Spring Meeting Ends: Sun Belt to remain at 11 and future bowl tie-ins possible

Sun Belt get's a little tough on school departures and looking to move forward!

Sun Belt Conference held its Annual Spring Meeting this week in Destin, Florida, Commissioner Karl Benson and company went through a normal meeting with very little getting accomplish in my view. Conference Athletic Directors, Coaches and Presidents all participated in the annual meeting including new conference members Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, New Mexico State, Idaho, Texas State, Georgia State and UT-Arlington. Here are some of the items that were on the agenda, discussed and came with a decision.

In basketball the conference will play 20 games and the basketball tournament will feature the standard No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on format for women, but a double-bye format for men.

The conference tournaments will move from Hot Springs, Ark., to New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, LA, and the tournament formats will remain the same with the top eight teams in the league advancing to the tournament. There is no divisional play - and the tournament beginning with a No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5 first round. It will remain that way on the women's side for 2014.

In football the Sun Belt Conference has decided to play a eight conference game schedule beginning in 2014, with 11 playing members on the rooster if the conference decides against adding a 12^th program for now.

The Sun Belt Conference also has released it new official logo and branding on Sunday for the conference beginning July 1^st. The new logo will be represented by each of the 11 programs of the Sun Belt Conference, which I think is a great logo. It could have been better but it certainly will work. The new logo is located at the left of this post.

We also have learned that the Sun Belt Conference has extended its TV contract with Cox Sports and Comcast Sports Southeast for one year. Sun Belt Network will air seven high-definition football broadcasts as part of a minimum of 39 broadcasts that the network will air. We should expect to see more programming on ESPN 3 as usual and where I live we will be excluded from watching because we don’t have these networks and we are in the South Alabama media market. UMM!

We all want to know about who the Sun Belt Conference will add as a 12^th team and if so when. According to today’s press conference with Commissioner Karl Benson and Conference President Jack Hawkins, the league will remain at 11 members for now. “There is no urgency to add another program, per Benson.” So we will not see a 12^th team for now, maybe and again maybe in the future but no guarantee.  “There was and will continue to be ongoing discussion about national realignment and the membership options for the Sun Belt,” said Benson. “However, for the time being we are moving the conference forward with our membership as is. The most important thing to come out of the meeting regarding membership was that our institutions are committed to taking the Sun Belt to the next level. With our recent additions and the strength of our current members, the pieces are already in place for us to take the next step as a stronger conference.”

The Sun Belt Conference also updated its by-laws in regards to program departures. Sun Belt teams no longer allowed early departures a program must give at least 12 months’ notice of departure. According to Benson the Commissioner, the league also changed it exit fee but did not release any info on how much that would be. The 12 month early departure notice is non-negotiable.

Commissioner Benson also stated at the press conference that the $12 million dollars coming from the new College Playoff System will offset the loss of not having a conference title game.

In case you may already have heard the rumors, the Sun Belt Conference may add an additional bowl game in 2014 is still possible. The new bowl game is possible and could be played in Little Rock, AR. This would give the SBC three bowls –tie ins, at least the Commissioner is confident in this matter.

Now, that all of this is over for now at least this season, we move on and wait to see what the conference do to be proactive and not reactive. Commissioner Benson is the leader of the Sun Belt Conference along with the Conference President and neither has seemed to be in a proactive mode, except looking to remain a FBS but not a proactive conference that is looking to go to another level. In many ways some may argue they have and is, and I might agree to some. But there is a debate on how and when.

In my opinion, I would have never passed up the opportunity of adding a 12^th team to the league and I’m pretty sure many of you are agreeing with me right now. A 12^th team would add so much value to the league in creating a conference championship game in football. Also would have helped the league continue a two divisional play in all other sports such as basketball and football. It would have added additional revenue to the league in a championship standpoint for football. As we all know football is where the money is.

The fans was looking and hoping for this creation with the Sun Belt Conference. Oh, but no one in the conference leadership is telling us the fans or media on why they decided against adding a program such as Liberty. Thought I forgot-NO! They rejected Liberty saying they don’t fit the Sun Belt Conference. We as fans still want answers on that…and on why? I have a few but I would rather wait and let them tell you since they lead and I follow if they ever decide to do so.

