SBC schools to vote on extending membership invitation

Harry · August 29, 2015

President and chancellors from Sun Belt Conference schools will meet Sunday in Dallas to vote on extending a possible membership invitation, it’s been learned.

It’s known that Coastal Carolina and Eastern Kentucky have been under consideration, and that current football-only member New Mexico State remains a candidate for full-fledged membership.

All three schools were paid on-campus visits by Sun Belt reps at some point earlier this year, including two this month.

Seventy-five percent approval is required to issue an invite, however, so it’s also possible that no bid will go out.

What criteria are considered could impact any favorable vote.

Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said when the league held its annual football Media Day last month in New Orleans that the membership matter is “no longer a football issue.”

It once was, as prior focus for some had been on getting to 12 teams for football so that the conference could stage a revenue-generating football title game.

“As we now go forward, and expecting that the NCAA will roll back the policy that requires 12 teams to do a conference football championship game,” Benson said, “we are no longer driven by a football championship game when it comes to our future membership. We now need to focus on what is in the best interest of our other sports.”

Basketball and other SBC programs do not currently play balanced schedules.

read more: http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/ul/2015/08/28/sbc-schools-vote-extending-membership-invitation/71349570/

Sun Belt identifies Coastal Carolina, Eastern Kentucky for expansion

The Sun Belt Conference has enough internal support to add a 12th member and has focused its search on current Football Championship Subdivision members Coastal Carolina and Eastern Kentucky, a person with knowledge of the conversations told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the matter is supposed to be private.

A decision on which school to add and formal vote should come within the next few weeks, if not days. The Sun Belt's current plan is to add one of the two, but not both.

"They have enough votes," the person said. "They have already visited the campuses.

read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sunbelt/2015/08/28/conference-expansion-coastal-carolina-eastern-kentucky/71322494/

oldguystudent · August 29, 2015

> We now need to focus on what is in the best interest of our other sports.

Oh, Karl. You just keep on keepin' on with your adorable football killing ways.

KRAM1 · August 29, 2015

OK, I read the title to this thread numerous times reading "SEC" and not "SBC". Imagine my surprise when I read that the "SEC" was considering Coastal Carolina and Eastern Kentucky.

Yes, reading is hard sometimes!

Edited August 29, 2015 by KRAM1