http://espn1420.com/sun-belt-was-right-t...expansion/

Disagree. Having "FIVE" FCS would've mattered squat for perception. Now, if you're talking Liberty and Alabama St, that's one thing. But, we're not. Now would be the time to bring those additional FCS schools up, while CUSA is doing the same. This is the weakest CUSA has ever been.

Travel issues are a legitimate concern. But, I think that's more of a concern when talking about the viability of a marginal to below average FBS school coming on board 1000 miles outside of the footprint vs an established FCS program with tremendous notoriety and fan support.

Is there really a FCS startup stigma anymore?

I used to think so, and why I was against pulling up FCS teams unless we needed it to survive. I was STUNNED when CUSA pulled up UTSA,UNCC, and ODU.

I think this last round of realignment may of done away with the FCS Stigma. Very few seem to have ragged on CUSA for doing it, and I havent heard much of anyone raggin on the SBC for pulling up GSU and TxState.

If that stigma is gone, then it makes sense to go after APP and GS. If its not then yes stayinng put enhances our perception more.

Good of SBC to take Ga State for the media market, despite the fact that it is already dominated but UGA and GT to a lesser extent, will be a challenge to break into that, probably won't ever happen. I wonder if it is appealing to add Ga Southern for the Savananh market that is untapped

I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Said the man whose team has never ever had a winning record in FBS.

The truth is the conference needs to digest the three new FBS schools. You guys want more bowls? It is not happening with wins agains five FBS newbies at once.

I think the sunbelt is making a mistake if they don't add app state. Marshall proved that a d1aa powerhouse can transition into a contender in lower level FBS conference rather smoothly. Sure, they don't have a good market, but they would be competitive in football from day 1(I don't know about their other sports).

(05-30-2012 12:09 PM)CajunExpress Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Said the man whose team has never ever had a winning record in FBS.

The truth is the conference needs to digest the three new FBS schools. You guys want more bowls? It is not happening with wins agains five FBS newbies at once.

What? What does ULM's record have to do with this discussion? And more bowl games comes with more teams historically available to participate, not with who those wins are against. But, that's a secondary argument anyway, and is moot when talking about the validity of this subject.

(05-30-2012 11:44 AM)ATLGSUEAGLE Wrote:  Good of SBC to take Ga State for the media market, despite the fact that it is already dominated but UGA and GT to a lesser extent, will be a challenge to break into that, probably won't ever happen. I wonder if it is appealing to add Ga Southern for the Savananh market that is untapped

So Atlanta is dominated by UGA, but Savannah isn't?

Do you know where the Uga dogs live?

GSU has far more Alumni in Atlanta than either UGA or Tech, and certainly more than GaSo has in Savannah. THAT is an untapped market.

(05-30-2012 12:27 PM)BLEEDITRED Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 12:09 PM)CajunExpress Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Said the man whose team has never ever had a winning record in FBS.

The truth is the conference needs to digest the three new FBS schools. You guys want more bowls? It is not happening with wins agains five FBS newbies at once.

What? What does ULM's record have to do with this discussion? And more bowl games comes with more teams historically available to participate, not with who those wins are against. But, that's a secondary argument anyway, and is moot when talking about the validity of this subject.

Bids go out to those teams who bring fans and are attractive. WKU had a winning season did not get a bid. Had the SBC had a better reputation they might have gotten one.

The comment about the fan of a team that has never ever had a winning seaon? Just seems to me he in his many posts he is open to almost anything. Maybe if his team had a little to lose he might be a little more prudent.

The whole issue is moot, we did not expand. The question is why or why not is it a good decision. So I do think perception and bowls go hand in hand and therefore relevent.

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Agreed 100%. The whole "perception" argument is weak. We've long been perceived as a FCS conference masquerading as FBS heavyweights.

I'd bet App State has a higher Q-rating that anyone in the SBC. If perception was the problem, we'd probably do better dumping a few of the schools in our conference and trading them for the FCS high achievers.

The whole "hard to get to" point is crap too. It's no harder to get to Boone NC or Statesboro, GA than it is to get to Troy, Jonesboro, or Monroe. The only difference is, people might actually want to visit those places, as opposed to middle of nowhere Arkansas, Louisiana, or Alabama.

Next, by standing still at 10, we added the wrong FCS programs, and we're following the CUSA folly of adding markets instead of solid programs.

