(05-17-2014 02:34 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

If Benson is an idiot, then blame the idiots that hired him. Benson has been consistent from Day 1. He wanted to go to 12 and he wanted a CCG. I am sure that came up in the interview process under goals and objectives.

Benson didn't kill the WAC. The MWC killed the WAC. Without Big Sky expansion, there was only enough schools for one G5 Western Conference.

Arkansas State is not leaving. There is no where to go. They are not the most important school in the conference. That does not exist in the Sun Belt Conference. There are no dominate schools in the SBC.

Benson was adament that they expand to 16 and then when it grew into pods and the old rivalries of the MWC schools were lost and they couldn't play each other every year, then they decided to split. Benson wouldn't listen to them, so they bolted and then the WAC started to implode.

Keep in mind, Benson was once the MAC Commish too. He was horrible.

(05-17-2014 02:34 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

If Benson is an idiot, then blame the idiots that hired him. Benson has been consistent from Day 1. He wanted to go to 12 and he wanted a CCG. I am sure that came up in the interview process under goals and objectives.

Benson didn't kill the WAC. The MWC killed the WAC. Without Big Sky expansion, there was only enough schools for one G5 Western Conference.

Arkansas State is not leaving. There is no where to go. They are not the most important school in the conference. That does not exist in the Sun Belt Conference. There are no dominate schools in the SBC.

The people who hired him included WKU, MTSU, FIU, FAU, and UNT during a period of time that was quite a bit different than today. What he wanted on day one means zilch at the moment.

I have no interest in Benson's role in the WAC other than to say, he didn't save it.

You should never say never in college football. Arkansas State has a history of leaving things when everyone said we had no place to go.

TXST, GaSt, USA, and Louisiana also have no place to go but that could also all change in one single news cycle.

There aren't many members we (and by association, Karl Benson) don't have to worry about keeping happy. Arkansas State and Louisiana aren't in that small number.

(05-17-2014 02:42 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  It's really about conference compromise for UMass. Arkstfan said it pretty clearly in the other thread.
Nice possible compromise scenario
At the end, "they all don't have to agree but think together" was a nice quote.

Do think the championship game is a good idea if it opens the contract with ESPN. Getting addition ESPN coverage would be good for the conference and the teams. Perhaps a little more money, which could offset the cost, along with playing the game at the highest rated team's stadium.

I don't know about our administration, but I want to have flexibility. I don't want in one or two years for Missouri State, or JMU pop up and say hey, we're ready! and we have no slot.

I want some assurance that if another program that fits our footprint pops up, we're not going to have Benson playing off east and west to keep Idaho or something foolish just because they like him and want him to keep his job.

I don't trust. The conference office password protected the league bylaws so our fans couldn't look at them for crying out loud.

If we add a temp team, I want to know that it's really a temp and that our real intentions are all-sports within our footprint.

(05-17-2014 12:40 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 11:50 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 11:33 AM)GoAppsGo92 Wrote:  His public comments fall in line with the leagues stated goals, and he made it very clear that UMASS is getting serious consideration. That works for me.

There are things UMASS can do, say, and commit to that would make them acceptable as a temporary placeholder, and even as a permanent member.

But getting a championship game right this instant is not one of the things that should be the primary motivator for adding them. That should be a side-effect of adding them at most.

For a conference that was just complaining that they had 7 bowl eligible teams and only 2 got bowl bids, why add another team to dilute it further? Same with media coverage. SBC gets 5 espn games and just lost their CSS regional TV partner but wants to further spread those 5 TV appearances even further??

Crazy.

UMASS has been FBS for just two seasons, so it is a process. They are struggling, although they did beat Miami of Ohio last season.

You are wrong on the media coverage. UMASS will not hurt the media coverage. They had a home game nationally televised last year against Vanderbilt (ESPN News). They have two home games scheduled for TV in conference play, one on Wednesday and the other on Friday. Their home games against Boston College and Colorado will likely make one of the ESPN family of channels. They also get football coverage in Boston on the radio (WUFC) and statewide radio coverage.

They also are not playing an easy schedule. They are playing four P5 schools in nonconference play (the home games against BC and CU and road games at Vanderbilt and Penn State). In 2015 they are at Notre Dame and Colorado. They won't hurt the strength of schedule of the SBC.

