Would App. State support Liberty's inclusion?

I suspect they would only if JMU is off the table.

We may soon see if the Liberty visitation tour to SBC leaders across the conference yields an invite.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnfo.../index.htm

I would prefer an all sports add to UMass. What if the Sun Belt offered UMass a scheduling alliance to help the remain a viable independent. Let's say we offer to schedule four home and home games with them each year and they do the same with four Men's basketball and four women's basketball.

Your logic? The writer seems to have grabbed the rumors of this board, and ran with it as fact.

Must be nice to know you are the ugliest girl available for the prom, but the beau wants a date in the worst possible way and his preferred choices would rather stay home.

(03-30-2014 07:37 AM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  I would prefer an all sports add to UMass. What if the Sun Belt offered UMass a scheduling alliance to help the remain a viable independent. Let's say we offer to schedule four home and home games with them each year and they do the same with four Men's basketball and four women's basketball.

Really hard for me to take this seriously. UMASS didn't join the MAC for all sports, what makes you think they would join the SBC? The only good thing that could possibly come out of adding UMASS all sports, which would never happen, is you could listen to some Dropkick Murphy's on the way up.

JMU is the obvious front runner but supposedly feels superior.

Taking UMASS with a similar scheduling agreement for basketball that the MAC has would be beneficial.
Giving EKU an Olympic sports membership with a promise of football inclusion if a member leaves makes sense. EKU becomes APP ST travel partner and is given time to get ready for FBS. EKU gets the benefit of having an FBS promise for fundraising . Five ten years later EKU joins for football with some conference history and an updated stadium.


The football only members stretch the footprint but also the conference influence. While adding three state flagship schools for minimal cost. UALR, UTA and EKU could eventually become full members. EKU first then UTA would be the next most likely full member. A tight footprint really only matters for Olympic sports. Football being spread out increases interest.

I would think Big Sky , WAC and A10 members will have a passing interest in SBC football. That is more national interest than other G5 conferences

(03-30-2014 07:43 AM)Campaign4Liberty Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 07:37 AM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  I would prefer an all sports add to UMass. What if the Sun Belt offered UMass a scheduling alliance to help the remain a viable independent. Let's say we offer to schedule four home and home games with them each year and they do the same with four Men's basketball and four women's basketball.

Really hard for me to take this seriously. UMASS didn't join the MAC for all sports, what makes you think they would join the SBC? The only good thing that could possibly come out of adding UMASS all sports, which would never happen, is you could listen to some Dropkick Murphy's on the way up.

You obvioulsy did not read my post I never said that the Sun Belt should add UMass I said we could offer them a scheduling alliance.

4 games home & home in football, M & W basketball.

I think such an alliance would be helpful to both the SBC and UMass. They would get help filling out the football schedule as an independent and we would get some guaranteed home & home games with a G5 school. In basketball 4 men's and women's games is exactly what they gave to the MAC so it would be nothing new for them and would help our RPI.

Next time Campain4Liberty you should read before your write.

I still don't understand why the Sun Belt would want to add a team that clearly and publicly wants nothing to do with them. They will use you to become FBS and then split in 2 years. Why not add. Missouri State who actually wants to be there? You'll be talking to them in 2 years anyway once JMU leaves.

Bottom line is MAC fans should be upset at how stupid the MAC office is. Temple and UMass was given an opportunity to take full advantage of the MAC by terrible incompetant MAC decisions and they took it. Both should have been offered only full sports invitations to begin with (like CUSA did with Charlotte and made them leave A10 and commit). Had we did that, Temple and UMass would have maybe said no, BUT then Temple would have dropped football all together and UMass would still be FCS. Now they are both competition to the MAC and that region. Further, I wouldn't be surprised if one or both are in talks to form their own conference in the NE and mid-atlantic and pull Buffalo along with them.

Truly stupid MAC leadership and the MAC deserves any fallout in the next years because of it. MAC is their own worst enemy. Complete fools.

Sun Belt headed down the same path now.

(03-30-2014 08:08 AM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  I still don't understand why the Sun Belt would want to add a team that clearly and publicly wants nothing to do with them. They will use you to become FBS and then split in 2 years. Why not add. Missouri State who actually wants to be there? You'll be talking to them in 2 years anyway once JMU leaves.

