...by having FAU, MTSU, FIU & UNT join.......OR?

I say YES because those teams fair better against other C-USA opponents. The SBC is so tightly close/competitive that the cream-of-the-crop (ULL) is not THAT much better than the middle of the pack.

Or maybe I'm still high.

(11-05-2013 12:56 PM)mbrunner Wrote:  ...by having FAU, MTSU, FIU & UNT join.......OR?

I say YES because those teams fair better against other C-USA opponents. The SBC is so tightly close/competitive that the cream-of-the-crop (ULL) is not THAT much better than the middle of the pack.

Or maybe I'm still high.

I say C-USA and the Sun Belt have both benefited and lost from these moves.

C-USA has gained some solid programs like UNT & MTSU (and soon WKU) while the Sun Belt has shed two programs that appear to be struggling in FAU and FIU. However because of C-USA's overall weakened state the Sun Belt has benefited by keeping a solid core of teams which has moved the Sun Belt from dead last to ahead of C-USA and on par with the MAC. The down side for the Sun Belt besides losing those solid programs I mentioned is the perception that the conference had to rush expansion or die which probably wasn't true. With the addition of Georgia Southern and App St I expect the Sun Belt to continue to be competitive.

(11-05-2013 01:49 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 12:56 PM)mbrunner Wrote:  ...by having FAU, MTSU, FIU & UNT join.......OR?

I say YES because those teams fair better against other C-USA opponents. The SBC is so tightly close/competitive that the cream-of-the-crop (ULL) is not THAT much better than the middle of the pack.

Or maybe I'm still high.

I say C-USA and the Sun Belt have both benefited and lost from these moves.

C-USA has gained some solid programs like UNT & MTSU (and soon WKU) while the Sun Belt has shed two programs that appear to be struggling in FAU and FIU. However because of C-USA's overall weakened state the Sun Belt has benefited by keeping a solid core of teams which has moved the Sun Belt from dead last to ahead of C-USA and on par with the MAC. The down side for the Sun Belt besides losing those solid programs I mentioned is the perception that the conference had to rush expansion or die which probably wasn't true. With the addition of Georgia Southern and App St I expect the Sun Belt to continue to be competitive.

"The down side for the Sun Belt besides losing those solid programs I mentioned is the perception that the conference had to rush expansion or die which probably wasn't true."

As long as stAte & ULL don't bolt, we'll be juuuuust fine.

I don't think they benefitted. I don't think anyone is proclaiming that their conference improved with its losses. I know this will piss of some of the lurkers but UNT and Tulane becoming bowl teams in one year just isn't a coincidence. The standard bearers that remain in CUSA like Tulsa and USM are terrible, leaving or both. La. Tech is down. Half the league entered last weekend with 2 or fewer wins.

On the flipside, I don't think the SBC benefitted from the defections in the present sense. We do have a much higher percentage of decent teams this year but we have to consider struggling Idaho and NMSU when assessing the impact.

(11-05-2013 02:15 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  I don't think they benefitted. I don't think anyone is proclaiming that their conference improved with its losses. I know this will piss of some of the lurkers but UNT and Tulane becoming bowl teams in one year just isn't a coincidence. The standard bearers that remain in CUSA like Tulsa and USM are terrible, leaving or both. La. Tech is down. Half the league entered last weekend with 2 or fewer wins.

On the flipside, I don't think the SBC benefitted from the defections in the present sense. We do have a much higher percentage of decent teams this year but we have to consider struggling Idaho and NMSU when assessing the impact.

Latest BCS rankings Sun Belt current & departed teams.

#37 ULL
#49 North Texas
#69 ULM
#70 Middle Tennessee
#77 Texas State
#81 Arkansas State
#85 Troy
#86 WKU
#90 FAU
#93 USA
#115 FIU
999 Georgia State

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/bcs

You should never, ever show up here after losing to TooLame and flaunting your BCS rank. Disgraceful, and pathetic.

(11-05-2013 02:32 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 02:15 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  I don't think they benefitted. I don't think anyone is proclaiming that their conference improved with its losses. I know this will piss of some of the lurkers but UNT and Tulane becoming bowl teams in one year just isn't a coincidence. The standard bearers that remain in CUSA like Tulsa and USM are terrible, leaving or both. La. Tech is down. Half the league entered last weekend with 2 or fewer wins.

On the flipside, I don't think the SBC benefitted from the defections in the present sense. We do have a much higher percentage of decent teams this year but we have to consider struggling Idaho and NMSU when assessing the impact.

Latest BCS rankings Sun Belt current & departed teams.

