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With addition of UAB and Coastal Carolina to FBS level football I think realignment between the Sun Belt and Conference USA is in order. I have constructed my ideal version of these conferences with team that will be in them in the 2017 season. I prefer a 12 conference or less whenever possible. However geographically in made more sense to make the border between the conferences the Alabama-Mississippi state line. So my version of the Sun Belt has 14 teams. I did not divide the Sun Belt into divisions cause I don't know much about these eastern programs. I am assuming that my lack of knowledge about these programs isn't unique for your average UNT fan/student. And that is a big part of the reason I think UNT would be better off in a conference without them. None except the marquee programs like Marshall and UAB have any name recognition around here. And if the attendance for the Marshall game isn't an eye opener I don't know what else would make you consider my point. The New Conference USA ULM EAST ULL EAST La Tech EAST RICE EAST ARK STATE EAST Southern Miss EAST UNT WEST TEXAS STATE WEST UTSA WEST NEW MEXICO STATE WEST UTEP WEST IDAHO WEST The New Sun Belt UAB MTSU TROY FIU FAU OLD DOMINION WKU MARSHALL SOUTH ALABAMA CHAROLETTE GEORGIA STATE GEORIA SOUTHERN APP STATE COASTAL CAROLINA

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=205&f=2664&t=11808883

I have 2 extra tickets that I will sell for the Idaho game this Saturday. Section 105 row 4. Asking price $50 for both. Message me if you want them.

Attempting not to state the obvious too much here, but this game is huge for the Vandals, and not just in the way that every game is important. This first game will tell us a LOT about our 2013 team. I have NT rated as the 4th most winnable game on our schedule... meaning if we win we could have 4 or more wins on the season and if we lose we won't have more than 3. I'm already trying to level set my emotions at: If we win, I'll be uncontrollably elated for a week, and if we lose I'll be looking forward to November when we will have a chance to win 1-3 games. Read more: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=205&f=2664&t=11724702

Vandals discussing North Texas as a 17-point fave... Read more: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=205&f=2664&t=11651796

KREM 2's Bryan Fenley has a report from Moscow as the Vandals wrapped up their first installment of two-a-days. Find out what group of guys is embracing the 'grinder' mentality. Also, a look at former Central Valley star Austin Rehkow, who booted a long field goal Monday, and is line to start at kicker and punter. Video link: http://www.krem.com/sports/Two-a-days-are-here-Vandals-embracing-the-grind-219362481.html

Thought we needed a new pole !

“I know what we’re teaching. We’re teaching it hard,” said coach Paul Petrino after a high-powered opening to fall camp on the SprinTurf Field by the Kibbie Dome. “We’ve been saying it since the day we got here. We’re trying to make the players believe we’re going to be what we call grinders – guys that work hard every day; get up and go to work and improve every single day.” That mentality leads to the next step: Showtime. “We define showtime as preparation, practice and performance,” Petrino added. “Those are probably the two biggest words we keep going over and over and over.” With day one of fall camp in the books, Petrino was headed for a long night of film to evaluate what the drills really looked like. “It’s never as bad or never as good when you go in and watch it on tape,” Petrino said. “You just look at it one play at a time. You are looking for assignment and alignment and get off on every play. We’re going to be great technically sound football players and understand the fundamentals, which allows us to play the game fast.” Read more and video link: http://www.krem.com/sports/Vandals-open-first-camp-under-Petrino-218457271.html

Our first game of the season! What's their situation with coaches, personnel and schemes? Idaho visiters, speak up. I like our chances in Denton.

