MeanGreen61

Commercial Appeal sez Tulsa will be #1 in CUSA Post Spring rankings http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/...pring-rankings/

TULSA http://cfn.scout.com/2/752921.html

College Football News preview 2008 Preview - Louisiana-Monroe http://cfn.scout.com/2/751453.html

From The Quad ...It’s time to start talking college football! The season begins on Aug. 28 and to get you ready for that momentous date, The Quad is ranking all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. We’ll begin today with No. 120 and reveal one each day until we get to No. 1. In addition to ranking the teams, we’ll provide plenty of relevant on-the-field facts as well as some fun off-the-field tidbits that you can use to impress your friends...... The New York Times blog (the Quad) is reviewing and ranking teams. They started with #120 and are ranking/reviews a team a day. They are at #116 with todays review & ranking of UL-Lafayette. North Texas is mentioned as a prominent game for all three Belt teams ranked & reviewed so far (WKU, FIU, and UL-lafayette). So Far #120 Western Kentucky #119 Utah State #118 Florida International #117 Idaho #116 UL-Lafayette THE QUAD http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/

North Texas Surprise, surprise – the North Texas Green and White scrimmage featured a lot of passing. Quarterback Giovanni Vizza led the way for the Mean Green offense, completing 15 of 23 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. His offense scored five touchdowns against the defense, all of them coming on passes. It wasn’t all offense, though, as the defense held the offense out of the endzone throughout the first 13 minutes of the scrimmage. But, Vizza and company got it going later in the scrimmage. SUN BELT SPRING GAME REVIEWS http://cfn.scout.com/2/752489.html

It's a slow time and you have only one vote so chill. You're not the only one on this board.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353953,00.html

Giovanni Vizza, UNT Career starts: 8 On the Run: OK runner. Better shifting in pocket than tucking and running. Through the Air: Led all freshman QBs in nation in passing, but also showed rookie decision-making. Storyline: Reigning Freshman of the Year, but head coach's son arrives with lofty accolades. Vizza must limit interceptions to keep job. SUN BELT SET UNDER CENTER http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../805040339/1006

NORTH TEXAS Head coach:Todd Dodge Record: 2-10, one year (same overall) 2007 record:2-10 overall; 1-6 Sun Belt, tied for 7th Starters returning 16; 8 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists Key losses: DL Jeremiah Chapman, DB Aaron Weathers, LB Maurice Holman, WR Brandon Jackson Key players:QBs Giovanni Vizza/Riley Dodge, WR Casey Fitzgerald, LB Craig Robertson, DB Antoine Bush Moving up:WR Sam Roberson — Six-foot-4 freshman will add playmaking ability to receiving corp. 2008 Schedule Aug. 30: at Kansas State Sept. 6: Tulsa Sept. 13: at LSU Sept. 27: at Rice Oct. 4: Florida International Oct. 11: Louisiana-Lafayette Oct. 18: at Louisiana-Monroe Oct. 25: Troy Nov. 1: at Western Ky. Nov. 8: at Florida Atlantic Nov. 22: at MTSU Nov. 29: Arkansas State SUN BELT PROFILES http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../805040338/1006

Yep, it's an off-season realignment question during a slow time....so ? A couple of years ago UNT said no to a WAC invite but did suggest we may be interested if additional teams were invited to create a 12 team WAC with an EWAC. With the chance for an invite to CUSA very slim and the Belt seemingly running in neutral, what would our answer be if the WAC came callin' and said we want to reform the conference with additional teams for an EWAC ? Would we opt to remain in the Belt or join a 12 team WAC ?

Stickler Honored By National Strength & Conditioning Assoc. Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 05/02/2008 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (5/2/08) – University of North Texas football player Brock Stickler was recently awarded the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Stickler was one of 239 collegiate athletes honored by the NSCA for his dedication to strength training and conditioning. “Over the past three years, I have seen Brock build his way up to becoming an excellent athlete, student and person,” said assistant strength coach Troy Ramsey. “He has always brought everything he can give into the weight room everyday and that is all we have ever asked of him.” Stickler started every game at wide receiver for the Mean Green, tallying 37 catches for 391 yards. One of only seven returning three-year letterwinners for North Texas, Stickler had his best game of his career last season against Louisiana-Lafayette with 98 yards receiving on nine catches and one touchdown.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...3.c4663e50.html

2008 OUTLOOK: The Mean Green probably won't be in the championship hunt in 2008, but they could have a say in the matter. UNT will have a very explosive offense that is more experienced and talented. The key will be fixing a defense that was last in the conference a year ago and allowed more than 45 points a game. MEAN GREEN REPORT http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/foo...belt/ntexas.htm SUN BELT CONFERENCE REPORT http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/foo...unbelt/home.htm

