Future SBC member New Mexico State to play at LSU in 2014

It looks like the Aggies are have updated their 2014 schedule and are headed to play in the big Tiger Stadium in the fall of 2014.

New Mexico State will travel to face LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Sept. 27, 2014. The Aggies and the Tigers have played each other before and it wasn’t a friendly matchup between the two. In 1996 the Tigers beat the New Mexico State Aggies 63-7. The Aggies are ready for a re-match just as the new College Football Playoffs come into play.

Although an official announcement has yet to be made, the game is listed on NMSU’s official website and reportly have a signed contract.

New Mexico State currently has other games scheduled for 2014 to include Cal Poly, New Mexico, at Rice, and at UTEP. One of those games has to be canceled to round out a 12 game schedule, once the Aggies join the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2014. Playing a big name school as LSU in 2014 could help Aggies in recruiting some talented players that want to play on a team that will be playing against an SEC team. 

Sun Belt Conference added Georgia Southern & Appalachian State today; expected to add two more in NMSU and IDAHO

 The football rivalry continues on the FBS level!

On today the Sun Belt Conference expanded by adding two FCS powerhouses in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.

Georgia Southern and Appalachian State announced Wednesday it is leaving the Southern Conference to join the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. Both Georgia Southern and Appalachian State football teams will begin playing Sun Belt games and will be a revenue sharing member of the conference in 2014 and eligible for the Sun Belt title, but will not be eligible to play in a bowl game. In 2015, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State will become a full member of the conference and be bowl eligible.

Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson was on hand at Georgia Southern on Wednesday to help welcome the Eagles to the Sun Belt Conference.   

Now that Georgia Southern and Appalachian State is in, Idaho State Board approved their move to the Sun Belt Conference today; which they are expected to announce by tomorrow or end of this week along with New Mexico State.

Appalachian State Football 

Now that the Sun Belt Conference has added four new members, the conference can now stage a conference championship game. Commissioner Benson made it known today that the conference is looking to begin that championship in 2014 season, but no more details was given. We do know that the team with the best record will host the conference championship in 2014 and beyond.

Also a few details were given that the Sun Belt will retire its current logo and introduce a new one during the re-branding process in a few months. Commissioner Benson made mention of it during the press conference at Georgia Southern.  Today was a great day for the Sun Belt and I am happy for this conference I really believe they made a wise decision.

Rumors have Western Kentucky receiving an invite from C-USA after Tulsa announces their intentions to join the new Big East conference.  The Sun Belt Conference will move to replace WKU with another program possibly from the FCS ranks. Liberty, James Madison and Sam Houston State tops the lists now among others. 

A blow to the Sun Belt Conference: Middle Tennessee headed to C-USA

College football re-alignment may have found its way to Sun Belt Avenue once again. There is possible word that the Sun Belt Conference may be taking some more big hits, as they sit still and watch it all unfold in this business of college conference re-alignment.

                                                                                                                                                                               

On yesterday C-USA took another blow when Tulane and East Carolina decided to leave together for the changing Big East Conference.  So that caused another wave of conference shuffling. And this is no joke but reality. My question in all this is what is the Sun Belt Conference doing to do to survive and fight back. Or are they doing anything? We have not heard anything from the Sun Belt on any front, but in this regards the same old news headliner comments over and over again. It’s time for some action and details.

Rumors are out today that Middle Tennessee State is possibly headed to Conference USA. We will wait to see if this unfolds exactly how it sounds. There is no doubt that C-USA will be looking to replace their two lost members.

Conference USA is doing it to the Sun Belt Conference once again, just like they did it to the WAC. And now the Sun Belt has to go out and scramble to find schools that are willing to come in now and that are capable of being in the FBS.

Word is also that Western Kentucky may follow suit, but their TV market may hold them back. It is word out today that their soccer program is moving to the Pac-12, Oh REALLY? What is going on with the Sun Belt?

There are some potential candidates to bring into the Sun Belt Conference immediately, and the Sun Belt Conference and its board should hold a special called tele-conference meeting to discuss extending a conference invitation to the following schools. These schools may be waiting for an invitation, Georgia Southern, New Mexico State, Lamar, Jacksonville State, and Liberty. However Appalachian State made it known they are ready, but the question is will they now get invited to Conference USA as they have lost East Carolina in that region.

When all is said and done, it is better that the Sun Belt Conference act now than later. Sitting back and watching it unfold is not the brightest idea. If the Sun Belt Conference would like to stay a step ahead of Confernce USA they will need to go out and recruit and extend that hand that they continue to hold together and show love to those who wants to be loved. So all programs can begin to build and continue the great work the Sun Belt has started.

Middle Tennessee is another program that can leave without an exit fee to the conference. The Sun Belt Conference just lets other conference have their way with our conference.  SHAME!

Good Bye MIDDLE TENNESSEE!