MOSCOW, Idaho Idaho quarterbacks coach Bryce Erickson says hes never been on a coaching staff that works as hard. Offensive coordinator Kris Cinkovich sees the same thing he witnessed at Arkansas coaching alongside Bobby and Paul Petrino, and what he noticed from a distance when the Petrinos were at Louisville. Its a work ethic that traces back to Bob Petrino Sr., who coached his sons (and Cinkovich) at Carroll College in Montana. We were a bunch of small-college kids, Cinkovich said. All undersized for the bigger schools. But he raised us to be tough and coached us to be tough and to work hard, and that you could always outwork the people that youre competing against. I like to think that its carried over to our coaching. Cinkovich and Erickson, whose father, Dennis, was one of the most successful coaches in UI history, were in their Kibbie Dome offices late last week as they prepared for the Vandals fall camp. As they talked, both coaches had on the same green wristband with a one-word message in block letters: GRIND. With camp starting Monday, the next four weeks will be a grind. But so too has been the last eight months for rookie head coach Paul Petrino and his staff and for the players. Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/04/idaho-prepared-for-first-year-grind/

We began a blog series this week looking at some of the key games in UNTs 2013 season. There are a host of games that could make or break the Mean Greens year, just like there is in any season. We started out with UNTs game against UTSA, or as we have decided to call it, the UNT-Fans-Wing-Zone-Green-Koolaid-Suicide-Pact game. We fear a host of UNT fans will gather in the stands at Apogee and elect to leave this mortal coil if the Mean Green (celebrating year 100 of its football program) falls to UTSA (celebrating year three of its football program). That brings us to No. 2 in our countdown: Idaho at UNT, Aug. 31, Apogee Stadium That game might not sound all that interesting, but its historic for UNT in several ways 1. UNT is opening at home, 2. UNT is PAYING a guarantee to get the Vandals to come to town and 3. UNT is making a big deal out of it because it is the first game in its 100th anniversary season. Opening at home, and paying to do it, are departures from the path UNT has followed for more than a decade. UNT hasnt opened at home since 2001. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/07/a-look-at-unts-key-games-of-2013-part-ii-idaho.html/

Introduction: It's an end of an era. The Western Athletic Conference ceases to exist in terms of college football after the 2012 season. The 1-11, 1-5 Idaho Vandals, one of the last survivors, has become the latest to join the likes of Army, Brigham Young, Navy and Notre Dame as an Independent. Offense: Change is inevitable and Idaho hopes that truism is very much evident in 2013 when the Vandals take a 123rd points in offense and 122nd points in defense to the line of scrimmage. An 84th strength of schedule coupled with new coach Paul Petrino, brother of Bobby, and seven returning offensive starters bodes well. A ranking of 117th in recruiting plus 17 returning starters does not. There's a reason why Idaho stunk on offense and defense and it's simply not the coaching staff's fault. The players were significant culprits so whether a new voice will be able to turn things around will be a tall mountain to climb. Senior wide receiver Najee Lovett returns following reeling in 50 catches for 549 yards and six touchdowns. Junior WR Jahrie Level also returns after a stout 46 balls for 538 yards. Their success hinges on whether the Vandals did indeed improve. Read more: http://sportschatplace.com/college-football/tyrone/2013/june/28/idaho-vandals/

