http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/fau-o...9381.story

Conference USA was, and still is, the main competition. C-USA was able to convince two Sun Belt members to jump to them, and for good measure, it added four of the Sun Belt's top prospective replacements.

But that boardroom success hasn't carried over to the football field in 2012. The Sun Belt is 4-1 against C-USA in 2012, a fact Benson wasn't shy about touting.

"The national exposure that the Sun Belt has received is very positive," Benson said. "I'm focusing not on anything but it being positive. Whatever gap there may have been between the Sun Belt and Conference USA is narrowing. The goal is to narrow it further."

That gap might have already been eliminated. C-USA is 12-30 overall in 2012, and Louisiana-Monroe's win at then-No. 8 Arkansas, followed by the Warhawks taking Auburn and Baylor to the wire, combined with Western Kentucky's win over Kentucky, has pushed the Sun Belt into the forefront.

"One of my messages is 'Why not a team from the Sun Belt?' " Benson said. "Whether that's ULM or FAU, it provides momentum for the league.".....

Quote:Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson has been on the bottom rungs of the Football Bowl Subdivision for the past 22 years, first as commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, then as the head man of the Western Athletic Conference. Now, he's using that experience to usher in a Sun Belt renaissance.

Ok. So somebody tell me what he has done to "usher" any of this?

Benson has absolutely nothing to do with any success that the Sun Belt is now experiencing. The work was and is being done by the individual schools that are experiencing the success. Benson just got here and is probably still unpacking.

(09-26-2012 10:36 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Benson has absolutely nothing to do with any success that the Sun Belt is now experiencing. The work was and is being done by the individual schools that are experiencing the success. Benson just got here and is probably still unpacking.

I'm assuming that we improved so much during that period when Waters was just drawing a check and Benson was climbing into the life raft.

(09-26-2012 11:51 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(09-26-2012 10:36 PM)MG61 Wrote:  Benson has absolutely nothing to do with any success that the Sun Belt is now experiencing. The work was and is being done by the individual schools that are experiencing the success. Benson just got here and is probably still unpacking.

I'm assuming that we improved so much during that period when Waters was just drawing a check and Benson was climbing into the life raft.

If you want to put it that way. The schools have earned and deserve the credit.

Wonder how long it took Benson to write that article. Sounds like he really likes weekday games from Tuesday through Friday. Some coaches are not going to be happy campers.

It does seem odd that with only a short time that Karl is getting all this credit......Kind of like presidential elections......done in November then take office in January.....if things turn around in December should the old guy get the credit or the new one.....is it a hope for the future or just the natural course of things.......I agree with those who say the individual teams have a lot to do with it.........We the Belt have been improving and we are in a good area of the country.....and the hope of a new guy at the helm since Waters was a bit of a bunker mentality with I hope I hope I hope....might have some thinking differently about us...................I think Benson should go on TV with an invitation to USM today and say since the Belt has no intention of stopping our climb come join us. [/i]

(09-26-2012 08:58 PM)TitanTopper Wrote:  

In response to how much he really has had to do with this upswing.....That is funny stuff.....

It is all propaganda. Benson had nothing to do with the current success. The new teams do not begin play for a couple of years. He probably cost the SBC UTSA and UNCC as additions. UTSA wante no more of him. We would have lost UNT regardless. Basically, he destroyed the WAC with his lack of planning. I think he is destroyed the WAC and was put in place to destroy the SBC. That way, no new guys in the room to upset the deals that have been worked out a couple of years ago.

The one thing I will say about Benson is that he's out there hyping the Sun Belt all the time. I don't think Waters was nearly as much of a go getter in that regard. Maybe it's just me but it kinda feels that way.

(09-27-2012 08:20 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  It is all propaganda. Benson had nothing to do with the current success. The new teams do not begin play for a couple of years. He probably cost the SBC UTSA and UNCC as additions. UTSA wante no more of him. We would have lost UNT regardless. Basically, he destroyed the WAC with his lack of planning. I think he is destroyed the WAC and was put in place to destroy the SBC. That way, no new guys in the room to upset the deals that have been worked out a couple of years ago.

Where did you read that? I haven't seen anything about UTSA bashing Benson.

They met with reps from Sun Belt, CUSA, and Mountain West conference. They ultimately picked CUSA because it was filled with 'peer' Texas institutions and other 'major market' schools. It had nothing to do with Benson and everything to do with UTEP, Rice, and UNT being in the league.

If you look at the WAC for the past couple of years, he has had plans in place to save them. It came down to the will of the schools (presidents) in order to get them passed.

1. After Utah, BYU, and and TCU announced they were leaving MWC, he suggested a plan to offer BYU a "Notre Dame" deal with the WAC. The hope was BYU would take it and other MWC schools (SDSU and UNLV) could be lured back. MWC Commish got wind of it, and offered Fresno and Nevada which immediately killed the plan.

2. After that blow, he looked out west for teams to move up. No football teams in the footprint was interested in moving up except Texas State and UTSA. So he invited them.

Things got rough at that point as the presidents couldn't agree on which way to expand next. Lamar had football and wanted in, but the western schools didn't want another Central Time Zone school. Western schools wanted to add California and Montana schools, but neither state was interested.

You have this West vs East debate going on all while members are secretly hoping to jump to MWC or CUSA. This paralyzed the league and made it impossible for Karl to act.

Benson is definitely out "tooting the horn" of SBC accomplishments. Waters was never heard from....

(09-27-2012 11:07 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  

(09-27-2012 08:20 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  It is all propaganda. Benson had nothing to do with the current success. The new teams do not begin play for a couple of years. He probably cost the SBC UTSA and UNCC as additions. UTSA wante no more of him. We would have lost UNT regardless. Basically, he destroyed the WAC with his lack of planning. I think he is destroyed the WAC and was put in place to destroy the SBC. That way, no new guys in the room to upset the deals that have been worked out a couple of years ago.