They will help the conference academic image and there are the non-conference basketball games that can be scheduled. UMASS would likely be the best nonconference home game for SBC schools in basketball. That has been the case in the MAC, where UMASS is 8-0 over the past two seasons, 4-0 on the road.

By the way, the TV schedule is not done and the bowl situation will improve in the future. I think the SBC has plenty of upside in the future.

(05-17-2014 12:51 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The MAC took UMass for the sole purpose of 14 not because the league wanted UMass as a football only member. Worked wonderfully

The MAC took UMass as a pairing with Temple, which was promised to give MAC East schools a game on the East Coast each year. It also evened up the divisions with Toledo and Bowling Green no longer needing a locked cross division game. Very little of the original reason for the MAC to be interested applies to the Sunbelt, since (1) the Sunbelt doesn't have Temple FB-only and (2) the Sunbelt already has schools on the East Coast. In the Sunbelt, the division split would be geographically natural for FB, but with a heavy helping of recent FCS transition schools in the East.

The failure of the MAC UMass add was collateral damage to the Big East falling apart, as the Big East put up the bat signal for Temple to come back into its conference ASAP as part of its flailing around trying to survive during its multi-year collapse, which was when the MAC reason to be interested in UMass went away, the exact year that UMass started playing in the MAC.

(05-17-2014 03:20 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 02:34 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

If Benson is an idiot, then blame the idiots that hired him. Benson has been consistent from Day 1. He wanted to go to 12 and he wanted a CCG. I am sure that came up in the interview process under goals and objectives.

Benson didn't kill the WAC. The MWC killed the WAC. Without Big Sky expansion, there was only enough schools for one G5 Western Conference.

Arkansas State is not leaving. There is no where to go. They are not the most important school in the conference. That does not exist in the Sun Belt Conference. There are no dominate schools in the SBC.

Benson was adament that they expand to 16 and then when it grew into pods and the old rivalries of the MWC schools were lost and they couldn't play each other every year, then they decided to split. Benson wouldn't listen to them, so they bolted and then the WAC started to implode.

Keep in mind, Benson was once the MAC Commish too. He was horrible.

Benson wasn't commissioner when they expanded to 16

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

Interesting comment you maid about Ark. State leaving the SBC if Benson "p.o.s" them. Where do you suggest they go? I'm sure they aren't that dumb. Anyway I can't see UMASS getting the invite.

(05-17-2014 07:28 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

Interesting comment you maid about Ark. State leaving the SBC if Benson "p.o.s" them. Where do you suggest they go? I'm sure they aren't that dumb. Anyway I can't see UMASS getting the invite.

Assuming Arkansas State has nowhere to go is a dangerous proposition. Our administration is used to making a living out of being told no.

(05-17-2014 07:28 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

Interesting comment you maid about Ark. State leaving the SBC if Benson "p.o.s" them. Where do you suggest they go? I'm sure they aren't that dumb. Anyway I can't see UMASS getting the invite.

Back in the 50's we were in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference. We got short shrift and were the stepchild. The conference kept scheduling us to travel because we were "so far away from everyone else" yet we had to travel to them and it was the same distance. The conference simply paid no attention to the Athletic Director so the President of the University physically went to Little Rock and they basically told him ASU didn't matter, he didn't matter, and that we had no place to go.

We were gone right then.

The AIC died later on. The teams that were in it are scattered from the Southland to NAIA. But only one is in FBS. The stepchild that didn't matter.

I respect the path Ark. St. has taken. You guys have kept working through some tough times and have emerged with a high quality football program.

(05-17-2014 07:28 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

Interesting comment you maid about Ark. State leaving the SBC if Benson "p.o.s" them. Where do you suggest they go? I'm sure they aren't that dumb. Anyway I can't see UMASS getting the invite.

AState isn't looking to leave, there is only one CUSA team left that we have any significant interest in, the schools that made CUSA attractive are mostly in the AAC now. Our administration is of the opinion that are program can achieve its goals regardless of the league we are in.

(05-17-2014 02:34 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

If Benson is an idiot, then blame the idiots that hired him. Benson has been consistent from Day 1. He wanted to go to 12 and he wanted a CCG. I am sure that came up in the interview process under goals and objectives.