Idaho will spend one season on college football's outer fringes as an FBS independent, along with its former Western Athletic Conference rival New Mexico State, before joining the Aggies as two of the newest members of the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. Life on the fringe is recognizable space for Idaho, which has gone unnoticed and unknown for the better part of a generation since transitioning up to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1997. With one exception: Idaho won eight games in 2009, pulling magic out of its hat on more than one occasion, before stumbling back to a combined nine wins over the last three seasons. Enter Paul Petrino, Bobby's younger brother and Arkansas' former offensive coordinator, and he's handed a simple yet complicated task – if not nationally known, make Idaho relevant. Think that's easy? Outside of New Mexico State, no other program faces a more difficult path from irrelevance back to bowl eligibility. Patience is the word of the day. LAST YEAR'S PREDICTION Simply put, there's not a whole lot to like on either side of the ball. While I like Blackman as Idaho's starter, there's a reason why Akey has yet to name his starting quarterback: he's still undecided. In all, Idaho is currently in a position where it's relying on the defense to win games. The linebacker corps is strong, but let's be serious: Idaho's not winning games on defense. While Idaho should win three or four games, two are coming against Texas State and Texas-San Antonio. 2012 RECAP — In a nutshell: Idaho lost to an FCS opponent, Eastern Washington, and to a pair of teams making their FBS debuts in Texas State and Texas-San Antonio. The Vandals fired coach Robb Akey after a 70-28 loss to Louisiana Tech dropped their record to 1-7, with former offensive coordinator Jason Gesser taking over and losing each of his four games in November. Hey, at least Idaho beat New Mexico State. When taken in conjunction with the program's then-dire future – the school didn't land an invite to the Sun Belt until this spring – the 1-11 record cast an enormous shadow over the football program as a whole. Why even battle against the tide, scrambling to remain a member of the FBS, when you're barely a blip on the radar in the dearly departed WAC? Now, with its future more secure and an energetic new coach in stow, Idaho can finally take a deep breath and begin moving forward. — High point: A 26-18 win over New Mexico State on Oct. 6, the Vandals' lone victory on the season. Nothing else qualifies. — Low point: Idaho lost to Texas State and UTSA. That's not good. While Louisiana Tech beat up on several teams, the Bulldogs rolled up 839 yards of total offense against the Vandals on Oct. 20. That loss was the last straw for Akey, and deservedly so. — Tidbit: Idaho finished second-to-last in the FBS last fall in scoring offense (15.8 points per game) and third-to-last in scoring defense (42.4 points per game), which is not an easy thing to accomplish. The Vandals scored more than 28 points only once, in an overtime loss to Wyoming, and held only two FBS opponents (the Aggies and Bowling Green) under 34 points. FORMER PLAYERS IN THE NFL — 6: P Bobby Cowan (Oakland), LB JoJo Dickson (New York Jets), QB Nathan Enderle (Tennessee), OG Mike Iupati (San Francisco), S Shiloh Keo (Houston), LB Korey Toomer (Seattle). ARBITRARY TOP FIVE LIST — College head coaches, last name starts Van- 1. Pie Vann (139-59-2, 1949-68) 2. Jerry Vandergriff (138-105-2, 1982-2004) 3. Whitney Van Cleve (80-93, 1955-73) 4. J.A. VanFleet (12-3-4, 1923-24) 5. Conrad Eugene Van Gent (14-8-3, 1916-21) Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/05/08/idaho-college-football-countdown-2013-preview-paul-petrino/2143911/

Chad Chalich threw for 332 yards and ran for another 102 to lead the Silver team to a 56-14 victory as the Vandals completed their spring session with the Silver and Gold game at the Kibbie Dome. "It was good to see some big plays being made," first-year head coach Paul Petrino said. "We kept improving. We got tougher." Chalich, a redshirt freshman from Coeur d'Alene High, was 22-of-40 passing. Senior Taylor Davis was 12-of-23 for 157 yards for the Gold. Jerrel Brown gained 159 yards on 22 carries, and Jahrie Level led 11 receivers with nine catches for 169 yards. Linebackers Marc Millan and Juan Martinez, who like Brown are part of a highly touted transfer group, had 12 and nine tackles, respectively. Jayshawn Jordan added 10. Idaho opens its lone season as an independent at North Texas on Aug. 31. Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/04/20/2542349/quarterback-emerges-in-idaho-spring.html#storylink=cpy

MOSCOW, Idaho – By his third day on the job, Paul Petrino had seen enough in the weight room and in running drills to make one definitive judgment: The Vandals badly needed junior-college running backs and linebackers. Idaho ended up bringing in five early JC enrollees to compete for starting jobs at the two positions. And after Saturday’s sun-splashed scrimmage, the first of the spring, Petrino said it was the best move he and his staff have made. “Thank God we did,” he said, “because the ones we got are really good players and we would have been in big trouble if we hadn’t done that.” No junior-college addition stood out more than running back Kris Olugbode, who rumbled for 108 yards, scored four touchdowns and trampled two Idaho safeties in the open field. But he wasn’t the only one who opened eyes. Running back Jerrel Brown showed a burst of speed and tough running style while rushing for 54 yards and two TDs. Linebacker Juan Martinez had a sack and returned an Austin DeCoud interception 59 yards for a TD, while Marc Millan, a 215-pound outside linebacker, led the team with 11 tackles. Millan, Martinez and Eric Tuipulotu, all of whom signed less than three weeks after Petrino was hired in December, have done enough through five spring practices to excite the new coach. They formed the first-team linebacker crew Saturday, and they could be starters to open the season at North Texas on Aug 31. Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/30/juco-imports-give-ui-boost/