Where did you read that? I haven't seen anything about UTSA bashing Benson.

They met with reps from Sun Belt, CUSA, and Mountain West conference. They ultimately picked CUSA because it was filled with 'peer' Texas institutions and other 'major market' schools. It had nothing to do with Benson and everything to do with UTEP, Rice, and UNT being in the league.

If you look at the WAC for the past couple of years, he has had plans in place to save them. It came down to the will of the schools (presidents) in order to get them passed.

1. After Utah, BYU, and and TCU announced they were leaving MWC, he suggested a plan to offer BYU a "Notre Dame" deal with the WAC. The hope was BYU would take it and other MWC schools (SDSU and UNLV) could be lured back. MWC Commish got wind of it, and offered Fresno and Nevada which immediately killed the plan.

2. After that blow, he looked out west for teams to move up. No football teams in the footprint was interested in moving up except Texas State and UTSA. So he invited them.

Things got rough at that point as the presidents couldn't agree on which way to expand next. Lamar had football and wanted in, but the western schools didn't want another Central Time Zone school. Western schools wanted to add California and Montana schools, but neither state was interested.

You have this West vs East debate going on all while members are secretly hoping to jump to MWC or CUSA. This paralyzed the league and made it impossible for Karl to act.

This !!

Go SBC !!

For one, I am just glad that Wright Waters is not at the helm any longer. Sure, Benson is getting props for work he may or may not have done, but that is the way life works. Benson was as good a choice as any to lead our conference during these turbulent times. I like what I have seen so far. No matter who the leader is, I am quite pleased with the press our conference has garnered so far. Congrats to ULM for leading the way to greater national exposure.

This is my first post, by the way. I just found my way to this board, and I do like what I see here as well.

(09-26-2012 07:44 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/fau-o...9381.story

Conference USA was, and still is, the main competition. C-USA was able to convince two Sun Belt members to jump to them, and for good measure, it added four of the Sun Belt's top prospective replacements.

But that boardroom success hasn't carried over to the football field in 2012. The Sun Belt is 4-1 against C-USA in 2012, a fact Benson wasn't shy about touting.

"The national exposure that the Sun Belt has received is very positive," Benson said. "I'm focusing not on anything but it being positive. Whatever gap there may have been between the Sun Belt and Conference USA is narrowing. The goal is to narrow it further."

That gap might have already been eliminated. C-USA is 12-30 overall in 2012, and Louisiana-Monroe's win at then-No. 8 Arkansas, followed by the Warhawks taking Auburn and Baylor to the wire, combined with Western Kentucky's win over Kentucky, has pushed the Sun Belt into the forefront.

"One of my messages is 'Why not a team from the Sun Belt?' " Benson said. "Whether that's ULM or FAU, it provides momentum for the league.".....

I think the writer titled the article in a way that made Benson seem like the grand architect.

When I read it I saw it as just that Benson was aware of the strides the programs had made and has plans in place to build on that momentum.

(09-26-2012 08:45 PM)TopperTorpedo Wrote:  

Quote:Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson has been on the bottom rungs of the Football Bowl Subdivision for the past 22 years, first as commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, then as the head man of the Western Athletic Conference. Now, he's using that experience to usher in a Sun Belt renaissance.

Ok. So somebody tell me what he has done to "usher" any of this?

He delivered Ga. St. into the Sun Belt. He 's a miracle worker.

I think Benson has done great job.. the teams that left the WAC would of left no matter who was running things, but Benson always had other teams ready to join, and lot teams should be thankful ..

President make the calls.. I Believe if the two President didn't turn on the WAC With the BYU Deal things would be crazy...

(09-27-2012 08:39 AM)MTowho Wrote:  The one thing I will say about Benson is that he's out there hyping the Sun Belt all the time. I don't think Waters was nearly as much of a go getter in that regard. Maybe it's just me but it kinda feels that way.

Waters was busy in the AM trying to bag one of those "Bag things" down at the "Cafe Dumjuan" in the afternoon he had naps to take.......Benson appears to be just a tad more alert to his surroundings...

(09-27-2012 11:07 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  If you look at the WAC for the past couple of years, he has had plans in place to save them. It came down to the will of the schools (presidents) in order to get them passed.

1. After Utah, BYU, and and TCU announced they were leaving MWC, he suggested a plan to offer BYU a "Notre Dame" deal with the WAC. The hope was BYU would take it and other MWC schools (SDSU and UNLV) could be lured back. MWC Commish got wind of it, and offered Fresno and Nevada which immediately killed the plan.

2. After that blow, he looked out west for teams to move up. No football teams in the footprint was interested in moving up except Texas State and UTSA. So he invited them.

Things got rough at that point as the presidents couldn't agree on which way to expand next. Lamar had football and wanted in, but the western schools didn't want another Central Time Zone school. Western schools wanted to add California and Montana schools, but neither state was interested.

You have this West vs East debate going on all while members are secretly hoping to jump to MWC or CUSA. This paralyzed the league and made it impossible for Karl to act.

In addition to those examples, Benson also wanted to add Utah State and New Mexico State in order to go to 12, shortly after Nevada and Boise State joined (while Louisiana Tech replaced TCU) but a block of schools led by UTEP supposedly killed his plan. The resulting lack of divisional play later helped cause the defections of Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and ironically, UTEP.

Benson later tried to get Tulane and Rice to defect from CUSA, in the aftermath of the ACC \ Big East \ CUSA switches of 2003, but was unsuccessful. He then tried to get North Texas, but failed, so the WAC had to settle for New Mexico State, Utah State, and Idaho. The guy might not have executed all of his ideas well but he definitely came up with lots of plans.