Bottom line is MAC fans should be upset at how stupid the MAC office is. Temple and UMass was given an opportunity to take full advantage of the MAC by terrible incompetant MAC decisions and they took it. Both should have been offered only full sports invitations to begin with (like CUSA did with Charlotte and made them leave A10 and commit). Had we did that, Temple and UMass would have maybe said no, BUT then Temple would have dropped football all together and UMass would still be FCS. Now they are both competition to the MAC and that region. Further, I wouldn't be surprised if one or both are in talks to form their own conference in the NE and mid-atlantic and pull Buffalo along with them.

Truly stupid MAC leadership and the MAC deserves any fallout in the next years because of it. MAC is their own worst enemy. Complete fools.

Sun Belt headed down the same path now.

Yep, would be a huge mistake to even offer U Mass anything.

(03-30-2014 08:08 AM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  I still don't understand why the Sun Belt would want to add a team that clearly and publicly wants nothing to do with them. They will use you to become FBS and then split in 2 years. Why not add. Missouri State who actually wants to be there? You'll be talking to them in 2 years anyway once JMU leaves.

Bottom line is MAC fans should be upset at how stupid the MAC office is. Temple and UMass was given an opportunity to take full advantage of the MAC by terrible incompetant MAC decisions and they took it. Both should have been offered only full sports invitations to begin with (like CUSA did with Charlotte and made them leave A10 and commit). Had we did that, Temple and UMass would have maybe said no, BUT then Temple would have dropped football all together and UMass would still be FCS. Now they are both competition to the MAC and that region. Further, I wouldn't be surprised if one or both are in talks to form their own conference in the NE and mid-atlantic and pull Buffalo along with them.

Truly stupid MAC leadership and the MAC deserves any fallout in the next years because of it. MAC is their own worst enemy. Complete fools.

Sun Belt headed down the same path now.

MAC did the football only in some vague hope of a better TV deal but already had the title game. Any revenue shared with Temple/UMass came out of the shares of the full members.

Sun Belt can benefit financially without needing to hope for any improvement in the TV deal because we don't have a title game as part of our TV nor the revenue from the event.

Yeah because JMU would be the top choice out of the Belt in two years over existing belt schools. When did JMU move to an urban area and rank in the 100 in any of the big three sports?

I want JMU as a conference member but can we stop pretending they are better than current members, they aren't.

(03-30-2014 10:19 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  Yeah because JMU would be the top choice out of the Belt in two years over existing belt schools. When did JMU move to an urban area and rank in the 100 in any of the big three sports?

I want JMU as a conference member but can we stop pretending they are better than current members, they aren't.

JMU fits in with CUSA as well as anyone in the Sun Belt. I'm not saying they instantly leap frog everyone but you're naive if you don't think them joining the Sun Belt and then being part of the next raid by CUSA is a real possibility.

(03-30-2014 07:51 AM)MJG Wrote:  The football only members stretch the footprint but also the conference influence. While adding three state flagship schools for minimal cost. UALR, UTA and EKU could eventually become full members.

UALR isn't ever going to be an all-sports member.

The decision making process over the next month or so is going to be interesting. I know Commissioner Benson is determined to get a 12th fb team but I am not sure the members are so determined.

Benson doesn't seem to have changed mode from his WAC days. He is still "we HAVE to add, and add NOW!"

Thankfully, it seems that the presidents are all in the mode of "We want to add, but want to make the right add"

I will say this : If Liberty is denied again this year it should be very clear that the presidents are simply not going to invite them unless the conference has to do so to survive.

So if June 1 comes and goes and Liberty is not invited I would think it is over for Liberty's chances with the Sun Belt.

(03-30-2014 09:21 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  I will say this : If Liberty is denied again this year it should be very clear that the presidents are simply not going to invite them unless the conference has to do so to survive.

So if June 1 comes and goes and Liberty is not invited I would think it is over for Liberty's chances with the Sun Belt.

You would think, but bet dollars to donuts it does little to help with the infestation.

(03-30-2014 06:49 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 10:19 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  Yeah because JMU would be the top choice out of the Belt in two years over existing belt schools. When did JMU move to an urban area and rank in the 100 in any of the big three sports?

I want JMU as a conference member but can we stop pretending they are better than current members, they aren't.

JMU fits in with CUSA as well as anyone in the Sun Belt. I'm not saying they instantly leap frog everyone but you're naive if you don't think them joining the Sun Belt and then being part of the next raid by CUSA is a real possibility.

Not as naive as anyone that thinks they jump to the front of the line.