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Sunbelt Might Add 11Th School For Football

NT03

By NT03
in Mean Green Football

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MeanGreen61 Newbie

MeanGreen61

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Defending champion FIU will appear on national TV three times in 2011, and the conference is currently renegotiating a deal with ESPN that would further broaden its exposure." :thumbsu:

Post by CajunT on the Belt board.

I know that Louisiana Tech has been in touch with UNT, ASU, UL, and several other programs to measure the water temperature about a possible return. The papers spin Bensons talking points in Texas and other WAC cities, but I've been told the talks have been both ways despite Tech fans denial

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NT03 Newbie

NT03

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Them or New Mexico State. Of to two, I like NMSU better, but the Belt would be better with La Tech than without it.

I would like either of the 2 , but would prefer La Tech just on the fact it's only a 4 & a half hour drive

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VideoEagle Mentor

VideoEagle

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Another plus is you have to drive past the casinos to get there! If you only go to La-Mo or La Tech every other year that means an annual casino trip.

Some of the La Tech fans are thinking it them and others are actually thinking Tulane! Hey, I'm up for every other year in New Orleans! But I don't think it's Tulane.

Here's the link. Great chance to have fun with them!

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ADLER Grand Master

ADLER

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The best solution would be to add the four eastern-most members of the WAC; La Tech, UTSA, Texas St, and New Mexico St, and put the WAC out of it's misery.

Before any of you start moaning and complaining about the possibility of adding two teams moving up to FBS, please consider this: The WAC in it's current desperation mode has not only offered FBS membership to UTSA and Texas St, but WAC Commissioner Karl Benson is also talking to Lamar, Sam Houston, and Stephen F Austin. I believe that the Texas market is already fairly saturated with ten existing FBS schools, and the result of all five of these teams moving up will be far too many teams and too much competition for limited resources. Moving the additional Southland schools up to the FBS is not good for us, and it's not good long-term for the current WAC schools.

Eliminating the WAC while bringing these new programs into the Sun Belt will increase the value of the Sun Belt's media package through added markets while eliminating the competition for exposure.

West

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

La Tech

East

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

UL-Monroe

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

In football this divisional play, roughly divided by the Mississippi River would save most schools enormously on travel costs.

A fifteen school basketball conference (including UALR) would give seven home conference games and seven road conference games to each school. The "WKU never has to travel to Denton" issue would be permanently solved.

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ADLER Grand Master

ADLER

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I really like the Western Division of this conference. It combines the most regionally attractive members of the Sun Belt conference with the most attractive elements of the WAC. Great road trips, great tailgating.

West Division

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

La Tech

East Division

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

UL-Monroe

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

The only real problem that I can see is that La Tech may not get support from three quarters of the Sun Belt members. North Texas, Arkansas State, and Louisiana-Lafayette would all vote in Tech's favor, but many of the other schools would likely view Tech as a redundant school in a very tiny market. The eastern Sun Belt schools could push for a school more geographically attractive to them with a larger media market, maybe something like Georgia State in Atlanta.

West Division

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

UL-Monroe

East Division

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Georgia State

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

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NM Green Proficient

NM Green

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Adler's scenario below would also make me think twice about a Mountain West invite. We would have a regional league to build upon and might not be so quick to join a far-flung Western Conference. I've got to be honest this might not be a bad group to move forward with. It is fan friendly, offers natural rivalries, would eliminate the WAC, and could compete with an MWC when a Troy, North Texas, La Tech and FIU emerge from the pack. You get a couple of programs to separate from the pack and beat up CUSA and MAC teams and now you have some credibility. The MWC is going to fall back perception wise without a WAC. It will be way behind the Pac 12. The conference that should be worried of a strong SBC is CUSA, especially with their internal strife. They could cherry pick for sure, but they would have to get their house in order first. What we don't have in the SBC are programs that fight over expanding East and West (yet). Be smart about these moves and we could align ourselves into a very nice position. My only thing is I would want joining programs to bring their entire portfolio. Don't want to be a disjointed Big East.

West

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

La Tech

East

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

UL-Monroe

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

GMG

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meanJewGreen Experienced

meanJewGreen

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I don't know if I'd call Ruston, Jonesboro and Lafayette "attractive". They are dumps.

