(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)TroyMan88 Wrote:  Gahhh...sounds like he's more for NMSU and Idaho then he is App. State and Georgia Southern..

That's what I got out of it.

Picked up midway through, did not catch that part. That would not be a good move, IMO.

Other than just throwing them a life vest because he's familiar with them from his WAC days (which is no way to run a business), I'm really not sure what possible value he sees in Idaho. Further out of the footprint than any other candidate, tiny stadium with no room for expansion, poor on-field performance and low fan support. I have no problem with Idaho and do not want to seem like I'm just kicking them while they're down but I just cannot see much value there.

Hopefully he's just applying pressure to Appy and GaSouthern.....thinking he really might go out of his gourd and invite NMSU and Idaho.

He may be saying NM State and Idaho to get Ga Southern and App to commit now. Who knows, perhaps App State is holding out until the CUSA says no. Maybe the CUSA wants a team in GA as well. It would certainly be a HUGE advantage of the Sun Belt over the CUSA to have a lock on GA which is the #3 in producing FBS talent. That can't sit well with the CUSA. I think having Ga State and Ga Southern could go a long way to helping the Sun Belt be a better conference on the field.

(05-02-2012 05:44 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Hopefully he's just applying pressure to Appy and GaSouthern.....thinking he really might go out of his gourd and invite NMSU and Idaho.

I hope that's all it is. One thing to consider is that if he did add NMSU and Idaho, it would greatly reduce the chances that App and GSU would come aboard. Travel would increase significantly in that scenario, assuming of course that it would be an all-sports invite.

I listened to it but didn't get the feeling that he was preferring NMSU/Idaho over GS/App. It seemed like he was trying to deflect all those questions, but unprompted name-dropping of Georgia Southern, App State, and Old Dominion (in that order) was pretty telling. He called out Libery/Jax State/etc to cover his tracks.

(05-02-2012 05:44 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Hopefully he's just applying pressure to Appy and GaSouthern.....thinking he really might go out of his gourd and invite NMSU and Idaho.

I definitely think he is putting the pressure on both Georgia Southern and App State to publically make their FBS intentions known now not tomorrow . . I am not sure how he wants this to occur as both have indicated a desire to move to FBS . . I may be wrong, but that is my take.

Maybe that long conference call between GaSo, and App was really a long conference call between GaSouth, App and Benson??

(05-02-2012 05:41 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  It would be a shame if you guys left out App St. and Georgia Southern, who could beat both Idaho and NMSU on the field right now. If you add all 4 w/ the WAC schools as fb only, okay I guess. Really they add nothing.

Like Fresno did in both Football and basketball right?

We don t want Idaho the damn mascot is a pot head.

New battle cry

SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO
SAY NO TO I DA HO

You know, the Commissioner did say what he said about NMSU and Idaho.

But if you concentrated on that, you missed what he meant.

If the CEO's insist on having 12 football schools, then yes, UI and NMSU for football only would be better than going to 14 teams total and adding FOUR FBS startup programs instead of two.

But he said at the beginning of the interview he's tempered his original statements of wanting 12 for football, given the current landscape.

Translation: UTSA and Louisiana Tech weren't available, so he'd rather stay at 10/12 for now.

I don't believe we're going to make any more moves unless the Presidents want to go to 12/14.

And, I don't think they do.

(05-02-2012 05:42 PM)asumike83 Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)TroyMan88 Wrote:  Gahhh...sounds like he's more for NMSU and Idaho then he is App. State and Georgia Southern..

That's what I got out of it.

Picked up midway through, did not catch that part. That would not be a good move, IMO.

Other than just throwing them a life vest because he's familiar with them from his WAC days (which is no way to run a business), I'm really not sure what possible value he sees in Idaho. Further out of the footprint than any other candidate, tiny stadium with no room for expansion, poor on-field performance and low fan support. I have no problem with Idaho and do not want to seem like I'm just kicking them while they're down but I just cannot see much value there.

It was jokingly stated in the radio interview that Benson is the Commish of the SBC not the Emperor of the SBC . . Benson made it perfectly clear that if he is asked by the SBC Presidents/Chancellors to give his opinion/advice he will do that . . bottomline is he will do what the Presidents/Chancellors and ADs feel is best for the SBC. The Commish will not make the decisions . . it is my University President/Chancellor and your SBC University President/Chancellor that will make decisions that Benson and his staff will implement.

