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What's driving the Sun Belt?
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Oldyeller Offline
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What's driving the Sun Belt?
So what is it that drives the Sun Belt to the position we're in today?

It's undeniably different at this point. What is it specifically?
02-20-2021 11:15 AM
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Usajags Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
It all comes down the quality of the additions. Everything from performance to fan support.

It also has to do with buying into the SBC. Before, there were schools and fans of those schools that wanted out, wanted to be the next guy up to the all mighty CUSA. Now we have stepped over CUSA and have fan bases that want to succeed together, as a conference.

Also helps that we no longer share a footprint with Idaho and NMSU, nothing against those schools, but they are a loooong way away. Being in a conference that you know, or know of, alumni and fans of the other schools, just makes it that much more fun.
02-20-2021 11:26 AM
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EigenEagle Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
Greedy COOSA took all the marketz and all we had left were programs that knew how to win and other programs that were on the rise. Those SOBs.
02-20-2021 11:28 AM
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Yosef Himself Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
The rivalries. App/GS, Troy/USA, GS/GSU, ASU/UL, UL/ULM; and newer rivalries that are forming: App fans actually have started to see Troy and UL as obstacles to a conference championship. I'm sure each school has that opinion about a division and conference mate.
02-20-2021 11:53 AM
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TrueBlueDrew Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
Proximity leads to familiarity and then eventually rivalries. Those things are very easy to sell to a fan base and increase the interest in various sports. Increased interest leads to donations and sponsorships. Using that money to invest in facilities and pay scholarships will eventually increase competitiveness across the board. That leads to more media attention and a better media contract. And the cycle continues.
02-20-2021 03:39 PM
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RamblinRedWolf Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
while you could arguably say it’s died down a bit the leagues biggest negative is members fans still talking about jumping to other conferences and simultaneously no familiarity with opposing members.

The league as well as individual universities need to do a better job of selling the conference and each other
02-20-2021 04:19 PM
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balanced_view Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-20-2021 11:53 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  The rivalries. App/GS, Troy/USA, GS/GSU, ASU/UL, UL/ULM; and newer rivalries that are forming: App fans actually have started to see Troy and UL as obstacles to a conference championship. I'm sure each school has that opinion about a division and conference mate.

I agree that the rivalries are driving the bus of the Sun Belt. Everything else is following and growing with them. Interesting enough, Our conference rivalries are not limited to just proximity as some would think. Louisiana/App St. and now Coastals emergence are the 2 furthest from us, But playing with something on the line, along with passionate fans create energy that builds.

Also, each team having multiple schools they consider to be rivals in conference helps. the more the better, and several of us have at least 2 or more others to call rival.
02-20-2021 04:24 PM
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GBjagsfan Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
Rivalries. Maybe it’s due to football but y’all are a whole lot more fun to hate on as rivals than the old Sun Belt (with an exception for UAB).
Glad to be in this version of the conference.
02-20-2021 05:54 PM
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troutbummike Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
I'd say a global pandemic and jealousy.
02-20-2021 06:02 PM
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Oldyeller Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
It's fun to watch the top of the conference grow deeper hate roots. Top being UL CCU and App. What's driving the rise is simple to me. Those in the middle. The middle took the top of a peer conference to the woodshed and performed solid overall OOC . Speaks to conference strength while the top of the conference enjoys the spoils. Better keep your foot on the gas big fellas.
02-20-2021 06:35 PM
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chiefsfan Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
We combined a bunch of programs who are generally used to winning with each other into the same conference. Naturally, we can't all win, so rivalries begin to develop.

It also helps that App and Southern fans really grew into the Sun Belt. There were a lot of concerns when they got here that they'd just hate each other as usual and nothing else would evolve, but the rest of the Sun Belt has provided enough of a challenge that their fan bases have taken notice.
02-21-2021 12:48 AM
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THUNDERStruck73 Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
I think our ad went something like this:


2012 - AP

“Hi folks, Brit Bounce Banowski and Jeep Judy Tenuda here. We’d like to invite you to CUSA if you are in a city with a major airport and have potential, because we all know potential energy is worth so much more than kinetic energy. Trust us (wink wink). If you build it, they will come. Just like the movie! See you soon and we’ll leave the light on for ya!”

Crap heads!
02-21-2021 02:06 PM
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chiefsfan Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-21-2021 02:06 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  I think our ad went something like this:


2012 - AP

“Hi folks, Brit Bounce Banowski and Jeep Judy Tenuda here. We’d like to invite you to CUSA if you are in a city with a major airport and have potential, because we all know potential energy is worth so much more than kinetic energy. Trust us (wink wink). If you build it, they will come. Just like the movie! See you soon and we’ll leave the light on for ya!”

