(05-09-2022 10:27 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(05-09-2022 10:17 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(05-09-2022 10:06 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(05-09-2022 08:18 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Agree. Appalachian State was the "fulcrum".

SBC first added Georgia State which opened the door for the AppSt/GaSt pairing.

Had CUSA added Georgia St I doubt App would have agreed to move up to the SBC as weak as it was at the time.

WAC might have survived over SBC instead.

I don't see why C-USA would have picked up GSU tho. After their first season winning 6 games in FCS (vs Shorter, Campbell, Morehead St, Savannah St, NCCU, and Lamar, hardly a gauntlet), they won 4 more games over the next two seasons before heading to FBS, and won 1 game in their first 2 years as FBS. They just weren't seen as a great candidate for expansion. SBC was desperate at that point and GSU was the one who would pick up the phone.

Markets. Especially the giant Atlanta market and only the 3rd FBS program in Georgia at the time.

SBC was teetering until Karl Benson the realignment king realized astutely the SBC had longer term prospects than the WAC and moved to build the SBC into the super conference it is today.

CUSA could have gone with Georgia St over UTSA leaving them in the WAC and tipping the balance of power in favor of the WAC who then could raid for ULL, Troy and Arkansas St. ULM ends up having to move down without a conference.

Outside of basketball Georgia State adds no value to SBC. And when the SBC adds MU, JMU etc they won't even be good at basketball anymore. GSU has not even own their divison in the FB in the SBC. C-USA should add Kennesaw State. You would get the metro ATL market and they are a bowl ready team