The Vandals, who will play in the West division with New Mexico State, Texas State, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe, aren't concerned about travel, with the team traveling by charter. "Traveling four times a year to the south is not an issue. … We went to Ohio, North Carolina and Louisiana twice last year,'' Spear said. Idaho will not have to pay any fees to join the Sun Belt, which has a TV agreement with ESPN that will be renegotiated with the increase in membership. Possible exposure on TV, along with related revenue and payouts from the BCS to conferences, will help negate the loss of approximately $1 million the school projects without as many "money" games. "They've invested a lot into their program, and have made a commitment to being an FBS member," Benson said. "The renovations of the Kibbie Dome the last two years … they're creating a much better football environment." While there have been rumblings that Western Kentucky is considering a move to Conference USA, Idaho coach Paul Petrino is excited by the idea of joining the conference - and the fact his brother, Bobby, is Western Kentucky's coach. "I think the Sun Belt has built itself into a real good football conference," Paul Petrino said Tuesday. "We'll probably be in different divisions, so I hope (a matchup with Bobby) is in a championship game." Benson said the league has begun vetting prospective members in case Western Kentucky moves on. Benson also said the league hopes to add at least one, and possibly two more bowl tie-ins in addition to the New Orleans and GoDaddy.com bowls. Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/03/28/2510997/vandals-find-great-stability-in.html Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/03/28/2510997/vandals-find-great-stability-in.html#storylink=cpy

MOSCOW, Idaho -- In a little more than a month and a half, the Idaho football team will emerge from the smoke on the east side of the Kibbie Dome and excitedly make its way to the north sideline. The Eagles of Eastern Washington will stand and watch as the Vandals go through a pregame ritual that effectively wraps up a summer of uneasiness and uncertainty. There will be a new quarterback under center, a new offensive coordinator calling the plays and a renewed sense of optimism that comes with each fall’s first kickoff. Presumably by that time, Idaho will also know its fate as the Western Athletic Conference heads into what could be its final football season following a series of departures that will leave the conference with only two football-playing members following the 2012 campaign. It’s a fate that, at the moment, remains elusive - even to UI President Duane Nellis. "I think it’s getting harder and harder for the WAC to put together any short-term FBS solution for football and so we may be faced with a situation," Nellis said while sitting at the end of a long table in his office off of Campus Drive. "We’re still looking at all options, but one of the options is possibly going independent as a (Football Bowl Subdivision) school after this coming football season for a year or two just to see what the landscape leads to." In theory, going independent would allow Idaho to tread water in the FBS until a potential landing spot opens in a conference. Despite being rebuffed by the Mountain West this spring, the Vandals are still holding out hope that the conference shuffle will break in their favor. The Mountain West remains a candidate for relocation, as does Conference USA. Read more: http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/07/18/uncertain-times-university-idaho

Should the Sun Belt become the "Island of Unwanted Toys?" http://www.klewtv.co...-149950865.html "I want the University of Idaho to succeed in all of this," said Benson. "I will do whatever I can from a personal standpoint or a professional standpoint to help. You know at the end of the day I report to a board of directors now that will indicating to me what direction we need to head." http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_20576856/nmsu-president-weighs-options-athletics-conferences?source=most_viewed According to New Mexico State President, Barbara Coulture, "We have made overtures to the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt, I think, has not completed its program of the shape of its particular confe " rence. We certainly would welcome an opportunity to talk with the Sun Belt as we would with the Mountain West, or with Conference USA, while we are still working hard to strengthen the position of the WAC. We are leaving all of those positions open at this point." I cannot believe that current and future members of the Sun Belt Conference would wish to incur the huge travel expenses to these schools