From BoiseSt.78 on the MWC board

KB "Texas State is a sleeping giant"

KB "Several hundred million dollars being spent on facility s at Texas State"

KB "When the Texas State Stadium is done it will be the best facility in the Sun Belt"

KB 'Texas State has a lot of money and resources"

KB "Going to 12 teams and a championship game is no longer a priority" (He was kinda confusing on this answer)

KB"FCS schools looking to move up are a possibility" IE Georgia Southern, App State, Liberty, Jacksonville State, Lamar, Sam Houston mentioned by name

KB "IF San Diego State and Idaho can play in the Big East then Idaho and New Mexico State can play in the Sun Belt"

KB "When all this settles as early as next Tuesday the Presidents will explore all options including adding Idaho and New Mexico State as Football only members" ( He sure did not rule it out but did not sound very optimistic)

KB "The Sun Belt will renegotiate its current TV deal" ( Could not give estimate but wants ESPN for exposure, Mentioned what the network did for Boise State as an example)

KB "I have not been to App State or Georgia Southern"

KB "Too early to speculate on FCS move ups"

KB "Feel very good about the 10 members we have moving forward"

KB "Trading North Texas and FIU for Georgia State and Texas State is a wash in my book"

(05-02-2012 06:31 PM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  You know, the Commissioner did say what he said about NMSU and Idaho.

But if you concentrated on that, you missed what he meant.

If the CEO's insist on having 12 football schools, then yes, UI and NMSU for football only would be better than going to 14 teams total and adding FOUR FBS startup programs instead of two.

But he said at the beginning of the interview he's tempered his original statements of wanting 12 for football, given the current landscape.

Translation: UTSA and Louisiana Tech weren't available, so he'd rather stay at 10/12 for now.

I don't believe we're going to make any more moves unless the Presidents want to go to 12/14.

And, I don't think they do.

Agree . . Benson made it perfectly clear that the SBC Presidents/Chancellors and ADs make the decisions, he gives advice and input when asked, and he implements the decisions made by his bosses (SBC Presidents/Chancellors).

If the SBC Presidents/Chancellors want to extend the geographical footprint, then it will happen . . otherwise, it will not happen.

TxSt will have a very nice stadium, but I don't think it's nicer than FAU

(05-02-2012 06:57 PM)GoBigRed26 Wrote:  TxSt will have a very nice stadium, but I don't think it's nicer than FAU

Agree . . FAU has a beautiful new stadium with palm trees and an ocean view . . Texas State cannot compare with that.

I'm not going to hold him to anything that was stated on the radio. He reiterated the Texas to Florida footprint, but then makes the BE comment. He's just being PC folks. He's not going to give his hand away. Especially after letting the GaSt thing slip in an interview. Measured and cautious responses is all.

I do think us staying at 10/12 is more likely than adding NMSU and Idaho. App St is ready to move up, but I'm not so sure Southern is. I think it's a risk worth taking while we still have some sort of leverage. It's not like we're talking Nicholls St and Alabama St.

Get App and Southern in and institute an exit fee (!) while everyone's hunky dory instead of waiting until we lose two more schools, are forced to take a couple more programs, and have zero shot at passing an exit fee. Stability is a valued commodity these days. Let's use that to our advantage.

I say no way, no how, no way in hell to Idaho . . not even as FB only. To add Idaho in any way at all would be beyond MORONIC !!

I was a young lieutenant in the USAF living in Spokane in the early 70s when a wealthy Idaho donor left the school money to put a dome on the football field . . here we are 3 plus decades later and Idaho is still playing in that same football stadium . . talk about no commitment to their football program . . it is blatantly obvious.

From the NMSU Board . . Las Cruces Sun-News article:

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-spo...-like-sure

(05-02-2012 06:45 PM)ManzanoWolf Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:42 PM)asumike83 Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 05:37 PM)TroyMan88 Wrote:  Gahhh...sounds like he's more for NMSU and Idaho then he is App. State and Georgia Southern..

That's what I got out of it.

Picked up midway through, did not catch that part. That would not be a good move, IMO.

Other than just throwing them a life vest because he's familiar with them from his WAC days (which is no way to run a business), I'm really not sure what possible value he sees in Idaho. Further out of the footprint than any other candidate, tiny stadium with no room for expansion, poor on-field performance and low fan support. I have no problem with Idaho and do not want to seem like I'm just kicking them while they're down but I just cannot see much value there.

It was jokingly stated in the radio interview that Benson is the Commish of the SBC not the Emperor of the SBC . . Benson made it perfectly clear that if he is asked by the SBC Presidents/Chancellors to give his opinion/advice he will do that . . bottomline is he will do what the Presidents/Chancellors and ADs feel is best for the SBC. The Commish will not make the decisions . . it is my University President/Chancellor and your SBC University President/Chancellor that will make decisions that Benson and his staff will implement.

Well said...

What I get is that Benson under the authority of the Sunbelt members who he works for, had given their blessing to add Texas State and Georgia State to get to 12 football playing members. Everyone knows that UNT & FIU are leaving but it has not been officially announced & each could still change their minds and stay in the SunBelt. We all know this is not going to happen but it could. None of us know what directives Benson has been given by his bosses other that to add Texas State & Georgia State.

Decision will be made by the member schools whether they want to stay at 10 after the lose of UNT & FIU, or do they still want to go to 12. These decision might have already been made but then again no decision might have been made only Benson and the member schools know that answer to this question and they will not speak until they have all there ducks in a row.