#37 ULL
#49 North Texas
#69 ULM
#70 Middle Tennessee
#77 Texas State
#81 Arkansas State
#85 Troy
#86 WKU
#90 FAU
#93 USA
#115 FIU
999 Georgia State

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/bcs

Ecatly what I am talking about. UNT has benefitted greatly from the move to a conference with a lot of "easy outs". UNT doesn't get to 6 wins as easily against the top 7 SBC teams. Remember how far La. Tech shot up the rankings playing in the last year of the WAC? Heck, NIU made a BCS bowl playing one of the easiest schedules in the country.

Here's the thing that will hurt conference USA. They have finally lost all of their teams that were power teams but just got shafted by the previous round of realignment. Many people may not realize but there was a time when Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane were actually power programs. They were the reason conference USA was so desirable by up and coming teams like UCF, USF, and other teams that got shafted like TCU. Conference USA fans would have you believe they were worth nothing but here's the truth:

ECU- Not many teams in non power conferences have the support, history, and success they do. The pirates honestly, should have been in the Big East when it was formed.
Houston- They have a great history in football and basketball. Not to mention being a major team in one of the countries biggest cities.
Tulane- It's funny to laugh at them but they have elite academics, money, a strong history, and good facilities.
UCF - They were a home run addition for conference USA and the AAC. A large city, strong support and interest in sports, and they have shown they can win and finish in the top 25.
Tulsa- They are a small school but they are a consistent winner in multiple sports.
Memphis- Big city, elite basketball, and as for football, every team lucks up and gets a recruit or coach they should not have every once a while.

They can argue all day but adding UNCC, ODU, FAU, FIU, UTSA, UNT, and MTSU do not even begin to compare to that. I'm not saying none of them can compete with them or beat them but looking at consistency it's going to really hurt them when teams like UNT or La Tech are good one year then terrible for four.

It's going to be interesting to see which conference is stronger between the Sun Belt and Conference USA when both conferences get up and running in a few years.

Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

(11-05-2013 03:51 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

Just like it set in for the AAC? You don't really believe the Sun Belt is a better conference than CUSA. You're just putting down CUSA to assert your superiority over your former conference. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things had Memphis not been invited to the AAC.

(11-05-2013 03:55 PM)joshdude182 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:51 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

Just like it set in for the AAC? You don't really believe the Sun Belt is a better conference than CUSA. You're just putting down CUSA to assert your superiority over your former conference. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things had Memphis not been invited to the AAC.

He doesn't have to think it. Statistics say that the Sun Belt is indeed a better conference than CUSA this year.

(11-05-2013 03:55 PM)joshdude182 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:51 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

Just like it set in for the AAC? You don't really believe the Sun Belt is a better conference than CUSA. You're just putting down CUSA to assert your superiority over your former conference. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things had Memphis not been invited to the AAC.

Yes, but that's realignment...one second you have Louisville, Boise State, Rutgers, and the C7...looking at a 6 million dollar tv deal...the next, you don't.

That said, I like the make-up of the AAC...I'd much prefer playing Cincy, UCF, ECU, Navy, Houston, etc in football over playing schools like FIU, Charlotte, ODU, UAB, UNT, etc...the AAC has a very good basketball lineup with UConn, Cincy, Memphis, Temple, Tulsa, UCF, even SMU with Larry Brown.

But the nice thing about the AAC is getting the BEs 100 million dollar plus "war chest" of NCAA credits, exit fees, BCS money and such that will be split 60-40 (old/new schools) over the next 5 years.

UConn, Cincy, USF will get 6 million per season for the next 5 years...the rest will get 3 million per season for the next 5 years. (That's 3x what we got in CUSA)

(11-05-2013 03:55 PM)joshdude182 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:51 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

Just like it set in for the AAC? You don't really believe the Sun Belt is a better conference than CUSA. You're just putting down CUSA to assert your superiority over your former conference. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things had Memphis not been invited to the AAC.

This year in football? I'd say we are the better conference.

But really... What is a "better" conference? You can't really just look at football, because there's so many other components. Basketball, baseball... even women's sports.

I do think that CUSA's television contract will take a hit when it is renegotiated. By how much? I dunno. It's also entirely possible that teams that are currently dragging could pick up in the next year or so and the hit won't be significant.

Now basketball is where I think CUSA will make their money. They have a pretty decent conference there. I know diddly about basketball, so I'll just leave it at that.

(11-05-2013 04:26 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:55 PM)joshdude182 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:51 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Reality will set in when CUSA has to renegotiate it's contract...less money, more mouths to feed.

Just like it set in for the AAC? You don't really believe the Sun Belt is a better conference than CUSA. You're just putting down CUSA to assert your superiority over your former conference. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things had Memphis not been invited to the AAC.

