalry, and whatever league has us will have access to some of the best recruiting grounds in the country.

Im still not convinced that a move to CUSA is a slam dunk decision. Its a step up but not a huge one.

Welcome to 'Belt board, your off to a great start with your tone and sincere questions. We get a lot of folks deriding us here so sometimes were a lil wary of folks asking questions.

It really would not make sense to take one and not the other. Also cut down your costs some as you can be travel partners and vice versa.

Why take essentially the same program twice?

Well the way I would look at it is it would bring in a natural rivalry and USM could fly the volleyball team in there play both and then fly out 2 trips for the price of one basically. If the alliance doesnt shake out I wouldnt be against going regional and bringing in a lot of the belt schools and bridging the gaps in the conference. Astate for Memphis and USM. Troy, MTSU and MKU to bring in ECU and Marshall and then FAU and FIU. Heck I'd even go ULL but I doubt that would fly with so many schools near by and UNT would be a definite too. IF the alliance doesnt work out. If it does I only see 3 at the most and I have a feeling it would be FAU FIU and UNT

Arkansas State

Enrollment 14,000 (Main Campus)
Jonesboro Population 67,000 However that number is growing fast, Jonesboro is one of the few cities in the country who hasnt been affected by the recent Economic Recession

Best Sport: Womens Bowling and Mens Rugby (Seriously look us up) Okay Mens Basketball and Football
Worst Sport: Womens Soccer (Soccer hasnt really caught on in NEA)

Postseason Appearencs: 1 each in Basketball Football and Baseball

Average Attendance: Football 23K (This year) However we always draw better in September

Fan Base: If you listened to a NY Times Poll a few weeks ago we are one of the most popular Non BCS schools around. In reality we are great at rigging internet voting contests. We travel better then almost every other SBC school, and have some of the most knowledgable diehard groups of fans around. However our casual fanbase is incredibly weak, with their attendance really based on such mundane things as Razorback football and Deer Hunting

Fast Fact: Arkansas is one of the few states in the union in which College Football takes a back seat to deer and duck hunting, even the razorbacks lose fans for it. They just have enough fans to make it up.

Rivals: Memphis. I think most ASU fans would love to play Southern Miss regularly and try and start something there, as both programs got along well after our NO Bowl game, but alas, no dice.

conference Rivals: Basketball UALR Football: MTSU or Troy

SBC Membership: One of the founding football members in 2001. We combined with UNT and UL to stand up to the diabolical Karl Bensen in 2005 when he attempted to kill of the Sun Belt Conference. The 3 of us refused to leave without the other, essentially saving the conference long enough for FIU FAU and Troy to make early FBS jumps.

true fact: We are very loyal to the rest of our conference. Often times you will find it is hard to convince us to do something unless UNT or UL does it as well. ASU fans would always accept a CUSA invite, but realize we have no shot, and are perfectly happy helping rebuild after you raid or attempt to raid us.

Other True fact: ECU owes us a home football game, We will accept one in exchange for not recieving a CUSA invite.