Off the CUSA board. Post: #1KC's Review of Bowl Changes Here's my recap of what has been announced regarding the bowls over the last week. Winners 1. CUSA. Overall they made out the best of all the conferences. First they were able to move the Liberty Bowl to a Jan 2nd prime time slot. CUSA continues to have 6 bowls as they did last year but they traded up from Hawaii to the Texas Bowl. Hawaii is only a good bowl to participate in for a West Coast school or an Academy. The second bowl they moved was Papa John's to St Pete, also a nice upgrade. Papa was floundering with CUSA in the mix, no travel interest from the CUSA #5 team. St. Pete is going to be great for recruiting and usually UCF or East Carolina will be the participant. 2. SEC. The SEC was able to set up another Jan 2 bowl game by moving the Liberty and picked up another bowl which its capable in filling in Papa John's that should take off with their participation. South Carolina was left home last year at 6-6 and as the deepest conference unlike the ACC they really could put 9-10 schools in bowls. 3. MAC. The MAC's backup agreement is a good one because the ACC has never had 9 bowl eligible schools. The academies can also be unpredictable in picking up that 6th win. It would be nice to see a fourth regular tie-in but this is the next best thing. Geography wise this game is going to be a good fit for Temple and within driving distance of most MAC East schools. The MAC is also going to benefit from bowl saturation with the addition of 2 new bowl games. The last at-large opening was in 2006, when the MAC's backup agreement in the Poinsettia placed NIU in that bowl. With BCS schools tweaking schedules to make a 6 or 7 wins more possible it has gotten harder lately for the MAC to find an at-large. Also the MAC is receiving an upgrade to the International, now with the 4th selection from the Big East. This in conjunction with a downgrade of ND's status with the Gator could make a MAC-ND matchup possible. Improved 1. Big East. The Big East essentially traded the Texas Bowl for the new St. Pete Bowl. That was a good pick up for the Big East. I'm not sure if the SEC #9 tie-in will be better for the Big East in the Papa John's. In some years they may be stuck with Troy or MTSU from the Sun Belt. 2. ACC. At least in the short term, the ACC will not be participating in its new Congressional Bowl. If the ACC as expected decides to move out of Boise that will make it more probable with a #8 but what if the ACC puts a second team in the BCS? I would anticipate even with the #8 selection the ACC will only send a team to DC 50% of the time. Losers 1. WAC. Failed to pick up a 4th bowl agreement with the Rocky Mountain. Not that anyone in this conference besides Fresno, Boise and Hawaii ever deserves a bowl but they are in danger of leaving a 6-6 team at home with no shot an at-large. The WAC has made 2 straight BCS games but they really have a lousy bowl set up playing 3 games at on campus stadiums. Playing a bowl game at a on campus location is really bush league. All MAC agreements are at off campus locations for a higher degree of quality. 2. SBC. This conference is entering its 8th year of play and has yet to move its lineup past the N.O. Bowl. Play on the field is improving and was as good as CUSA last year. There is no reason why they couldn't have taken the Texas bowl slot from CUSA for a #2 bowl. They must have a really inept commissioner at the SBC front office. The SBC is at risk of being shut out from additional tie-ins as the NCAA may not approve anymore bowl applications if the numbers after this year are cutting it close. The SBC could have 3 6-6 teams all sitting at home.

So enlighten us about the higher incomes of other women's coaches.

A Q&A from the 5/2 Ask CFN The BCS conferences, especially the Big 10 and Pac 10, are typically characterized by the traditional style of play of their teams (e.g. Pac 10 = no defense/big passing). I was wondering what your conference associations would be, and furthermore how would you generally characterize the non-BCS conferences? – BA A: Of course, the characterizations are wrong considering how many receivers the Big Ten puts into the NFL and how good some of the Pac 10 defenses have been in recent years. Here’s what I perceive the biases are on a national scale when it comes to each league. Obviously I’m not saying any of these are actually right. - ACC – A basketball league. Soft. - Big East – A beefed up division of Conference USA. - Big Ten – Slow. Three yards and a cloud of Field Turf. - Big 12 – Oklahoma, Texas, and ten other teams (it used to be nine before Bill Callahan took over at Nebraska). - Conference USA – A beefed up MAC. - MAC – Division I-AAA. - Mountain West – A high-octane offensive league because people in the east confuse it with the WAC. - Pac 10 – USC and nine other teams, no defense, lots of passing. - SEC – The good: it’s fast and very, very talented. The bad: everyone’s getting paid off and everyone is cheating. - Sun Belt – Division II-Plus - WAC – Throw, throw, throw, throw, throw.