Other news and decision from the Sun Belt Conference Meeting:

There was some changes and new appointments made in the conference leadership panel. You would be surprised at this – LOL.

According to the SBC website, The Sun Belt Conference also made appointments to significant leadership positions at the meeting. There were several key positions that had terms expire or were vacated, filling these positions are:

• Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Board of Managers - Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Troy Chancellor
• Bowl Championship Series (BCS) AD Advisory Group – Terry Mohajir, Arkansas State Athletic Director
• Sun Belt Conference President – Dr. Nick J. Bruno, Louisiana-Monroe President
• Sun Belt Conference Vice President – Dr. Denise M. Trauth, Texas State President
• Sun Belt Conference Treasurer – Dr. Joel E. Anderson, UALR Chancellor
• Sun Belt Conference Chair of Athletic Directors – Scott Farmer, Louisiana-Lafayette Athletic Director
• Sun Belt Conference Chair of Faculty Representatives – Fred Green, Troy Faculty Representative

Did you see who is appointed to the Chair of Athletic Directors? – LOL Louisiana Lafayette AD Scott Farmer. Scott Farmer is an AD in the Sun Belt that has acknowledged on several occasions that he would like to take his programs to another conference if possible. Basically he wants out of the Sun Belt Conference. And then you have Dr. Nick J. Bruno appointed as the new Conference President – LOL I dare comment on that one, only if you knew. What a joke SBC?

The Sun Belt Conference developed a formula to distribute $600,000 in net revenue that was produced from the Sun Belt Conference’s four bowl games in 2012. The revenue will be distributed to the six football playing members eligible for end of year revenue distribution – Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Troy and Western Kentucky. Basically each program will receive an estimated $100,000 in revenue from the bowl revenue.

BRANDING & NEW LOGO: The Sun Belt Conference having unveiled a new logo and branding campaign, the league has committed $50,000 to each institution to help implement the new logo for the upcoming academic year.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The following sites were selected to host Sun Belt Conference Championships for 2013-14:

Women’s Golf – Steelwood Country Club, Loxley, Ala.

Men’s Golf – Grand Bear Golf Course, Saucier, Miss.

Men’s and Women’s Tennis – City Park Tennis Center, New Orleans, La.

The following sites were selected to host Sun Belt Conference Championships for 2014-15:

Cross Country – South Alabama, Mobile, Ala.

Soccer – South Alabama, Mobile, Ala.

Volleyball – Texas State, San Marcos, Texas

Outdoor Track and Field – Louisiana-Lafayette, Lafayette, La.

Softball – Texas State, San Marcos, Texas

Baseball – Troy, Troy, Ala.

Don’t anyone ever get wrong on this, I love the Sun Belt Conference and I am a big fan of the conference. I just want the conference to be a better conference for its fan and become the best conference in the new group of five. I would love to see this conference offer its members more in revenue and its fans a football championship game. It would help recruiting and add additional revenue to the league.

That is it for now on Spring Meetings for the Sun Belt Conference, if anything else develops I will be sure to inform you. Moving on now I will be releasing my Pre-Season Insider – All Sun Belt Team next month, along with my player watch list plus much more stay tuned.

Wilson Van Hooser reportly transferring to Troy from Tulane

Wilson Van Hooser

According to the Troy Messenger Wilson Van Hooser is likey to join the Troy Trojans maybe this week. According the Troy Messenger in Troy, the Baton Rouge Advocate first reported that Van Hooser would be transferring.

Van Hooser is a native of Montgomery, Alabama and is looking to transfer back home to be closer to his mom. Tulane coaches has reached out to both Troy and Auburn.

Van Hooser said he need to make a big decision. In 2011 Hooser caught 36 passes for 487 yards and four scores.

South Alabama gets a Wide Receiver transfer from Alabama

WR Danny Woodson

After signing and playing briefly with the top SEC school, Alabama wide receiver Danny Woodson will transfer to South Alabama.

