So goes the Sun Belt Conference

College football realignment is real and it can have a big impact on college football conferences. In this ever changing business of college football, nothing seems to be so sure and steady. However it is guaranteed to be about the dollars and cents.

I have been covering and following the most recent realignment in college football, and I have watched C-USA peck the hell out of the WAC and the Sun Belt Conference. I have watch the Big East nearly dissolve and lose all of it Catholic 7 basketball teams, and Boise and San Diego State return to the Mountain West after committing to the Big East. Don't forget Big Ten added two programs in Rutgers and Maryland, and the ACC added Louisville from the Big East. The SEC took from the Big 12 and the Big 12 took in as well.

In all of this conference shuffling, the Big East and Sun Belt Conference remains in it all. The Big East is grabbing C-USA teams and the C-USA is grabbing Sun Belt teams. We all know that the Big East wants to remain at the top of the group of five and we also know that Conference USA wants to be a mega conference of 14-16 teams. The Big East also wants to remain alive, as well as the Sun Belt.

There is a big change that is about to take place soon and if it does, I don't see the to much of a brighter future for the Sun Belt Conference, if they continue not to be proactive.

There are serious reports out there that the Big East is targeting Tulsa and Southern Miss to be apart of their conference, which many are calling the new C-USA. Tulsa and Southern Miss have both hinted that they are ready to leave C-USA, which they are calling the new Sun Belt Conference. Tulsa don't want to be with those SBC teams that’s now in C-USA.

The Mountain West still has it's eyes open along with the Big East, and if both or either decides to grab a couple from C-USA, then C-USA will nearly kill the Sun Belt Conference. Rice and Texas-El Paso have been targets for the Mountain West while New Mexico State and three Sun Belt schools in Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Georgia State all have been mentioned as potential C-USA expansion candidates.

The Sun Belt Conference could possibly be left with five FBS schools and be looking to add more FCS programs to continue to a FBS conference and a competitive conference. Or C-USA could just kill the Sun Belt Conference all together and leave them scrambling just like the WAC.

What disappoints me in all this conference realignment is that I see many of the other conference on the forefront of this matter and being very proactive. Over in the Sun Belt Conference all I see is quite leaders that is still searching for a solution. My question is why is Commissioner Karl Benson and those eight AD's that are left not being proactive as the other conference, instead of letting other conferences continue to recruit schools from the Sun Belt Conference. Do they have any intentions on saving the Sun Belt Conference and do they really care. If they do, when?

Don't forget that Commissioner Karl Benson is on his third commissioner job in college football, and all I can say is look at what's happening to the Sun Belt Conference, just as what happened in the WAC. Commissioner Benson knew what was about to take place in the WAC so he got out of there quick, so it would not seem as if it was his fault or leadership. But less than a year in the Sun Belt that has already followed Commissioner Benson to the Sun Belt Conference.

Every news report that comes about the Sun Belt Conference and it's expansion plans, all you continue to hear is we are exploring our options and nothing will be done before 2014. Well if I was an AD or college president, I wouldn't wait either on a conference that is not proactive to save a dying conference or have a solution.

Many reports and rumors are out there that Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Liberty, Lamar, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State, UT-Chattanooga and Sam Houston State are all on the Sun Belt Conference radar. There is no doubt that these schools could be competitive in the Sun Belt immediately. So why not add them now? Oh I forgot, it's all about the markets and dollars.

The Sun Belt Conference had one option already open and should have been put on the table and agenda in adding already an FBS member New Mexico State to get back to nine members in 2013-2014 season, to keep the eight SBC members from having to scramble for a additional non-conference game. The SBC conference could have either added Appalachian State or Georgia Southern now, so they could declare their independence status with the FCS and become a member of the SBC in 2014 as a transitional member.

Why is all of this overlooked? Some believe that the SBC is waiting until all the dominoes fall, and then begin the work of adding programs. Well I don't think many of the remaining AD's and Presidents are happy with the situation and not knowing the future of the conference they are in. What if Georgia Southern and other FCS programs get invited to other conferences or back out of becoming an FBS program.

The answer to all of that is, if the MTW Conference expands to 14 and the Big East grabs Tulsa and Southern Miss, the Sun Belt Conference maybe dead just like the WAC.

Don't get me wrong I love the Sun Belt Conference and hate to see so many programs leave the conference, and I hate to see our leadership sit still and not be proactive just as the other conferences are being proactive.

Sun Belt Conference waiting to decide on expansion

Happy New Years Everyone!

With Conference realignment heating up and possibly could hit the Sun Belt Conference once again before it’s all over, SBC officials and AD’s is quite on the matter and no decisions is expected to be made anytime soon.

Athletic directors from throughout the conference gathered in South Florida on Tuesday, holding their annual January winter meetings of the Sun Belt Conference. But there was no action on realignment.

Associate Commissioner John McElwain stated that SBC Commissioner Karl Benson did an update on where the national landscape is right now, and said it was very productive. How productive for the SBC is the question?

But it seemed to be a little talk on the subject of conference expansion, but AD’s and conference officials are undecided on which way they would like to go, whether it’s 10 teams or 12 teams. If the conference decides to go to 12 teams then that would set the Sun Belt Conference up for a conference football championship game.

With all the talk of expansion and deciding on which way to go, another question remains on many minds on whom will the SBC add as new members.

There is much happening right now in college football realignment that has the SBC sitting still, watching and waiting to see what happens next. There is a big domino effect that is happening in the Big East Conference that may trigger down to the Sun Belt Conference again. Boise State who committed to the Big East last fall, has now decided to back out and stay with the Mountain West Conference. With Boise State backing out, their partner whom joins with them is considering the same in San Diego State. If San Diego State decides to remain in the Mountain West Conference, then the Mountain West may consider adding one of the following, UTEP, Houston or Tulsa. If that happens then C-USA may come back to the Sun Belt Conference once again.

