Future of Sun Belt

[Saint3333]

Once we go to divisions we'll play each western division team a max of once on the road every four years.

For me traveling to either location once every four years isn't the issue. The issue is their OOC success, they must improve there.

I know you know this, but its not just limited to Idaho and NMSU's OOC success. The entire conference needs to pick it up. Us and GASO can't do it alone.

Of course, but we don't have the option to kick the others out after two years.

[JTApps1]

Much of this will depend on the NCAA ruling in January in regards to championship game deregulation. If the requirement stays at 12 teams then Idaho and NMSU aren't going anywhere. If that is overturned then I'd say both of them will be gone after next year. Some people are worried about not having enough teams if the SB is raided again, but I really don't see enough changes taking place in the next 5 years to drop the conference below 8 teams.

I'd personally be in favor of going to 10 and playing a round robin over keep those two teams. It's crazy to think we will have to play both of them next year.

I prefer a 12-team conference with a league championship game regardless of the NCAA ruling. I much prefer 4 out of conference games (OOC) instead of 3. We would drop to only 3 OOC games if we played in a 10-team league where each team played one another. Right now, our OOC games are more appealing than most of our conference games.

Looking at next years schedule for an example would you rather play Akron/ODU or Arkansas State?

I'm taking the Red Wolves over both of them.

[JTApps1]

Much of this will depend on the NCAA ruling in January in regards to championship game deregulation. If the requirement stays at 12 teams then Idaho and NMSU aren't going anywhere. If that is overturned then I'd say both of them will be gone after next year. Some people are worried about not having enough teams if the SB is raided again, but I really don't see enough changes taking place in the next 5 years to drop the conference below 8 teams.

I'd personally be in favor of going to 10 and playing a round robin over keep those two teams. It's crazy to think we will have to play both of them next year.

Don't the G5 conferences get money per school as well from the playoff, so having less than 12 is essentially leaving money on the table? More importantly, when you are considered the weakest conference, the worst thing that you could possibly do is schedule more conference games. Hell, if they'd let us play six conference and six non-conference games, I'd rather do that.

Each G5 conference gets $1 million per team up to 12 teams, but you don't automatically get $12 million. So basically we're getting the same amount either way from that standpoint. The extra incentives for how high up your conference finishes among the G5 are split equally so cutting loose some bad teams could not only improve our %, but also give the league a better position.

Don't get me wrong, I would prefer 12 teams if we had 2 members closer to the rest of the conference that would improve the league. At this time there aren't any good options available, and Idaho and NMSU sure aren't doing anything to help us move up the G5 ladder.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Why do folks think JMU is such a football catch?

1. look at their football record over last 10 yrs, it isn't that impressive.
2. Since they don't want in SBC then I don't want them in either.

I've always felt this way also (esp. #1). Good program, not great, and don't bring much to the table in hoops either. (Yes I know, pot meet kettle on that latter point, but still...)

JMU football program over the past 10 years is much better than that of say Coastal. Also Western Kentucky wasn't winning 1-AA title after 1-AA title before they moved. You have to also remember JMU plays in arguably top to bottom the toughest FCS conference. As for their hoops, they've been a lot better since Mason and VCU left for the A-10 and ODU left for the C-USA. The CAA was very tough when those three teams were still present, however JMU was able to pull off a few upsets.

Wins don't automatically mean a team is ready to move up, if that were the case we would have moved up sooner, because right before we moved up our program was right around the same level as JMU.

I live about an hour north of Harrisonburg, so I hear a lot about JMU. Went to high school with many people that went to JMU. With that being said, I hate them, and laugh every time I go to the Wood Grill buffet in Harrisonburg. They still have their "All time upset" picture up from when they came back to beat us atthe. Still sadly remember that game vividly.

We used to have some good games against them in both football and basketball. I wish the basketball games would have continued.

As for number 2. They don't want the Sun Belt because they want the MAC. Well, we saw what App and GSU did to those MAC teams. Maybe once they get their heads out of their asses they can replace us in the Belt once we move up to a better conference. With the new AD, I firmly believe with continued on the field success, this is a realistic near future possibility.

I know it appears like I am defending them, but it is and will forever be a middle finger to the folks at JMU from me.

