"Who will it be, or will they act?"
During a time when schools are divorcing a conference to
be married to a new conference, the Sun Belt Conference finds itself searching
for new additions to it’s family.
The Insider has received word that the Sun Belt
Conference Commissioner, school presidents and athletics directors will all
meet to discuss conference expansion on March 9th during the
Conference Basketball tournament in Hot Springs, AR. No official word from the
Sun Belt Conference or the commissioner himself, but a source has informed me
that they will meet to discuss this ever changing situation.
There have been many rumors in the past and lately about
expansion possibilities with the Sun Belt Conference. I’ve posted several
reports here on my blog when I received information as well, not to say my
sources was incorrect. I believe they were correct, just the conference didn’t
move during that time. Now we are back at it again, and we all are waiting to
see what happens next in the Sun Belt Conference.
In these expansion talks, it is expected to center around
adding two to four new teams to the conference.
We all know that Commissioner Karl Benson and others within the Sun Belt
wants to keep that geography footprint close. But there is a question that is
yet to be answered, and that is how many other Sun Belt AD’s and presidents
agree to that or want to branch out for success? We already know where Troy stands with all this;
Troy is rooting for Georgia Southern and Appalachian State as new members.
However I have learned that the Sun Belt Conference
presidents and AD’s will be presented with several plans on March 9th
to consider for expansion or they will also have the option to remain as is and
not expand in 2013-2014. The plans are as follows;
1.
Add Appalachian State & Georgia Southern
2.
Add Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, New
Mexico State and Idaho
3.
Add Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, James
Madison and Delaware
4.
No Expansion for Sun Belt Conference
5.
A plan that will add two members for all others
sports beside football.
All five of these plans sounds interesting and a positive
sign for growth. But will it be any plans that all could agree upon. We will break it down in a few. First let me say that I love plan #2 and I will
explain why I love that that plan in a few as well. But first let’s look who
has left the Sun Belt Conference to cause these talks.
First North Texas and Florida International was the first
two teams to exit the Sun Belt for C-USA. Then came another raid by the Big East to C-USA,
and there go Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic. So there you have it, four
teams have left the Sun Belt Conference for C-USA. That leaves the SBC with
only 10 all sports members and 8 football playing members.
Let’s say this, we know that the Sun Belt would love to
get back to 12 all sports playing members, and would like to be back at 10
football playing members. But there are some in the Sun Belt Conference thinks
12 playing members in all sports would be even better. That would also give the
SBC a football championship game if they decided to go with 12 football
members. That would be exciting and generate additional revenue for the conference. There is no doubt that the league and it’s member
schools are looking for additional revenue. Who’s not?
The Sun Belt Conference has a chance to act on plan #1 by
adding Appalachian State and Georgia Southern to the league. Those two teams bring
what the league may be looking for in rivalries, and geographic footprint. Both
teams has been successful in the SonCon and FCS, having been to several
national FCS championships and leaving with crowns. These two schools also have
a great following and their home football game attendance is better than some
current league members. A TV contract
would love to include those two teams.
Well if the Sun Belt is looking to add 12 members in all
sports, then App. State and Georgia Southern fits the eastern division and now
I would throw in plan #2. Why plan #2 Insider? Well I have to say that New
Mexico and Idaho is two well established FBS programs, many would think that
New Mexico State would not bring much in football, but in basketball they will.
Well that may be true for a moment. Who
knows how the program will turn around now that they have a new coach in place
and if they would join the SBC. Adding New Mexico State and Idaho two former
members of the Sun Belt Conference would be a great addition to the western
division.
If two divisions are created in all sports, then all
schools would play other division members not the same every year may every
other year. That would help eliminate much travel every year back and forth. It’s
a plan that could be worked out in many facets. But will the league members be willing to do
so. Idaho and New Mexico State brings a rivalry to the conference as well if
added and that could be an additional rivalry game in the conference, which
could go along with many others like Louisiana-Lafayette and La-Monroe, South
Alabama and Troy, and then let us not forget Arkansas State & Western
Kentucky that exists already. With Georgia State, Texas State and Texas –
Arlington coming in on July 1; more rivalries will be created and expected to
be great. Imagine Georgia Southern and
Georgia State matchup every year, Appalachian State and Georgia State,
Appalachian State and Western Kentucky, New Mexico State and Texas State.
I really would like to see plan #2 become a reality. We
have learned through www.appstatenation.com,
through the revealing of several email communications between several of these
schools that Georgia Southern and New Mexico State have some interest in
joining the Sun Belt Conference together, not to say they will. There was a meeting
in Atlanta between the two schools. AppStateNation also reveal a possible map
of the new Sun Belt Conference that will include App State and Georgia Southern
and no others. So we see here there are many options on the table, but no one
really knows which one will be taken and full filled.
Don’t forget conference realignment is not over just yet.
The Big East just finished securing a new TV contract for it’s league and
members and they may be looking for one more member to get to 12. We already
know that Tulsa of C-USA is at the top of the list with UMass. Let’s say the
Big East add Tulsa who wants to leave C-USA badly. Well there goes another Sun
Belt Conference team, because C-USA will look to the Sun Belt Conference for
one more member, and it well may be Western Kentucky, Arkansas State or Georgia
State the largest TV market the Sun Belt Conference has right now.
If that happens that would probably delay SBC expansion
once again, or change the whole dynamistic of this situation. We all hope the Sun Belt Conference act next
month or before June 1, 2013 to give each of the potential schools time to
declare their intentions. I love the Sun Belt Conference and it’s members, I
don’t want to see this league fall and disband like the WAC did. If anything I
would have rather seen the two conferences merge together. We will be watching
and waiting for the big news on the next step this conference will take in the
near future, I invite you all to stay tune.