Benson didn't kill the WAC. The MWC killed the WAC. Without Big Sky expansion, there was only enough schools for one G5 Western Conference.

Arkansas State is not leaving. There is no where to go. They are not the most important school in the conference. That does not exist in the Sun Belt Conference. There are no dominate schools in the SBC.

another bla...bla...bla post! Typical!

(05-17-2014 09:12 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 07:28 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(05-17-2014 01:29 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Benson is an idiot. He is the only Commish that constantly says stupid stuff to the media, is a bad negotiator, is obssessed with expanding conferences despite what membership wants, and failed the WAC and led them to their demise. He's doing the same now with talking to UMass despite the most important member (Arkansas State) not wanting to expand.

He'll piss off Arkansas State, they'll leave, and the SBC will unravel just like the WAC. You'd almost think he is a Trojan Horse stooge placed by the P5 to ruin the G5 one conference at a time.

Interesting comment you maid about Ark. State leaving the SBC if Benson "p.o.s" them. Where do you suggest they go? I'm sure they aren't that dumb. Anyway I can't see UMASS getting the invite.

Back in the 50's we were in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference. We got short shrift and were the stepchild. The conference kept scheduling us to travel because we were "so far away from everyone else" yet we had to travel to them and it was the same distance. The conference simply paid no attention to the Athletic Director so the President of the University physically went to Little Rock and they basically told him ASU didn't matter, he didn't matter, and that we had no place to go.

We were gone right then.

The AIC died later on. The teams that were in it are scattered from the Southland to NAIA. But only one is in FBS. The stepchild that didn't matter.

There was an added element in there. This was back when neither the NAIA nor NCAA had scholarship limits, each conference set their own limits.

AState was advocating that the AIC increase its scholarship limits in football and was a lone voice crying in the wilderness.

The fate of the university changed when Dr. Reng became president in 1951.

We went to the NCAA and became an independent and a decade later formed the Southland. A decade later when the NCAA restructured into I, II, III there was division within the league about where to go. Abilene and Trinity lost the fight and we went Division I. Dr. Reng retired after being president for 25 years as AState completed it's first Division I football season by going 11-0 in the second season of our current stadium which he had envisioned as a structure capable of being easily expanded to accommodate future growth.

A little over a decade later there was a push to add more move up schools in Texas and Louisiana and we left to form the American South, under Dr. Smith who had been Dr. Reng's #2 man and had twice been passed over as president. He also led the move to FBS and the move to expand the stadium.

We've had a handful of stinkers as president but we've had some greats. Dr. Kays served 23 years (not counting two stints as interim), Dr. Reng 25 years, Dr. Smith 8 years (not counting another stint as interim), Dr. Wyatt was a mixed bag over his five years. Dr. Welch in my opinion is cut from the same cloth as Dr. Kays and Dr. Reng, passionate about athletics as an element of building the school and not bound by convention or tradition in getting things done.

(05-17-2014 10:14 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  There was an added element in there. This was back when neither the NAIA nor NCAA had scholarship limits, each conference set their own limits.

AState was advocating that the AIC increase its scholarship limits in football and was a lone voice crying in the wilderness.

The fate of the university changed when Dr. Reng became president in 1951.

We went to the NCAA and became an independent and a decade later formed the Southland. A decade later when the NCAA restructured into I, II, III there was division within the league about where to go. Abilene and Trinity lost the fight and we went Division I. Dr. Reng retired after being president for 25 years as AState completed it's first Division I football season by going 11-0 in the second season of our current stadium which he had envisioned as a structure capable of being easily expanded to accommodate future growth.

A little over a decade later there was a push to add more move up schools in Texas and Louisiana and we left to form the American South, under Dr. Smith who had been Dr. Reng's #2 man and had twice been passed over as president. He also led the move to FBS and the move to expand the stadium.

We've had a handful of stinkers as president but we've had some greats. Dr. Kays served 23 years (not counting two stints as interim), Dr. Reng 25 years, Dr. Smith 8 years (not counting another stint as interim), Dr. Wyatt was a mixed bag over his five years. Dr. Welch in my opinion is cut from the same cloth as Dr. Kays and Dr. Reng, passionate about athletics as an element of building the school and not bound by convention or tradition in getting things done.

Agree about Pres. Welch. He and Chancellor Hudson seem to be a good combination.