After being suspended for team rules, the Mobile native and former four star Leflore High School standout is returning home to play for South Alabama Jaguars. The Jaguars coach Joey Jones has confirmed the move during Sun Belt spring meetings. He red shirted his freshman season in 2011 and must sit out a year to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. Woodson has signed a grant-in-aid with South Alabama and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining when he becomes eligible to play.

Woodson 6’1, 195 lbs is the son of Danny Woodson Sr., who played quarterback at Alabama from 1990-91. Fresh out of High School Woodson was recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and Texas Tech.

We wish him well at South Alabama and welcome back home to Mobile, Alabama. 

Sun Belt Conference Spring Meeting Convenes

The Sun Belt Conference is convening their annual spring meeting in Destin, FL full of participation and excitement by current and future members.

As the meetings convene all members are present along with newly added members in South Alabama, UL-Monroe, UL-Lafayette, Arkansas State, Troy, UALR, UT-Arlington, Georgia State, Texas State and recently added members New Mexico State, Idaho, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. All members are expected to discuss a wide range of items during this annual meeting in Destin.

Here are some of the important items up for discussion by our league Presidents, Athletic Directors and Coaches. Many items may not get settle during this meeting, but it will put the members in a lead on where they would like to go.

At the top of the list of items will be conference membership and discussions on whether to add another school to the conference after Western Kentucky decided to leave for CUSA so the league can get to 12 football-playing teams and create two divisions and a football championship game beginning in 2014 or 2015.

Conference Commissioner Karl Benson has made it known to the media that ideally we'd like to get back to the 12 but it's not critical that we do so. We want to make sure that if we add a school that it is the right school and has the right characteristics and is the right match for the Sun Belt. Who could that possibly be? There are rumors that several schools could be considered in James Madison, Liberty, MO State, Youngstown State, Lamar, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State.  Many have placed JMU and Liberty at the top of the list, but I am not so sure about that, because the league has sent out several requests for possible membership into the league to several schools and has since been rejected. This is an interesting discussion among league members and the Commissioner, we should just continue to wait and see what happens over the next couple of days.

Other items up for discussion are the number of conference games to be played in football and basketball, Revenue opportunities and TV contracts will also be discussed, as will a variety of other items.  With all of these items up for discussion during this meeting, there is no doubt that the Sun Belt is looking to move forward and become a better competitive conference.

In football the conference will discuss and determine whether they will play eight or nine conference games beginning in 2014 and in basketball they will discuss whether they will play 16, 18 or 20 games.

The conference has important items on their agenda, items that needs to be addressed and acted upon. Two of the most important are the conference adding another member, revenue and TV contracts. Surely the conference and its member needs more revenue and deserve more revenue to competitive.

The conference will hold its media day on Wednesday at the conclusion of its Annual Spring Meeting in Destin, FL. I will continue to bring you update information as it becomes available. STAY TUNED!

SBC New Logo – Together We Wise

The spring meetings are in full swing for the Sun Belt Conference in Destin, FL, and they began the meetings in the Sun Shine State with bright colors. The Sun Belt Conference unveiled their new logo that will represent a new Sun Belt.

Sun Belt Conference New Logo 

Beginning June 1, 2013 the SBC will have a new logo as they welcome several new teams to the conference and will be made up of nearly a new look of members after the 2013 season. Georgia State, Texas State, Texas-Arlington will join in all sports on July 1^st, and South Alabama football program will add their new fledging football program to the Sun Belt Conference as a full member. Sun Belt Conference will welcome New Mexico State, Georgia Southern, Idaho and Appalachian State in 2014. 

"The unveiling of our new logo comes after months of review of how we wanted to express the 'new' Sun Belt Conference," Commissioner Karl Benson said in a press release. "It is a very exciting chance for us to display the opportunity and optimism that exists in the Sun Belt Conference as we move forward."

The Sun Belt Conference is now empowered by a new brand identity that capitalizes on 4 key principles (AMBITIOUS, AUTHENTIC, LOYAL, and ADVENTUROUS). In addition, a new identity will represent the reinvigoration of the Sun Belt Conference brand through several points of uniqueness:

1. The chosen identity highlights the sun as a powerful and iconic expression for the conference that suggests unity, strength, promise and ambition. 

