Idaho and New Mexico St to Sun Belt as football-only members

[MplsBison]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9099719/idaho-vandals-new-mexico-state-aggies-headed-sun-belt-conference-2014-sources-say


Figured this deserves at least a mention of its own, since many Big Sky fans were hoping to drag at least Idaho down to their conference.

Too bad. xlolx

[TheRevSFA]

and Idaho football will be broke in a decade.

[Tubakat2014]

Why would the Sun Belt ruin a good week by picking up these two bottom feeders? App and Southern will easily beat these two in 2014- and beyond.

[TheRevSFA]

Why would the Sun Belt ruin a good week by picking up these two bottom feeders? App and Southern will easily beat these two in 2014- and beyond.

I actually agree with picking up NMSU. Idaho though is another story.

[aceinthehole]

Makes sense to keep the league at 12 for all sports.


When the new schools join, the Sun Belt will have a 12-member football and basketball conference. Full members will be Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy and Western Kentucky.

Idaho and New Mexico State will be football-only members. Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington will be full members in all sports except football.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9099719/idaho-vandals-new-mexico-state-aggies-headed-sun-belt-conference-2014-sources-say


Figured this deserves at least a mention of its own, since many Big Sky fans were hoping to drag at least Idaho down to their conference.

Too bad. xlolx

It's not soul crushing news slick sorry to tell ya. Yes I'd like to see them back in the BSC but if they and the SBC members think they can make it work then so be it.

I'm pretty skeptical that it will but we'll see how it all works out. I'd hate to be them but football only is a good deal for em'.

[JMUNJ08]

Soul crushing would be fewer options for JMU....

[MplsBison]

Soul crushing would be fewer options for JMU....

Tulsa: CUSA -> America 12
WKU: Sun Belt -> CUSA

JMU: CAA -> Sun Belt

[aceinthehole]

Tulsa: CUSA -> America 12
WKU: Sun Belt -> CUSA

JMU: CAA -> Sun Belt

But what if instead of WKU:

UMass: A-10/MAC --> C-USA

[NoDak 4 Ever]

so much for "footprint"

[dgtw]

So they have football only members and a non football member as their three western most teams.

If I ran a conference I'd say "We play these sports. Either play all of them or GTFO".

[MplsBison]

But what if instead of WKU:

UMass: A-10/MAC --> C-USA

I don't think so.

Look at how the partners match up for 2014 (and beyond):

FIU - FAU
ODU - Marshall
WKU - MTSU
UAB - So Miss
LA Tech - North TX
Rice - UT San Antonio

(ECU, Tulane gone for sure 2014 - probably Tulsa gone in 14 or 15, UTEP...maybe they stay or maybe they go Mountain West)

[Tubakat2014]

I actually agree with picking up NMSU. Idaho though is another story.

NMSU is certainly the better of the two, but I still don't see what NMSU brings to the table. I believe Benson himself said that he had quite a few FCS options in mind- why didn't he just wait a couple years and add two more FCS schools? The FCS-FBS transition is typically very rough, but better to take a chance on unproven schools than to just settle for schools that already have a clearly defined ceiling.

That's just my two cents, of course. In any case, congrats to ASU, GSU, Idaho, and NMSU for being invited to a stable conference. It may be "just" the Sun Belt, but it's also one of the more likely non-BCS conferences to still be in existence ten years down the road.

[MplsBison]

NMSU is certainly the better of the two, but I still don't see what NMSU brings to the table. I believe Benson himself said that he had quite a few FCS options in mind- why didn't he just wait a couple years and add two more FCS schools? The FCS-FBS transition is typically very rough, but better to take a chance on unproven schools than to just settle for schools that already have a clearly defined ceiling.

That's just my two cents, of course. In any case, congrats to ASU, GSU, Idaho, and NMSU for being invited to a stable conference. It may be "just" the Sun Belt, but it's also one of the more likely non-BCS conferences to still be in existence ten years down the road.

Probably because they wanted to play a championship game as soon as possible and Idaho & NMSU get them to 12 as soon as possible.


Don't forget, NMSU used to battle North Texas for the Sun Belt championship...but that was a few years ago.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Don't forget, NMSU used to battle North Texas for the Sun Belt championship...but that was a few years ago.

How could I forget, like the rest of America, those classic NMSU/North Texas Sun Belt championship runs?

[DSUrocks07]

Regardless, I'm still counting down the days until Idaho drops football. Because now its clear that that's their only two options. They will never win the Sun Belt. They'll be lucky to get to a bowl game in the next 10 years.

[proasu89]

How could I forget, like the rest of America, those classic NMSU/North Texas Sun Belt championship runs?

Similar to.....say how America views those epic Patriot League battles.

[DFW HOYA]

Similar to.....say how America views those epic Patriot League battles.

As long as the PL is centered in Pensylvania, there's only one Patriot League "battle".

[Redbirdz]

JMU probably not going to happen.

[MplsBison]

How could I forget, like the rest of America, those classic NMSU/North Texas Sun Belt championship runs?

They were on ESPN, even back then.

Yep...that's pretty much what college football has come down to. Are your games on ESPN or aren't they?

[TheRevSFA]

I was in Dallas when the NMSU and unt battles went down, and no one outside of fry street in Denton cared

[catamount man]

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/wac/idaho/opponents_records.php?teamid=2219

Idaho is 14-5 all vs NMSU. Case closed!

[dgtw]

Eisenhower was president the last time NMSU was in a bowl game.

[bojeta]

I wonder if this will have an impact on Cal Poly's Aug 30th 2014 game scheduled with New Mexico State? *Correction*: BTW, Cal Poly has played NMSU three times, winning each contest: 38-35 in 1997, 10-8 in 1957, and 32-7 in 1956.