Week 12 Football in the Sun Belt Conference

South Alabama & ULM looking to be spoilers today! 

With football in the Sun Belt Conference winning down, all games count today several teams are already bowl eligible and some are trying to see their bowl changes increase.

Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee the two teams that was left out of the pre-season favorite to win the conference, is battling it out for first place next week.

Who would have expected Arkansas State to be in the running again so soon for the conference title and Middle Tennessee? But it’s real and the two teams along with ULM have proved that they are serious.

Western Kentucky have again improved their team after several senior players left for the pro’s after last season, again looking to reach a 7 win mark for their program and secure a  bowl this time around on today.

South Alabama will be playing its last conference game of the season on today against UL-Lafayette on the road. They have one conference win thus far for the season, which I believe is still great for a new program on the FBS level and in the SBC. South Alabama will travel to Hawaii next weekend for its final 2012 football game of the season.

Florida International and North Texas is about to close their chapters in the Sun Belt Conference. FIU was picked to carry the conference crown with them, but the picture took a turn for the worst for the Miami, FL team. The will leave the conference with a losing record instead. North Texas had hoped they could get a bowl bid this season as well, and as it looks they will fall short as well.

Troy made some comebacks this season to improved their record from last season, however now enough to get them to a bowl game in 2012 either. If they get a win this weekend over Middle Tennessee it would help them in their chances with six wins.  Troy has played well this season, just have not been able to finish the game. This is a rival game as well on this weekend after Thanksgiving.

ULM is my most improved team of the Sun Belt Conference and they too are bowl eligible, today they will be looking to get 8 wins and get back in the race for the conference title if Middle Tennessee lose to Troy. Coach Berry has did a wonderful job in Monroe, LA.

UL-Lafayette is also looking to improve their season record to 7 wins today over South Alabama. They would like to be invited to another bowl game again this season for the second time in a row.

Today’s Games Nov 24^th…….

South Alabama

@ UL-Lafayette

North Texas

@ West Kentucky

Troy

@ Middle Tenessee

UL-Monroe

@ FIU

I hope you all enjoy these games on today and may the best team win. 

Could Conference Expansion Be In The Plans For The Sun Belt Conference? It would help!

With the 2012 college football season almost over, the Sun Belt Conference will be preparing for a new slate of members in 2013. After 2013 will the SBC remain at 10 football members or will it improve its conference to 12 football members and improve it conference for the new playoff system.

North Texas and Florida International will be departing for the C-USA and the Sun Belt Conference will be welcoming in its two newest members Texas State and Georgia State.  Both programs are moving up from the FCS, along with new member South Alabama that made the jump this season in 2012. 

Texas State will keep the Sun Belt Conference in the long star state territory and the conference will expand into the Peach State of Georgia with Georgia State.  However Texas State will not be along in Texas, they will have a new rivalry with UT-Arlington in basketball and all other sports except football. UT-Arlington will be joining the Sun Belt as a non-football member in 2013.

But is expansion still on the table for the Sun Belt to reach that 12 team football conference for a conference championship game.  Maybe so, we will see what’s ahead come the spring of 2013.

If the Sun Belt Conference does decide to expand to 12 teams in football who would it be to join the   new Sun Belt Conference? Let me share my take on possible candidates for membership in the SBC.

It’s no known secret that Georgia Southern wants to move up to FBS. This would be a great addition for the east division in the Sun Belt and a great mileage game for many schools in the Sun Belt Conference that would fall in the new east division, especially for lonely Florida Atlantic and also in-state member Georgia State, it also help the travel of Troy, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee.

Adding Lamar of Texas or McNeese State of Louisiana would be great for a west division, to help the travel of several possible western division members of Texas State, Arkansas State, ULM, ULL, Arkansas-Little Rock and Western Kentucky. But I would think they would have brought back New Mexico State as a established FBS program and can jump in immediately to help set up a western division.

The Sun Belt Conference needs to act quickly on conference expansion, with Florida Atlantic sitting in the Sun Shine state all along now. Commissioner Benson made it known to the WKU Herald, which it is possible that a school with the state of Florida maybe sought.  Just who would that may be? Nobody really knows yet but those on the inside of the conference administrations.

I do believe they should extend conference invitations to several FCS schools at the end of this season, and prepare for 2014. It’s time for us to look at the brighter days now in a big way. Hosting at Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game in 2014 season would be awesome and it would help the conference in so many ways moving forward.  I believe that’s what the player’s want, a division to play in and win and face off in a championship and move on to bowl games. I believe many coaches would desire the same as well as AD’s and Presidents.  A Football Championship Game will also bring in more generated revenue to support teams and the conference overall and more quality players.

Commissioner had this to say to WKU Herald back in May, “The additions of Georgia State and Texas State is part of a plan and a strategy the Sun Belt has in place to bring in quality universities to not only allow the Sun Belt to get bigger, but to get better,” Benson said. “We believe strongly that the additions of Georgia State and now Texas State have made the Sun Belt a better conference for the future.”

The Commissioner did not stop there with his comments and ideas about conference expansion. “If we were to lose two current members replaced by Georgia State and Texas State, that gets us back to 10 football universities,” he said. “Our goal would be to get to 12 members to be able to divide into divisions and to create some geographic efficiency with the membership in the west versus the membership in the east.”

Appalachian State is a known FCS school waiting on an invitation to move up, along with Jacksonville State. It will be surprising to see any action come this may during the spring meeting of the conference on expansion. Will they get it done in 2013 for 2014? We will be watching and waiting to see what comes next for the Sun Belt Conference.