Crap heads!

But your commissioner does get to ride around in a cool Toy car! We don't have that.
02-21-2021 07:04 PM
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Saint3333 Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
Teams answering the bell.

Rising tide lifts all boats. Troy, Ark St, App, ULL, CCU last year. The third place team is likely a top 50 program that year.

Can we sustain and continue pushing each other? Or will parity set in and 4-5 teams beat each other up creating the illusion we are worse.
02-21-2021 09:48 PM
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GaSoEagle Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
At 8-5 our year was not bad but not great either. But ending it with a wood shedding of La Tech was sweet
02-21-2021 10:12 PM
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Oldyeller Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-21-2021 10:12 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  At 8-5 our year was not bad but not great either. But ending it with a wood shedding of La Tech was sweet

Yeah but we got handled by Liberty last year. Handled meaning a 10pt loss. We've had our share of coaching fails and mediocrity since our arrival winning the conference in 2014. Our only noteworthy contributions have been two BLOW OUT bowl games repping the middle of the conference. It's worth mentioning that the play on the field over this time has been far from meeting expectations. A noticeable decline in most aspects of performance while our long time rival has enjoyed no real gain or loss in my opinion. Speaks to the idea that the Sun Belt is that much better thinking. Not so much to me. We've just been that bad. No disrespect intended just pointing to expectations certainly based on our rivals performance. The grass is starting to look a bit greener though.
02-22-2021 01:59 PM
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JCGSU Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
Addition by subtraction for one. App and GS were already better programs than most programs that left for COOSA marketzzz. Also adding younger programs with room to grow vs many teams in COOSA that had really peaked many years ago.

Staying at 10 we get max peanuts from the playoffs and TV contracts.

Most of the credit goes to UL, ArkSt and App.....03-puke For making competent coaching hires over and over for the most part and keeping the bar high for the rest of us. GS prides itself in hiring coaches with resumes most FCS schools would pass on lately.
02-22-2021 03:18 PM
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Yosef Himself Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-22-2021 03:18 PM)JCGSU Wrote:  Addition by subtraction for one. App and GS were already better programs than most programs that left for COOSA marketzzz. Also adding younger programs with room to grow vs many teams in COOSA that had really peaked many years ago.

Staying at 10 we get max peanuts from the playoffs and TV contracts.

Most of the credit goes to UL, ArkSt and App.....03-puke For making competent coaching hires over and over for the most part and keeping the bar high for the rest of us. GS prides itself in hiring coaches with resumes most FCS schools would pass on lately.
I hope y'all don't higher KSU's coach and OC next.
02-22-2021 07:00 PM
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JCGSU Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-22-2021 07:00 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  
(02-22-2021 03:18 PM)JCGSU Wrote:  Addition by subtraction for one. App and GS were already better programs than most programs that left for COOSA marketzzz. Also adding younger programs with room to grow vs many teams in COOSA that had really peaked many years ago.

Staying at 10 we get max peanuts from the playoffs and TV contracts.

Most of the credit goes to UL, ArkSt and App.....03-puke For making competent coaching hires over and over for the most part and keeping the bar high for the rest of us. GS prides itself in hiring coaches with resumes most FCS schools would pass on lately.
I hope y'all don't higher KSU's coach and OC next.

I hope we don't either. There are those in our fan base that would love for the flex to come back as if we are still playing Elon and WCU. He has done well but KSU is in a joke conference and he has yet to make it out of the quarter-finals IIRC. I think AD Benko is the real deal and will actually do a national search for a coach that at least has some proof they can be a HC unlike the last and current coach. Fritz has been the only good hire and yet Clownline went opposite of that hire twice. I think Ruse may extend Lunsford career a few more years but lackluster mediocre recruiting will eventually get this staff.
(This post was last modified: 02-23-2021 08:07 AM by JCGSU.)
02-23-2021 08:03 AM
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EigenEagle Offline
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RE: What's driving the Sun Belt?
(02-22-2021 03:18 PM)JCGSU Wrote:  Addition by subtraction for one. App and GS were already better programs than most programs that left for COOSA marketzzz. Also adding younger programs with room to grow vs many teams in COOSA that had really peaked many years ago.

Staying at 10 we get max peanuts from the playoffs and TV contracts.

Most of the credit goes to UL, ArkSt and App.....03-puke For making competent coaching hires over and over for the most part and keeping the bar high for the rest of us. GS prides itself in hiring coaches with resumes most FCS schools would pass on lately.

So, can I take this as implicit bashing App State's hire of Shawn Clark?
02-23-2021 08:46 AM
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