(03-09-2013 10:03 AM)GSU Eagles Wrote: (03-09-2013 09:55 AM)Turnberry79 Wrote: (03-09-2013 09:49 AM)GSU Eagles Wrote: (03-09-2013 09:40 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote: I think New Mexico State should be first on the list because they are at least a D-1 player....none of them are really bringing anything market wise, but technically it would be like NMSU leaving the WAC for the Sun Belt, which looks better than the Sun Belt continually moving up FCS programs. The reason I stated Georgia Southern should be 2nd on the list is that they can rival with Georgia State and they will only be the 4th FBS program in Georgia, a state filled with good recruits. The Savannah market is a bit underrated as well, IMO. Seems like Ga Southern can be a good draw at a better level....Ga Southern is also right off I-95.
Have to wonder how long it will be before Coastal Carolina tries to move up...another untapped market in a state with talent and only 2 FBS programs.
With conference payouts based on conference strength, is it really a good idea to add one of the worst programs in football which will drag down conference strength? With App, Ga Southern and potentially JMU, the Sun Belt has a shot to finish at the top of the G5. NMSU has no chance to improve in football and the SB will be a 1 bid basketball league so they don't help there. In summary, they drag down football strength and increase travel. And I don't see how them getting laughed at for getting beat 65-0 improves credibility for the Sun Belt.
You need to know that there are other things going on behind the scenes that have to do with NMSU and a possible Sun Belt invitation. The situation is a bit more complex than anyone on this board knows.
Do you anticipate them adding Ga Southern, App and NMSU?
Appalachian is in fact a done deal.......have known that for just under three weeks. When the conference office announces the invitations I have no idea. I do know that the Appalachian has already started the process of gearing up and would not have done this unless they knew they would be transitioning.
Due to professional responsibility, I cannot say how I obtained this information or who I have spoken to. I can just say that I know people on both sides of the ledger very well.
It makes sense to pair Georgia Southern with Appalachian for a number of reasons beyond their both having supporting administrations and aggressive athletic departments with the desire and financial ability to meet and surpass the criteria for FCS inclusion. First, they do not expand the conference footprint very much and choosing them would insure that all member institutions are from the same "athletic culture". That is more of a factor than most imagine. Many people I speak to in my practice see that, as time goes by, as becoming a problem for the conferences that have overly large footprints.
As for travel, athletic departments have to look at that very closely, more so for Olympic sports than the major ones. With the cost of travel rising quickly, and no end to those increases in sight, that expenditure not only dramatically impacts the financial welfare of athletic departments but at some point will create problems with Title IX compliance. If the University of West Virginia is already complaining, even with their large media rights revenue, about the cost of their travel as a member of the Big 12, you know it is a serious point of concern for institutions in G5 conferences. In short, with NMSU well outside of the defined SBC footprint, their inclusion under normal circumstances would be difficult to argue. Furthermore, NMSU being a current FBS member is not as important a factor as many posters have stated. The Sun Belt and the situation the WAC faced recently are not in any manner the same. But, as I noted earlier, other factors are at play that are unique to this situation. I do think that a case will be made by the conference office to add NMSU and, depending on how strong that case is made and how well it is delivered, that they will be invited despite the fact that their inclusion will increase travel related costs for all member institutions. It is up in the air if NMSU brings any net gain financially to the conference. Clearly, that is not the case in football as it would be difficult to argue, looking at their total football history, that they have only been going through a couple of lean years in that sport.
I can say that I am not talking about any dictate from the NCAA to add NMSU. The NCAA has enough troubles without adding something like that to their list. Clearly, no one would stand for that as it would set a precedent that goes nowhere but to a federal courtroom.
A quick note, although I am an Appalachian graduate from the mid 70's, I am not, as many call, "pimping" for my alma mater. I practice in areas associated with both media law and college sports, so in my work I have to look at issues based in reality and weigh the facts as I see them. That is what I try to do when I post.
When all is said and done, Appalachian, and probably Georgia Southern, will be where they should be and, I hope, that they stay there for a very long time and can help the conference grow and prosper. Appalachian is very similar to the current member institutions in countless ways......not just in athletics. I also think fans of the other institutions will enjoy a road trip to Boone in the fall. The mountains are beautiful and you will find that the people are more than accommodating. I personally look forward to the opportunity to enjoy games at the Sun Belt member institutions that I have never had chance to visit.
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TULSA, WKU, APP St. all changing Conference homes