[bcoach]

While I know that the Belt won't do it, they need to pull the trigger and drop NMSU and Idaho. While having them both will let us have the championship game, they're dead weight on the conference and don't better the perception of the conference in general. I would much rather drop the two and add two programs that bring a good product in, like JMU, EKU, Jacksonville State, SHSU, Missouri State, Wichita State, or (don't kill me) even Liberty.

I have done a 180 on Liberty. I will never under ANY circumstances go to a game at Liberty.

[ASUMountaineer]

Why do folks think JMU is such a football catch?

1. look at their football record over last 10 yrs, it isn't that impressive.
2. Since they don't want in SBC then I don't want them in either.

Location, location, location.

[8993]

While I know that the Belt won't do it, they need to pull the trigger and drop NMSU and Idaho. While having them both will let us have the championship game, they're dead weight on the conference and don't better the perception of the conference in general. I would much rather drop the two and add two programs that bring a good product in, like JMU, EKU, Jacksonville State, SHSU, Missouri State, Wichita State, or (don't kill me) even Liberty.

I have done a 180 on Liberty. I will never under ANY circumstances go to a game at Liberty.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you do this 180? I have never been to a game at Liberty, so I can't speak for the game day experience there.

[bcoach]

While I know that the Belt won't do it, they need to pull the trigger and drop NMSU and Idaho. While having them both will let us have the championship game, they're dead weight on the conference and don't better the perception of the conference in general. I would much rather drop the two and add two programs that bring a good product in, like JMU, EKU, Jacksonville State, SHSU, Missouri State, Wichita State, or (don't kill me) even Liberty.

I have done a 180 on Liberty. I will never under ANY circumstances go to a game at Liberty.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you do this 180? I have never been to a game at Liberty, so I can't speak for the game day experience there.

The nut job that runs the place is giving concealed carry classes and encouraging all students to carry. I am not anti gun but that is just plain stupid and dangerous. Can you even imagine walking through the student tailgate in Boone knowing they were armed?

[hotrod2001]

Near term I think the conference stays in tact with the exception of Idaho, who has openly said that their near-future plans is a "Northwestern FBS conference, preferably Big Sky" according to their AD during one of their games.

NMSU is at least in the southern part of the US and wants full membership so I don't see them going somewhere...and to be fair their program started showing signs of life late this season so maybe next year they'll be somewhat improved.

Wichita State is a basketball school. They have the facilities for a return (Cessna Stadium can hold 31,000) but even if they restarted the program it would be years to get up and running and would probably be another FBS doormat.

I could see the addition of one more team to offset an Idaho exit, Liberty might get a look even if it's a marriage of convenience, how long that would last I don't know though since the evangelical positions they take can make them a lightning rod, but with that school's resources they could easily become another independent like Notre Dame or BYU but if I understand it correctly, to jump up to the FBS you have to be invited by a conference first before you can become an independent...so maybe the SBC would suck it up for a few years just to have another body in their ranks.

Either way, I hope we just keep the status quo. I still feel like in the next couple of years the NCAA will not bend on their 12-team championship rule and the Big XII will make a move to add two more teams to its ranks, setting off another raid of Group of 5 teams which hopefully will get us a second look by C-USA or AAC.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

While I know that the Belt won't do it, they need to pull the trigger and drop NMSU and Idaho. While having them both will let us have the championship game, they're dead weight on the conference and don't better the perception of the conference in general. I would much rather drop the two and add two programs that bring a good product in, like JMU, EKU, Jacksonville State, SHSU, Missouri State, Wichita State, or (don't kill me) even Liberty.

I have done a 180 on Liberty. I will never under ANY circumstances go to a game at Liberty.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you do this 180? I have never been to a game at Liberty, so I can't speak for the game day experience there.

The nut job that runs the place is giving concealed carry classes and encouraging all students to carry. I am not anti gun but that is just plain stupid and dangerous. Can you even imagine walking through the student tailgate in Boone knowing they were armed?

While WWJD means "What would Jesus Do" for most Christians. To Liberty people its "What Would Jerry Do" (Jerry Falwell). Jerry himself was a nut job,

[APPdiesel]

Down the road, I hope we end up in a conference with strong Southeast and Texas schools. Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, ULL, Ark. State, Missouri State, Texas State, North Texas State and Marshall would make ideal conference mates. Add ODU or even Georgia State and it would be game on!