BOWL MOVES TO ESPN ON SUNDAY After being played on Fridays the past two years, the game is being moved to Sunday, Dec. 21 in 2008 at the request of ESPN, which airs the game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. "It's going to work out better for us," bowl executive director Billy Ferrante said Wednesday from Hollywood, Fla., where the game received recertification from the NCAA. "This way, fans will be able to come in on Friday and Saturday, enjoy their weekend in New Orleans and still get back home in plenty of time for Christmas." Ferrante acknowledged that the Sunday date conflicts with the NFL, but pointed out that the Saints are at Detroit that day, a game that is considered unlikely to be switched to NBC's prime-time TV slot that night. Ferrante said he also is working to renew the title sponsorship contact with R&L Carriers, which expires after this season, along with ties to the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA, which provide the participating teams. The deal with the Sun Belt, which helped found the bowl in 2001, expires after this year's game, and the Conference USA arrangement runs through 2009. "We'd like to get our title sponsor locked in first," Ferrante said. "But we're certainly (eager) to get into talks with our conference partners." FULL ARTICLE http://neworleansbowl.com/2007/index.php?o...26&Itemid=1

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...2.bcd4779b.html

May 1, 2008 Around the Sun Belt (football edition) The Sun Belt Conference had a post-spring practice media call today with all the league's head coaches – well, all the league’s coaches except FAU's Howard Schnellenberger. He often assigns his associate head coach Kurt Van Valkenburgh to attend to such mundane tasks. http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/

Several vague mentions and rumors of a 2nd bowl for the Sun Belt in 2009 have been seen on other sites. WW is also alledged to have mentioned a possible 2nd Belt bowl in 2009 at the conference basketball tournament. True ? False ? Just internet talk ? Wishful thinking ? Put me down as one who is sceptical & will only beleive it with an official announcement. A lot of bowl wheelin' & dealin' has been goin' on recently with not one Belt mention. Water supposedly has some extra bucks to use because of the 2 NCAA tourney teams. Is Waters really going after a 2nd bowl or it just more talk ?

Exerpts from article While that seems to give the Big East seven bowl slots for an eight-team league, the Gazette has learned the Texas Bowl, which was supposed to play host to the league twice in four years, will disappear from the Big East roster. Conference USA, of which Marshall is a member, will be a full partner of the Texas Bowl lineup opposite a Big 12 team. In exchange for that, C-USA gave way to the SEC-Big East matchup in the PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. Conference USA has sent its champion to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., since the league's inception. Other C-USA partners are the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, and the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Liberty Bowl recently landed a Jan. 2 date, getting an exclusive time slot between the Cotton and Sugar bowls. ARTICLE http://sundaygazettemail.com/Sports/WVU/200805010004

Interesting post from the Muts board by Space Raider SUN BELT 3,169 North Texas 3,000 Florida international 2,571 Middle Tennessee 2,000 Western Kentucky 1,091 Florida Atlantic 1,000 Troy - Arkansas State - UL-Lafayette - UL-Monroe SPRING GAME ATTENDANCE http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/allthingst..._attendance.pdf

College football: NCAA denies Rocky Mountain Bowl By Lya Wodraska The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 04/30/2008 03:12:01 PM MDT Posted: 2:22 PM- The Salt Lake City group that had proposed a bowl game for Rice-Eccles Stadium was turned down by the NCAA Postseason Licensing Subcommittee on Wednesday. Two other bowls, the Congressional Bowl in Washington D.C., and the St. Petersburg Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., were approved at meetings in Hollywood, Fla. Their creation increases the number of bowl games for the 2008-09 season to 34. The Rocky Mountain Bowl, proposed for Salt Lake City that would pit a Mountain West Conference team against a Western Athletic Conference team was the only one not licensed. The subcommittee based the total number of bowls on historical data regarding the typical number of bowl-eligible teams and the licensing criteria used each year to assess the qualifications of the bowl candidates. "The subcommittee continues to be challenged to provide quality experiences for our student-athletes while balancing that with the number of bowl-eligible teams," said Richard Giannini, director of athletics at the University of Southern Mississippi and chair of the NCAA Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee. "The subcommittee spent a great deal of time reviewing the historical data of bowl eligible teams and feels there is adequate opportunity to fill all bowl positions."

By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune Published: April 30, 2008 The NCAA Bowl Certification Committee today approved the St. Petersburg Bowl, which will debut in December 2008. The inaugural game will be played beween Dec. 20-23 at Tropicana Field, with the specific date yet to be determined. Owned and operated by ESPN, the St. Pete Bowl will pit college football teams from the Big East and Conference USA at Tropicana Field. The inaugural game was planned for Sunday night, Dec. 21, but that changed when the NFL schedule assigned the Bucs a home game the same night against San Diego. This is ESPN's sixth bowl game, joining the Las Vegas, Hawaii, Armed Forces, Papajohns.com and New Mexico bowls. The proposal for the St. Petersburg Bowl was presented today in Hollywood, Fl., by a group of organizers and supporters led by Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager for ESPN Regional. Others with Derzis were to include: St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; D.T. Minich, Executive Director, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; Rob Higgins, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Sports Commission; Nick Carperelli, associate commissioner of the Big East; and a representative from Conference USA. The Big East now has bowl berths for seven of its eight teams in 2008 and Conference USA will have six bowl berths for its 12 schools.

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/in....xml&coll=2