2. The individual parts of the icon combine to create a unified whole and represent strength in togetherness; a foundational value at the core of the Sun Belt Conference brand. 

3. The band of blue across the diameter of the icon symbolizes the Sun “Belt” region, while dually creating the feeling of a sun breaking the horizon at the dawn of a new day.

The Sun Belt Conference as unveil their new motto: "Together We Rise" 

We all are hoping for a brighter future in the Sun Belt Conference as we move forward. As the spring meetings continue through media day Wednesday, I will continue to keep you informed and bring you all the updates. 

Two Players Leave Cajuns Football Program

Ragin’ Cajuns football seniors Bradley Brown and Jalen Fields have left the program and intend to transfer to another school, head coach Mark Hudspeth announced Thursday.

“I would like to thank both Bradley and Jalen for the contributions that they have made to the Ragin’ Cajuns football program and we wish them well,” Hudspeth said.

Brown, a 5-10, 180-pound wide receiver from Baton Rouge, La., caught 15 passes for 187 yards as a reserve in 2012. He joined the program in 2011 after two seasons at Northwestern State and redshirted.

Fields, a 6-5, 280-pound senior defensive lineman from Dalton, Ga., played in eight games as a reserve on the defensive line in 2012, making nine tackles. Prior to joining

Sun Belt Conference Bowl Changes

On this past week we learned that the New Orleans R & L Carriers Bowl will be played on December 21, 2013 at 8:00pm CST at the New Orleans Mercedes – Benz Superdome. We also learned that the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Alabama has changed its name slightly. The bowl is now the GoDaddy Bowl and it will be played on Jan. 5, 2014 a Sunday in Mobile, Alabama at Ladd Pebbles Stadium.

The New Orleans Bowl pits teams from Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA and the GoDaddy Bowl pits teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Mid-American Conference. 

Sun Belt Conference meetings to begin Sunday; Conference Realignment may be the focus

James Madison, Liberty, Missouri State, Jacksonville St, Lamar and Sam Houston State are still possible candidates for Sun Belt expansion! 

The conference that lost 4 members and will be losing one more next summer, will be meeting during the Annual spring meeting beginning Sunday in Destin, Florida. The meeting will last thru Wednesday and is expected be centered on conference expansion.

We all know that Florida International, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Middle Tennessee have all left the Sun Belt Conference for Conference USA for the upcoming season. Not only the four have exited the Sun Belt, but Western Kentucky joins them in a brand new home in CUSA as well. They said they were looking for a better conference with more exposure and revenue. Maybe CUSA offers that to them and others.

Well I want to give my input on all of this conference realignment and the positions that the Sun Belt Conference has already taken and should consider on this issue. After the departure of the Sun Belt four, they went out and search and added four additional members. Two of those four additions are FCS powerhouses (Appalachian State & Georgia Southern) that will certainly add to the Sun Belt profile and membership, and two of the programs are former members of the conference (New Mexico State & Idaho) that will be independents this season only after being without a conference when the WAC decided to abandon football. The same conference that commissioner Karl Benson formerly headed before coming to the Sun Belt Conference.

Now that Western Kentucky is leaving and joining the other Sun Belt teams in CUSA, the Sun Belt Conference is looking to find a replacement to get back to their ultimate and dream goal of 12 all sports teams. The SBC has a big task in finding that right fit to fill that open spot to get to 12 football members to stage a conference football championship game as they head into the new Football Championship Playoffs as a FBS member. The question is who will that 12^th team be and how soon will they be added?

Let’s forget geographic footprint now that the Sun Belt Conference has went outside of that to add new programs early this year in New Mexico State and Idaho way out west, and you have Appalachian State up in North Carolina. But there are several other programs that could be considered for expansion to get to that magic number of 12 that is not in the footprint that the Sun Belt Conference wishes to remain in.  Missouri State, Liberty and James Madison are all outside of the geographic footprint and remain possible candidates.

Over the past couple of days and weeks all I been hearing is programs rejecting the Sun Belt Conference offers and conversations on becoming a member of the Sun Belt Conference. And then I learn that there are programs inside the conference that are rejecting programs that can possibly be a benefit for the Sun Belt Conference and help improve the conference profile.