This year in football? I'd say we are the better conference.

But really... What is a "better" conference? You can't really just look at football, because there's so many other components. Basketball, baseball... even women's sports.

I do think that CUSA's television contract will take a hit when it is renegotiated. By how much? I dunno. It's also entirely possible that teams that are currently dragging could pick up in the next year or so and the hit won't be significant.

Now basketball is where I think CUSA will make their money. They have a pretty decent conference there. I know diddly about basketball, so I'll just leave it at that.

If you live in the south football is the only sport that matters. The others just pass the time until spring practices start, and until fall kickoff.

For me, basketball is just that sport that takes up a few months to tide us over between the end of football and the start of baseball season.

You guys are sooooooooooo funny. Slamming CUSA every chance you get, but knocking on the door and making calls hoping to get an invite.

(11-05-2013 05:32 PM)MG61 Wrote:  You guys are sooooooooooo funny. Slamming CUSA every chance you get, but knocking on the door and making calls hoping to get an invite.

Have you been tapping members phone lines again?

(11-05-2013 03:02 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 02:32 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 02:15 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  I don't think they benefitted. I don't think anyone is proclaiming that their conference improved with its losses. I know this will piss of some of the lurkers but UNT and Tulane becoming bowl teams in one year just isn't a coincidence. The standard bearers that remain in CUSA like Tulsa and USM are terrible, leaving or both. La. Tech is down. Half the league entered last weekend with 2 or fewer wins.

On the flipside, I don't think the SBC benefitted from the defections in the present sense. We do have a much higher percentage of decent teams this year but we have to consider struggling Idaho and NMSU when assessing the impact.

Latest BCS rankings Sun Belt current & departed teams.

#37 ULL
#49 North Texas
#69 ULM
#70 Middle Tennessee
#77 Texas State
#81 Arkansas State
#85 Troy
#86 WKU
#90 FAU
#93 USA
#115 FIU
999 Georgia State

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/bcs

Ecatly what I am talking about. UNT has benefitted greatly from the move to a conference with a lot of "easy outs". UNT doesn't get to 6 wins as easily against the top 7 SBC teams. Remember how far La. Tech shot up the rankings playing in the last year of the WAC? Heck, NIU made a BCS bowl playing one of the easiest schedules in the country.

Ball State is rated above every team in the Sun Belt at #35 and Rice at #51 is only exceeded by ULL at #37. Those two are not exactly easy outs along with Middle Tennessee that is ahead of everyone in the Sun Belt with the exception of ULL and ULM. Compare who NT has beaten against who you have beaten and NT comes out with the tougher schedule. You always try to downplay teams that have left the Sun Belt for another conference.

(11-05-2013 05:36 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 03:02 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 02:32 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 02:15 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  I don't think they benefitted. I don't think anyone is proclaiming that their conference improved with its losses. I know this will piss of some of the lurkers but UNT and Tulane becoming bowl teams in one year just isn't a coincidence. The standard bearers that remain in CUSA like Tulsa and USM are terrible, leaving or both. La. Tech is down. Half the league entered last weekend with 2 or fewer wins.

On the flipside, I don't think the SBC benefitted from the defections in the present sense. We do have a much higher percentage of decent teams this year but we have to consider struggling Idaho and NMSU when assessing the impact.

Latest BCS rankings Sun Belt current & departed teams.

#37 ULL
#49 North Texas
#69 ULM
#70 Middle Tennessee
#77 Texas State
#81 Arkansas State
#85 Troy
#86 WKU
#90 FAU
#93 USA
#115 FIU
999 Georgia State

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/bcs

Ecatly what I am talking about. UNT has benefitted greatly from the move to a conference with a lot of "easy outs". UNT doesn't get to 6 wins as easily against the top 7 SBC teams. Remember how far La. Tech shot up the rankings playing in the last year of the WAC? Heck, NIU made a BCS bowl playing one of the easiest schedules in the country.

Ball State is rated above every team in the Sun Belt at #35 and Rice at #51 is only exceeded by ULL at #37. Those two are not exactly easy outs along with Middle Tennessee that is ahead of everyone in the Sun Belt with the exception of ULL and ULM. Compare who NT has beaten against who you have beaten and NT comes out with the tougher schedule. You always try to downplay teams that have left the Sun Belt for another conference.

I'll say this right now, if we win on Thursday there is not a single team in CUSA that wants to play the Cajuns in NOLA. Not Tulane, UNT, Rice, Marshall or ECU.

I just don't see UL-L as scary...but hell, I'll be happy to beat UT-M and get another win.