Adler's scenario below would also make me think twice about a Mountain West invite. We would have a regional league to build upon and might not be so quick to join a far-flung Western Conference. I've got to be honest this might not be a bad group to move forward with. It is fan friendly, offers natural rivalries, would eliminate the WAC, and could compete with an MWC when a Troy, North Texas, La Tech and FIU emerge from the pack. You get a couple of programs to separate from the pack and beat up CUSA and MAC teams and now you have some credibility. The MWC is going to fall back perception wise without a WAC. It will be way behind the Pac 12. The conference that should be worried of a strong SBC is CUSA, especially with their internal strife. They could cherry pick for sure, but they would have to get their house in order first. What we don't have in the SBC are programs that fight over expanding East and West (yet). Be smart about these moves and we could align ourselves into a very nice position. My only thing is I would want joining programs to bring their entire portfolio. Don't want to be a disjointed Big East.

West

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

La Tech

East

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

UL-Monroe

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

GMG

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untbowler Grand Master

untbowler

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Posted

Adler's scenario below would also make me think twice about a Mountain West invite. We would have a regional league to build upon and might not be so quick to join a far-flung Western Conference. I've got to be honest this might not be a bad group to move forward with. It is fan friendly, offers natural rivalries, would eliminate the WAC, and could compete with an MWC when a Troy, North Texas, La Tech and FIU emerge from the pack. You get a couple of programs to separate from the pack and beat up CUSA and MAC teams and now you have some credibility. The MWC is going to fall back perception wise without a WAC. It will be way behind the Pac 12. The conference that should be worried of a strong SBC is CUSA, especially with their internal strife. They could cherry pick for sure, but they would have to get their house in order first. What we don't have in the SBC are programs that fight over expanding East and West (yet). Be smart about these moves and we could align ourselves into a very nice position. My only thing is I would want joining programs to bring their entire portfolio. Don't want to be a disjointed Big East.

West

Arkansas State

New Mexico St

Louisiana

North Texas

UTSA

Texas St

La Tech

East

MTSU

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

UL-Monroe

South Alabama

Western Kentucky

GMG

Not bad, the only difference my be flipping ASU and ULM. ASU can travel easier being 1 hr from Memphis for flights and also sitting on a newer proposed interstate.

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untbowler Grand Master

untbowler

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i prefer the suckbelt invite tulane. then north texas can take their spot in cusa and get the heck out of this low rent district. we need to move up the food chain, not make it longer.

So we want to move up in rent when we can not even pay the rent in our "low rent" conference does not make sense, an ass-kicking is an ass-kicking no matter what conference we play in. Win the Belt then we can start talking about moving up to higher rents.

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TIgreen01 Mentor

TIgreen01

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So we want to move up in rent when we can not even pay the rent in our "low rent" conference does not make sense, an ass-kicking is an ass-kicking no matter what conference we play in. Win the Belt then we can start talking about moving up to higher rents.

Really? Would you rather be Baylor, or North Texas right now? Baylor takes it in the seat in the Big 12. We take it from the Sun Belt. Granted, we actually have a shot to rise up in the Sun Belt---but we are now spending enough that we could be competitive in CUSA and/or the MWC....

I'm a build the belt guy, but if a spot opens in CUSA, I'm a leave the belt guy...

...and under no circumstances should we invite UTSA or TSU to the Sun Belt if by inviting LaTech and NMSU we can kill their ability to move up to D1-A/FBS. 10 Texas based FBS schools is enough...for now. Only once it becomes absolutely impossible to stop them moving up should we consider aligning with them. Yes, I realize this approach makes me akin to a dirty smu douchebag.

Edited by TIgreen01
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Mean Green 93-98 Grand Master

Mean Green 93-98

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Posted

Interesting perspective. But I believe that if LaTech indicated that they were willing to eat a little humble pie and that they really wanted back in the Belt, the member schools would take them. I don't care much for the attitude they have showed either, especially when Dooley was there. But LaTech in the Belt just makes too much sense. It's a school that UNT students had heard of before they looked at a UNT football schedule. They would make a good regional rival, and would be easy travel for UNT and LaTech fans both ways. Their jumping to the Belt would be a sign that the Belt is improving (maybe more that the WAC is imploding, but still). LaTech to the Belt would be a good thing. If Belt schools decide they want to get back at LaTech, they'll hurt themselves as well. My opinion.

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