Rejecting a program over resources, finances and religion shouldn’t be the answer to growth and expansion consideration. Why would you do that when you are about to bottom out as the WAC did and you have the same commissioner that lead the WAC now leading the Sun Belt? When will the bold leadership come forth and put politics aside for name sake? Don’t start to assume so early and accuse me of saying that our Commissioner has poor leadership skills and abilities. I believe he can get the job done, if he get the conference AD’s and presidents on board of this changing idea of conference realignment. All this conference shuffling is real and programs are looking for what’s best for them and if you don’t provide that, they will leave you.

James Madison (JMU) has been long rumor to be a possible replacement for Western Kentucky, but JMU has decided to go with a consultant to see whether a move to the FBS is reasonable and if so what conference is the best possible fit for their programs. But we all know that Old Dominion, who has just been added to CUSA, is lobbying for JMU to be a part of CUSA, Old Dominion and JMU are long time rivals and want that to continue. So if JMU are waiting on CUSA move to get to 16 teams that possible would be added, why would the Sun Belt Conference wait on JMU? 

There are other programs out there that could be seriously considered and added to the Sun Belt Conference so that the conference can move forward and continue to work to become the best of the group of five. Prolonging the matter of adding another program is prolonging progress. Several years ago many doubted that many of the current Sun Belt Conference members would be where they are today winning games, participating in bowl games and defeating BCS teams but they did it and now they are received by other conferences. The same will happen when you add other programs. Just have to prove the nay sayers wrong.

Liberty has made it known over the last couple of years that they are FBS ready and they are ready to make the move up. Liberty has been in talks with the Sun Belt Conference lately but no one really knows the outcome, besides we find out that several programs in the Sun Belt Conference is possibly rejecting Liberty. Why, your guess is better than mind right now? Some indications are that SBC members are rejecting Liberty because of resources and finances. How silly could that be, when you have a conference that rank last in conference revenue? Liberty is a program that has what the SBC needs, and should be glad to consider them as a new member. Liberty does bring finances, a renovated football stadium and a TV network. Something Sun Belt programs barely offer.

The Sun Belt Conference only pays out roughly $40,000 in revenue to its current members. Really! And you wonder why programs are leaving to go get approx $1 million or more in another conference. What can $40,000 do for a FBS program in this day? LOL! Then you only have two bowl tie-ins, and have three or four teams being bowl eligible for the post season, where do you send them when you don’t have any contractual bowls? Commissioner Benson says they are working to add at least one more bowl possibly two in 2014. It’s going to take more than that; the Sun Belt Conference is going to have to increase their conference profile, revenue and TV contract. Members are looking for more exposure and more money as a FBS member, that’s the benefit of being a FBS member right? How can you attract new members and star athletes if your conference is not attractive? Teams are looking for better than ESPN3 and CSS, LOL.  Why not go out a get more television contracts with other networks such as the new FOX Sports Network, CBS Network and or NBC Sports Networks. Those networks are carried over several distributors, where I live in the North Mobile area, we can’t even see CSS programming but we have a Sun Belt Conference team. - LOL.  ESPN and Comcast is not the only sports network around anymore. The revenue is out there, just have to go and get it.

Missouri State is another program that could be consider and believed to wanting in a FBS conference, even Jacksonville State, Lamar and Sam Houston State.

The wise move that the Sun Belt Conference could make at this time is to add two more programs it want hurt much more than help. It would put the conference in a position to overcome all this conference realignment and settle the dust among the group of five just in case the dust come dusting up again in the near future. What I mean is, if CUSA decides to go to 16 teams and add one from the SBC and add JMU, the Sun Belt Conference will be in a position to still have 12 members. Why? Because they has one extra member that will help balance the conference if the dust come dusting up again.  Liberty and Missouri State would be the two that I would go after or even Lamar or Sam Houston State to get a stronger presence in Texas.

Waiting on the chickens will cause you to starve; you have to go get them so you can eat. We will wait to possibly Tuesday to see if anything happens with his issue as the Sun Belt Conference meet in Destin, FL.