If everything remains the same in the Sun Belt Conference they will seek to add two or four more teams to get back to a 10 team league or move to a 12 team league to stage a conference title game.

In considering additions to the Sun Belt Conference, there are several teams out there in the FCS that would be considered and there are two that on the high radar or invites in Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. Idaho and New Mexico State is now out of the conversations either, if the conference decides to move to a 12 team league. Sam Houston State, Liberty, Lamar and Jacksonville State are all being mention as possible additions.

Conferene expansion is on hold but its coming, it’s just a matter of time. WHEN? 

What will the Sun Belt Conference do?

FBS Conference Realignment is all speculation at this point!

Conference realignment is certainly changing the landscape across the country. Why? Because many conferences are hunting the dollars that comes with college football and other sports such as basketball, if you don’t believe me check out the latest with other conferences especially the Big East that’s about to fill the real pain.

The seven founding basketball schools in the Big East announced on Saturday they would ultimately leave to form a new league. Putting this conference in a situation to think what’s next for our remaining and future members.

The big exit will leave four current Big East football members, and nine new schools are scheduled to join the league over the next three years, and all of those are not schedule to join in all sports. So will this force the new conference to add members and if so from where do they add these new members. Many are speculating as usual that they will raid Conference USA again or maybe other conferences such as Mountain West and the MAC to create a new national conference with two divisions in all sports.

With all the college conference shuffling happening, many are wondering inside and outside of the Sun Belt Conference what is going to happen next?

On last week or so I wrote here on my blog that the Sun Belt Conference may add additional programs to replace Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic after the FCS playoffs, I didn’t say what day or how many weeks it would be after the playoffs. I was relying on information that was provided. But I am here to keep my readers and followers well informed on the situation as information develops as we know nothing as developed on a announcement as of yet.

There is a big question that is blowing over many desks as we speak, what will happen next? And to be honest nobody knows, why because all of the realignment shuffling has not settled. Everyone wants to know who will the SBC add as new members, will it be FCS programs or will it be other FBS programs? Even me I am asking the same question to many and would like to know and when it will happen? But what concerns me the most is will it be FCS programs and will the SBC make the right choice?

I had some interesting conversations this weekend with a couple of individuals inside of the Sun Belt Conference and outside of the Sun Belt Conference, and each of them seems to be on the same page now but with a little bit of a different twist.

The answers comes down to this, the Sun Belt Conference will add two programs at minimum to get back to 10 programs in football and 12 in all sports.  I ask who might they add, or who is the SBC considering? The answers were Appalachian State and Georgia Southern which tops the list in FCS programs along with Lamar University in Texas. There was no mention of any other programs from the FCS in those conversations.

Then I asked a follow up question of when will the SBC possible announced their additions? Simple don’t know yet, due to the changes in conference realignment. I asked what you mean. Simple with the Big East losing programs, changes are coming soon, they may invite programs from other conferences, preferably C-USA and more SBC programs may be added to C-USA who knows, so the Sun Belt is waiting to see what happens.

I don’t know how long the Sun Belt will wait through all this conference shuffling, but with me the question still remain the same, will they wait until it too late?  

Two FCS programs have expressed interest and have made a few necessary moves to make the jump to the FBS. Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are those two programs, and each of their AD’s have also made it known that they are having discussion with several conferences. There is no doubt that both of these programs want to be in the FBS, but where will their first home be? I spoke to an inside sure and not long ago, and was informed that the talks with Georgia Southern and the SBC were serious and the business side of the deal needed to be worked out. Um, Really? Well these are all rumors, because no one officially has come forward.

With the Big East losing programs now, and may be force into deeper changes. Many options are on the table now. If the Big East goes after more C-USA programs, then C-USA will go after more SBC programs or possibly Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. Appalachian State would rather be in C-USA any way and wouldn’t deny an invite to the Big East or whatever their conference maybe called in the future along with Georgia Southern.

We all know that Memphis, Tulane, East Carolina, SMU, Central Florida, and Houston have all left for the Big East in 2013 and 2014, what if the Big East dissolves and there is no conference left for those programs to call home, what will they be forced to do? These six programs will be forced to seek a spot back in their old conference or seek to form a new one.

If such of a move is to happen, and Conference USA takes back some of those programs and not all, who will it be and where will the others go? Many are speculating that Memphis, Tulane and SMU may be left out. So where will they go? The Sun Belt would be glad to welcome them in. So is this why the Sun Belt Conference may be delaying its announcement and move to add additional programs. Could it be something much better than FCS programs? SMU would make a great fit in Texas with Texas State, Memphis could very well replace Middle Tennessee in the State of Tennessee and Tulane could be a great additional for as TV market and rest of SBC eastern schools such as South Alabama, Troy and Georgia State. All that of these programs has a great TV market that would be a benefit to the Sun Belt Conference.

We can’t forget about New Mexico State either, this is a program that can get pick up three different ways now, C-USA could pick them up to form a mega conference, the Big East can pick them up to form their new national conference, and the Sun Belt can welcome them back in as well.

I’m pretty sure that the Sun Belt Conference wouldn’t want to dissolve as the WAC did and be forced away. I also believe that the SBC would like better TV revenue contracts and college bowl tie ins. SBC do want better, but how soon due they want it?

However I do believe that the Sun Belt Conference should be more open to its fans and supporters on all the conference realignment and what the SBC plans are in the near future. Many would like to know and should know, but when it happens it happens. On the honest side to all of this nobody knows when, but those at the board room table of the Sun Belt Conference.