A conference stretching from Virginia to Texas doesn't sound regional at all.

Regional is the NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, TN, GA schools.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

[Capt. Ed]

Down the road, I hope we end up in a conference with strong Southeast and Texas schools. Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, ULL, Ark. State, Missouri State, Texas State, North Texas State and Marshall would make ideal conference mates. Add ODU or even Georgia State and it would be game on!

A conference stretching from Virginia to Texas doesn't sound regional at all.

Regional is the NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, TN, GA schools.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

Regionalization will result from weaker schools seeking ways to economize. It will create an opportunity for stronger schools to realign themselves into stronger conferences.

My ideal region is large similar to the AAC. Strong schools with reasonable national brands and the economic means to grow. That's who we need to align ourselves. I have no interest in looking or being like the MAC or the shell of the once strong C-USA.

[APPdiesel]

Down the road, I hope we end up in a conference with strong Southeast and Texas schools. Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, ULL, Ark. State, Missouri State, Texas State, North Texas State and Marshall would make ideal conference mates. Add ODU or even Georgia State and it would be game on!

A conference stretching from Virginia to Texas doesn't sound regional at all.

Regional is the NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, TN, GA schools.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

Regionalization will result from weaker schools seeking ways to economize. It will create an opportunity for stronger schools to realign themselves into stronger conferences.

My ideal region is large similar to the AAC. Strong schools with reasonable national brands and the economic means to grow. That's who we need to align ourselves. I have no interest in looking or being like the MAC or the shell of the once strong C-USA.

So you're not really talking about regional conferences as much as restructuring and reconsolidating all the better G5 schools into one or two leagues.

In theory that sounds good BUT not everybody in a league can go 9-0. Somebody who has been very good will shuffle to the bottom and become a whipping boy or everyone will go .500 because everybody's beating everybody up.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

[Capt. Ed]

Why would we not want to be in the best conference we can? Bigger crowds at home games, more lucrative TV contract, bigger conference payouts to split, more attractive to recruits and coaches?
I don't think that is theory, just facts.

It also seems schools in better conferences have more success.

For 2015 the Sun Belt had only 3 (27%) schools with overall winning records.

C-USA had 5 winning records or 38%

MAC had 7 winning records or 54%

AAC had 6 winning records or 50%

ACC had 9 winning records or 64%

SEC had 10 winning records or 77%

[APPdiesel]

Because every spread out group of 5 conference has proven that without CLOSE regional rivals the model doesn't work. Trading one opponent that's a thousand miles away for another one that's a thousand miles away doesn't accomplish much.

It's just another new opponent that the fan base needs 5 years to get used to.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

[T-Dog]

The AAC is fine as long as they continue to have basketball success and they those tournament units.

CUSA will have a rude awakening this summer when they get their new TV contracts I feel.

[Capt. Ed]

Because every spread out group of 5 conference has proven that without CLOSE regional rivals the model doesn't work. Trading one opponent that's a thousand miles away for another one that's a thousand miles away doesn't accomplish much.

It's just another new opponent that the fan base needs 5 years to get used to.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

What?? Georgia to Virginia is regional but when I add Florida and Texas it's not? Otherwise, we each have the same states. A couple outliers isn't going to break the bank is it? We need to be in Florida at least. We can't count on Atlanta forever.

I also don't get the comment on G5 conferences that are failing because they don't have close regional rivals? Individual schools maybe, but not the entire conference except maybe C-USA. They lost strong schools to stronger conferences. They replaced them with weak football schools from weaker conferences. Close regional rivalries won't make any difference if no one cares.

Plan for success and aim high. Otherwise, we should have stayed in FCS.

[APPdiesel]

Virginia and Texas aren't even close to being in the same region. That's traveling from one extreme end to the other of a quarter of the country.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

[Capt. Ed]

Ok, you got me on that one. So, I'd take Florida over Virginia every time.
There are no teams in VA that offer us anything, especially JMU.

By the way, are you on the radio?

[hapapp]

Ok, you got me on that one. So, I'd take Florida over Virginia every time.
There are no teams in VA that offer us anything, especially JMU.

By the way, are you on the radio?

Other than a convenient trip. I would take ODU over anybody from Texas likely to be in a conference with us.