While ApSt is playing to sold out stadiums and on national TV in the FCS playoffs, well have GSU playing in front of 750 friends and family in a Grand Canyon like GADome and getting less play in the AJC than the UGA women's gymnastics team. TxSt was added solely because someone decided it would be a good idea to have a team in Texas. They weren't even the Texas team we wanted (I think TxSt has potential though, and think we'll be happy we got them instead of UTSA eventually).

Getting to 12, adding a CG, and adding several strong programs with legit fan bases (not those phantom fans that we hope will show up or watch on TV if someone happens to get good) would have been nothing but good.

I've been preaching sanity on here and the MT boards while the rest of the MT fans were about the storm the President's mansion - but this "new" SBC doesn't excite me one bit.

(05-30-2012 01:06 PM)CajunExpress Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 12:27 PM)BLEEDITRED Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 12:09 PM)CajunExpress Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Said the man whose team has never ever had a winning record in FBS.

The truth is the conference needs to digest the three new FBS schools. You guys want more bowls? It is not happening with wins agains five FBS newbies at once.

What? What does ULM's record have to do with this discussion? And more bowl games comes with more teams historically available to participate, not with who those wins are against. But, that's a secondary argument anyway, and is moot when talking about the validity of this subject.

Bids go out to those teams who bring fans and are attractive. WKU had a winning season did not get a bid. Had the SBC had a better reputation they might have gotten one.

The comment about the fan of a team that has never ever had a winning seaon? Just seems to me he in his many posts he is open to almost anything. Maybe if his team had a little to lose he might be a little more prudent.

The whole issue is moot, we did not expand. The question is why or why not is it a good decision. So I do think perception and bowls go hand in hand and therefore relevent.

I can't even follow your logic, and aren't going to try. I'll simply respond with, you don't think App St would make an attractive candidate for a bowl? Puh lease.

(05-30-2012 01:08 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Agreed 100%. The whole "perception" argument is weak. We've long been perceived as a FCS conference masquerading as FBS heavyweights.

I'd bet App State has a higher Q-rating that anyone in the SBC. If perception was the problem, we'd probably do better dumping a few of the schools in our conference and trading them for the FCS high achievers.

The whole "hard to get to" point is crap too. It's no harder to get to Boone NC or Statesboro, GA than it is to get to Troy, Jonesboro, or Monroe. The only difference is, people might actually want to visit those places, as opposed to middle of nowhere Arkansas, Louisiana, or Alabama.

Next, by standing still at 10, we added the wrong FCS programs, and we're following the CUSA folly of adding markets instead of solid programs.

While ApSt is playing to sold out stadiums and on national TV in the FCS playoffs, well have GSU playing in front of 750 friends and family in a Grand Canyon like GADome and getting less play in the AJC than the UGA women's gymnastics team. TxSt was added solely because someone decided it would be a good idea to have a team in Texas. They weren't even the Texas team we wanted (I think TxSt has potential though, and think we'll be happy we got them instead of UTSA eventually).

Getting to 12, adding a CG, and adding several strong programs with legit fan bases (not those phantom fans that we hope will show up or watch on TV if someone happens to get good) would have been nothing but good.

I've been preaching sanity on here and the MT boards while the rest of the MT fans were about the storm the President's mansion - but this "new" SBC doesn't excite me one bit.

Preach it brother.

nice article bird of paradise.

it's hilarious to me that a bunch of frikkin' former tuba playin' message board savants know what is better for OUR conference than athletic directors, presidents, and coaches in that league.

you buncha losers have never worked in athletics and most definitely not at the level of the people that make these decisions.

you're like a bunch of pimple faced kids playing a board game with monopoly money and you think you have the solution that no president or a.d. has already thought of.

you're not special.

your dufus ideas aren't special.

you have no power to impact what is done at that level.

why don't you ***** about child labor in china. you carry the same weight in that matter as you do in what our conference does.

heyzeus on a freakin' popsicle stick.....i'd hope this well written article by someone that has more sports credibility in one pimple on his ballsack than all the rest of you put together would shut your howling up for a bit.

but it won't.

because you know better than the conference leadership.

because you're special.

Good article. While we FCS teams moving up do not see a perception problem, SEC followers do. In fact I would bet that SEC followers and national media will repeatedly make reference to 3 FCS teams in SBC and how an already weak conference just became weaker. Had SBC taken 5 FCS teams the reporting noise would have been deafening. If realignment mania continues at the current pace SBC will get another change next year.

