WAC Beware - Sun Belt Seeking 11th Football Member

[TexasTerror]

They want a current FBS member... and from the 'Southeast' at that...

Really points to Louisiana Tech being the school - just cannot envision another school that would fit this as there's no C-USA institution that would make the jump to the SBC...


The Sun Belt Conference — the Southern-fried athletic league that’s home to Florida International and Florida Atlantic universities — appears poised to add another warm-weather school to its membership.

The conference has entertained expansion overtures from multiple programs in recent months, and the league has expressed keen interest in at least one of those candidates, The Miami Herald has learned.

Sources close to the situation would not specify which school is atop the list of contenders, but the pool of potential programs is relatively shallow when the conference’s top two criteria are factored in.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/07/2154460/sun-belt-might-add-11th-school.html#ixzz1IpuZH62q

[TexasTerror]

Here's a read... one of the last paragraphs says that TXST is re-considering its entrance into the WAC... but why would they? Only would if they had another conference to land in...


Just when you thought it was safe to jump back into the conference-realignment waters…

A report in Wednesday’s Miami Herald indicated that the Sun Belt Conference – one seemingly solid with nine football members and a 10th coming on board in 2012 – might be looking to increase its rolls.

But it’s an unlikely, if not impossible, scenario on many different levels.

http://www.sportsnola.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=570971&Itemid=578

[TexasTerror]

More on the WAC...



Kevin Clifton of Hattiesburg, Miss., writes: How long does the WAC have? Is it on life support? How long before the MWC poaches Utah State away? Then what? I see Louisiana Tech and UT-San Antonio going to Conference USA after Houston and Central Florida leave for greener pastures in the Big East. Then UTEP goes to the MWC, New Mexico State and Texas State go to the Sun Belt. All you would have left is Idaho and San Jose State. San Jose State is thinking of dropping their status as a FBS school and Idaho, who needs them? If you have Boise State, you have the Boise market. I also see Army keeping its home television rights and joining the MAC and I see Navy doing the same and joining Conference-USA.

Andrea Adelson writes: Kevin is the grand Nostradamus of college football expansion! This plan sounds good, but there are a few problems. First, the WAC might actually survive, depending on what happens with everyone else. That does seem hard to believe, but let us say it implodes. The Sun Belt really wants to keep its geographic footprint and I do not see the league going into New Mexico. It does the Sun Belt no good. A recent report in the Miami Herald explained as much, and also theorizes that Louisiana Tech could find a landing spot here. Of course, a lot of that is dependent of what happens with the Big East, which could choose Memphis or East Carolina ahead of Houston. Much of that depends on whether the league wants a travel partner for TCU. If Houston is not chosen, it would have to decide whether it wants to stay in C-USA or maybe even go to the Mountain West should that league want to expand to 12. Utah State is not a part of those expansion plans right now. Even though it would theoretically bring the Salt Lake City market, the school really does not have a fan base as big as BYU or Utah to meaningfully replace that market. Army was in a league before and that did not work so well for the service academy so I would bet on the Black Knights staying independent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/40651/return-of-the-non-aq-mailbag

[TexasTerror]

More talk about La Tech & the Sun Belt...

Sun Belt has reached out to La Tech, who has had several discussions via the consultant. La Tech is concerned about football membership in the WAC and La Tech's C-USA desires are thrown out there - which as I have said before, the school in Ruston, La. is falling further and further down the pecking order for the C-USA...



This week, Van De Velde confirmed that he had several conversations with Todd Turner, a consultant hired by the Sun Belt to identify possible expansion candidates, over the past year, but stressed that those discussions never progressed into specificities.



But what is not known: How high Conference USA has Tech on its list of potential targets, should the league need or decide to expand. But if C-USA isn’t a near-future option and the WAC doesn’t improve quickly, Louisiana Tech might face a decision uncomfortable to those supporters who are not so enamored with the Sun Belt.

“We are really concerned about membership on the football side [of the WAC],” Van De Velde said. “But you don’t worry about the things that you cannot control. You worry about the things you can control, and that’s strengthening entire program.”


http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/22/2183125/vote-on-expansion-during-spring.html

[TexasTerror]

Middle Tenn AD shares his viewpoint...


When asked if he was in favor of expansion, Chris Massaro said, “Of course, but it has to be to everyone's economic advantage and one that will add to the perception and strength of the league. However, these will not be decisions made by the athletic directors in the Sun Belt. Our presidents will handle any possible expansion."

http://middletennessee.scout.com/2/1070926.html