Western Kentucky / Middle Tennessee
Or
East Carolina / Memphis

I think WKU and MTSU would jump tomorrow

I think once the money runs out ECU and Memphis
would look to jump

ECU and Memphis without question. And, that's with the understanding that Memphis will be on probation a good bit of the time (mostly for basketball) because of the massive corruption there.

My preference would be to at least play a full year at 14 before seeing 2 new threads every week on who gets added next.

Not really in a rush to add anyone, very happy with current SBC members.

If choosing, Memphis and ECU hands down though. Stronger teams, better fanbases. We don't need to cripple CUSA further. WKU/MTSU would be ok adds if we *needed* more teams, or if every conference starts going to 16-20 and that it is somehow beneficial. Currently 14 feels like a great number.

Happy with 14, happy with divisions and the CCG. Really don't want anything to change for now.

(12-30-2022 11:43 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Not really in a rush to add anyone, very happy with current SBC members.

If choosing, Memphis and ECU hands down though. Stronger teams, better fanbases. We don't need to cripple CUSA further. WKU/MTSU would be ok adds if we *needed* more teams, or if every conference starts going to 16-20 and that it is somehow beneficial. Currently 14 feels like a great number.

Happy with 14, happy with divisions and the CCG. Really don't want anything to change for now.

Exactly

I read the title and thought this would be a tough call. Absolutely no question ECU/Memphis. Whether that combo will ever be possible is the real question, and the answer is probably no. But if it is, that's a no brainer.

We shouldn't be in any hurry at all though so we can wait to see if they ever become interested in the SBC, if anyone else worth adding does, or if we see no need to add for quite a while.

Considering my belief that MTSU and WKU have both refused to schedule A-State in any sport since leaving the SBC, despite being 5 or so hours drive away . . . I wouldn't piss on either of them if they were on fire.

I don't think Memphis is realistic, but I'd choose Memphis + ECU in that scenario.

WKU has shown in recent years that they can compete with us on a regular basis, so adding them wouldn't be the worst idea, but I'm not a fan of inviting them back. They're the only football program to leave the Sun Belt after the additions of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern were announced, which in hindsight shows how inept WKU's admin was. As the last school to join C-USA, they saw all of the pieces to both the SBC and CUSA, and they chose wrong. I'm not sure they should be rewarded for that.

I think within the next week to ten days we should invite Austin Peay and UWF. Tell Central Arkansas and North Alabama to start considering the SBC....

I don't think Memphis is a fit. Their fans will look down on all of us, even though they've done little to nothing in years.

Besides, I think once the next round of realignment hits, and it could come sooner than we all expect, the Big 12 will get it's best programs raided by the remaining Pac 12.

SMU, Tulane and Memphis could probably find themselves in whatever remnant conference remains out of that mess.

I don’t think anyone is desperate to add.

We got a good thing going.

But if circumstances led to adding two teams, and those were the options, it’s an absolute no brainer.

Memphis and east Carolina. 1,000%

What a monster baseball conference we would be adding ecu.

If what I think happens actually happens, the AAC will be a gutted conference without any real identity. It would consist of

Temple
Navy
ECU
USF
Charlotte
FAU
Tulane
Tulsa
North Texas
UTSA
Rice
UAB

That looks A LOT like CUSA 2.0.

Could that AAC work? Would ESPN look at that, and want to rework their deal?

If they did, things get weird and interesting. The Sun Belt has positioned itself extreme well I think to survive the next big movements.

(12-31-2022 10:20 AM)rileylives Wrote:  If what I think happens actually happens, the AAC will be a gutted conference without any real identity. It would consist of

Temple
Navy
ECU
USF
Charlotte
FAU
Tulane
Tulsa
North Texas
UTSA
Rice
UAB

That looks A LOT like CUSA 2.0.

Navy and Temple are the only two on that list that we did not compete against during cusa days.

(12-31-2022 10:36 AM)Eagle in the gym Wrote:  

(12-31-2022 10:20 AM)rileylives Wrote:  If what I think happens actually happens, the AAC will be a gutted conference without any real identity. It would consist of

Temple
Navy
ECU
USF
Charlotte
FAU
Tulane
Tulsa
North Texas
UTSA
Rice
UAB

That looks A LOT like CUSA 2.0.

Navy and Temple are the only two on that list that we did not compete against during cusa days.

I can actually see Navy opt to bounce out. Go the Army route.

I think UAB and ECU would be high on the list of potential Sun Belt adds.

Throw UTSA, USF and WKU into that candidate mix.

(12-31-2022 10:40 AM)rileylives Wrote:  I think UAB and ECU would be high on the list of potential Sun Belt adds.

Throw UTSA, USF and WKU into that candidate mix.

This is definitely my thought process. Memphis looks down on the SBC and would have one foot out the door from day one. We don’t need that drama.

Personally, add UTSA and ECU. Put a bow on it and compete for a Playoff berth every year! This adds cultural value and a travel partner for Texas State.

Yes. I like it.

As for the East, ECU makes so much sense. Cultural fit, geographical fit....

(12-31-2022 10:12 AM)rileylives Wrote:  I don't think Memphis is a fit. Their fans will look down on all of us, even though they've done little to nothing in years.

Besides, I think once the next round of realignment hits, and it could come sooner than we all expect, the Big 12 will get it's best programs raided by the remaining Pac 12.

SMU, Tulane and Memphis could probably find themselves in whatever remnant conference remains out of that mess.

This currently seems unlikely due to media deals. Reports seem to indicate PAC is struggling to match or slightly improve on the B12 deal, and may end up on a streaming platform like Amazon. The kicker is amazon may also spin sports streaming off into a separate paid service with more limited distribution. Thats less appealing than what B12 has today. It reminds me of Flo sports on steroids if this happens. All of this makes PAC look weaker than the B12, and more likely to be raided than to raid B12.

More likely is PAC backfilling with MWC and/or AAC teams. They might take SMU to pair with SDSU. Can't see them going for Memphis though.

(12-31-2022 01:10 AM)WinstonTheWolf Wrote:  Considering my belief that MTSU and WKU have both refused to schedule A-State in any sport since leaving the SBC, despite being 5 or so hours drive away . . . I wouldn't piss on either of them if they were on fire.

I don’t think that’s the case from MT

(12-31-2022 10:20 AM)rileylives Wrote:  If what I think happens actually happens, the AAC will be a gutted conference without any real identity. It would consist of

Temple
Navy
ECU
USF
Charlotte
FAU
Tulane
Tulsa
North Texas
UTSA
Rice
UAB

That looks A LOT like CUSA 2.0.

Could that AAC work? Would ESPN look at that, and want to rework their deal?

If they did, things get weird and interesting. The Sun Belt has positioned itself extreme well I think to survive the next big movements.

CUSA 2.0 versions of Marshall, Houston and USM football were better than most of those are now.