(05-30-2012 01:31 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  nice article bird of paradise.

it's hilarious to me that a bunch of frikkin' former tuba playin' message board savants know what is better for OUR conference than athletic directors, presidents, and coaches in that league.

you buncha losers have never worked in athletics and most definitely not at the level of the people that make these decisions.

you're like a bunch of pimple faced kids playing a board game with monopoly money and you think you have the solution that no president or a.d. has already thought of.

you're not special.

your dufus ideas aren't special.

you have no power to impact what is done at that level.

why don't you ***** about child labor in china. you carry the same weight in that matter as you do in what our conference does.

heyzeus on a freakin' popsicle stick.....i'd hope this well written article by someone that has more sports credibility in one pimple on his ballsack than all the rest of you put together would shut your howling up for a bit.

but it won't.

because you know better than the conference leadership.

because you're special.

I think I saw this exact post about 18 months ago on the WAC message board.

Silly them.

(05-30-2012 01:31 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  because you know better than the conference leadership.

because you're special.

Thanks for noticing!

The Sun Belt isn't getting a bunch of FBS startups. They're helping two founding members transition to FBS and picked a school off the WAC. Hopefully UTA will be able to do the same in this league.

Yes, I'm in marketing.

Allison

(05-30-2012 01:31 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  because you're special.

(05-30-2012 01:08 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 11:46 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I have to disagree as well and say that the powers that be got it wrong on expansion. The whole "perception" argument is not so germane when you are talking about two of the more storied programs in FCS that actually steal recruits away from FBS programs. App. State and Ga. So. are not perception killers. Those two programs, with their history and support, would have jumped in and been good members of the SBC. With their national perception being so high, there is no way such perception would have negatively impacted the SBC. We got this one wrong, and I hope that we do not pay for it. Conferences outside of the Big 5 are adding or wanting to add FCS programs (Big East wanting to bring up Nova and CUSA with the schools they added). Their perceptions have not taken a beating. We just screwed ourselves because of some fear that we will be reagard as what some already regard us as. We know who and what we are...as long as we prove it on the field we will improve our perception.

Agreed 100%. The whole "perception" argument is weak. We've long been perceived as a FCS conference masquerading as FBS heavyweights.

I'd bet App State has a higher Q-rating that anyone in the SBC. If perception was the problem, we'd probably do better dumping a few of the schools in our conference and trading them for the FCS high achievers.

The whole "hard to get to" point is crap too. It's no harder to get to Boone NC or Statesboro, GA than it is to get to Troy, Jonesboro, or Monroe. The only difference is, people might actually want to visit those places, as opposed to middle of nowhere Arkansas, Louisiana, or Alabama.

Next, by standing still at 10, we added the wrong FCS programs, and we're following the CUSA folly of adding markets instead of solid programs.

While ApSt is playing to sold out stadiums and on national TV in the FCS playoffs, well have GSU playing in front of 750 friends and family in a Grand Canyon like GADome and getting less play in the AJC than the UGA women's gymnastics team. TxSt was added solely because someone decided it would be a good idea to have a team in Texas. They weren't even the Texas team we wanted (I think TxSt has potential though, and think we'll be happy we got them instead of UTSA eventually).

Getting to 12, adding a CG, and adding several strong programs with legit fan bases (not those phantom fans that we hope will show up or watch on TV if someone happens to get good) would have been nothing but good.

I've been preaching sanity on here and the MT boards while the rest of the MT fans were about the storm the President's mansion - but this "new" SBC doesn't excite me one bit.

RaiderDoug

Texas State had 2011 attendance average of 15,100 in a stadium that seats 15,200 without counting the suits and field boxes in. We played a SLC schedule with nothing to play for other than pride. You and everyone else in the SBC is going to be surprised what our attendance average for 2012 ends up. Watch what the Cats are going to do to UTSA on ESPN this year (Thanksgiving) in San Antonio. Our guys are going to take it out on the Roadrunners in epic form. We will be serving those birds roasted and deep fried at the same time.

Our university is very similar to UNT but located in the fastest growth area of Texas between Austin and San Antonio. Benson knows we have the potential to bring large crowds with our 34,000 enrollment and sizable alumni organization. Our media potential is underrated with tremendous cable potential in San Marcos and surrounding markets that support us.