With the many changes surrounding
smaller college football conferences, the Sun Belt Conference learned
on Tuesday that all eight teams will need to add another
non-conference game to their schedules. Middle Tennessee and FAU is
now out and headed to the C-USA on July 1, 2013, leaving eight teams
in the Sun Belt and all eight will only play seven conference games.
Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic
will not be leaving without paying a fee to the Sun Belt Conference,
each team must pay as agreed $700,000 to exit early and be apart of
C-USA, according to the commissioner Karl Benson.
“Our desire to aid our athletic
directors in finalizing the 2013 football schedule was the reason for
allowing a reduced exit fee,” Benson said in a statement released
by the conference. “While the seven-game conference schedule is not
perfect, the understanding is that this would only be for one
season.”
One season says Benson, so this is a
early indication by Benson that the Sun Belt will expand in the near
future, just not for the 2013 season.
Well good bye Middle Tennessee and FAU,
hope the grass is greener on the other side as promised; to make you
jump ship so quickly. Tulsa made it known that they are ready to exit
C-USA for either the MTW or Big East, whomever invites them first.
Tulsa AD also made it known that two many Sun Belt teams are coming
into C-USA, so is Middle Tennessee, FAU, FIU and North Texas really
welcomed into C-USA...lol. Tulsa don't want to be associated with
them.
Maybe soon we will see how all this
works out. Georgia Southern AD said he already has drafted an
acceptance letter if an invite from the Sun Belt comes, wow! I really
wish the Sun Belt Conference will go ahead and do what's right and
act and get our conference stable and on a more progressive platform.
By adding four more teams would really help this conference and our
chances in the new NCAA playoff system come 2014.
Sun Belt Conference should not continue
to let C-USA continue to peck our members as they did the WAC. If the
AD's and the Commissioner is really serious about saving the Sun
Belt, then they would reach out and add members that are dedicated
and add them sooner. If not more members are going to look for new
homes and if they are called they will answer.
Last but not least, the Sun Belt
Conference needs to re-negotiate their TV contracts for a better
payout to their members, and secure additional bowl tie ins. Why not
reach out and get those bowl tie in the WAC had Commissioner Benson?
Time is running out, and sitting back
waiting and watching the dominoes fall and not be progressive will
result in no conference or left overs.
Teams that would really help the Sun
Belt Conference and create an huge impact in college football is the
following; Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Lamar, New Mexico
State, UT-Chattanooga and I will not count out Idaho with their new
head coach and staff. So what are you going to do Sun Belt and
Commissioner Karl Benson, we are all waiting.
