Sun Belt has seen it's share of change

MeanGreen61 · July 25, 2005

New Orleans Times-Picayune article

Sun Belt has seen its share of changes

It has made a mark in basketball and baseball, is football be next?

Sunday, July 24, 2005

By Nakia Hogan

Contributing writer

This isn't quite what Vic Bubas had in mind 30 years ago when representatives from UNO, Georgia State, South Alabama, South Florida, Jacksonville and UNC Charlotte came calling.

When Bubas, a legendary basketball coach, accepted the job to become the first commissioner of the upstart Sun Belt Conference, he envisioned a basketball-rich league based in the southeastern portion of the country.

From the outset, Bubas' blueprint appeared flawless. In its first year of competition, UNC Charlotte, led by future NBA player Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell, represented the Sun Belt in the Final Four -- perhaps the biggest stage in all of collegiate athletics -- as the nation watched.

"It was just a big boon to our overall athletic recognition for a team like UNC Charlotte to go to the Final Four," said Bubas, who was the Sun Belt's commissioner from 1976-1990. "To think that in our first year of existence to have a team that almost was in the championship game was unreal. We were the object of a lot of attention. You don't plan on something like that, but you are glad when it happens. That was terrific, people sat up and took notice."

As the Sun Belt readies to celebrate its 30th year in 2006, there has been plenty of change -- from schools moving in and out to the addition football. While the spotlight on the Sun Belt has yet to shine as bright as it did in 1976, the conference continues moving forward.

Sitting at his desk at Sun Belt headquarters on the 23rd floor of the Pan American Life Building a few days before this week's football media days, current Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters pondered the next turn the league would take.

Since taking over in 1998 and helping implement Division I-A football, while fending off defections and restoring somewhat of a regional league (Denver is the exception), Waters is pleased with the conference's direction.

"It is an exciting time for the league," he said. "It's an exciting time for each of us in the office, too, professionally. There are challenges that this league has never faced before that we have never had to deal with. But they all have such huge advantages that it makes the struggle sometimes worthwhile."

Both Bubas and Waters have little trouble pointing out the conference's grandeur moments, especially UNC Charlotte's 51-49 Final Four loss to Marquette.

But there have been other stellar feats.

As a Sun Belt member, Old Dominion won the 1985 NCAA women's basketball title. In 1992, Western Kentucky lost in the women's NCAA championship game. Then-Sun Belt member Louisiana Tech lost in the 1994 and 1998 title games.

In 2004, Middle Tennessee State's Mardy Scales won the NCAA 100 meters, track and field's premier event.

Louisiana-Lafayette helped validate the conference as a budding baseball league with a College World Series berth in 2000. Meanwhile, the young football league has quietly produced the nation's past two rushing-title winners -- North Texas' Jamario Thomas (2004) and Patrick Cobbs (2003).

Success hasn't been limited to just the playing fields. Eleven of the league's 13 schools graduated athletes at a higher rate than the general student body last year. And four former Sun Belt employees have gone on to become commissioners of other conferences (Tom Burnett-Southland, Doug Elgin-Missouri Valley, Johnny Iamarino-Northeast and Craig Thompson-Mountain West).

Still, it frustrates Waters that not many have noticed.

"I've heard all my life that perception becomes reality," Waters said. "Nowhere is that more true than here. We really struggle with what is not reality. We know statistically where our schools are. That we can prove. But the perception of fans has really been a challenge to overcome. In some cases it's a challenge of educating the media.

"People didn't realize how good our baseball was. The numbers were there. The wins were there. But it took somebody going to the College World Series to say 'hey, they are pretty good.' The same thing now we face with football. We've got to win some high-profile games. That's the only thing we can do to change the perception."

Last season for the first time, two Sun Belt teams received bowl berths (North Texas and Troy) and Waters is trying to negotiate a second bowl partner to go along with the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl, which awards a spot to the Sun Belt champion.

The Sun Belt also must continue to improve on its football attendance, which ranked 10th out of 11 Division I-A conferences last season, averaging 18,054. That mark was up from 14,252 fans a game in 2003 when the Sun Belt ranked 11th in average attendance.

Waters has his sights set on the Sun Belt averaging in the neighborhood of the 35,213 that the Big East Conference averaged last season.

"I think we can be as good as any of the leagues below the big five (Southeastern, Big 12, ACC, Pac-10 and Big Ten)," he said. "The big five have way too much of a head start. They are the 'University of' for the most part. They have the 100-year tradition. They have mega-television deals. They are so far ahead, that it may take us a long time to catch them.

"But our model to some extent is the Big East, which is a model of eight football programs and basketball programs. We can be as good as they are, over time."

In the meantime, Bubas will sit back and watch to see where the conference goes and grows after he first put his blueprint to work in 1976.

"It's really a testimonial to the schools that wanted to stay with decent athletic programs. All of them are fine educational institutions," he said. "We've had change within the conference, but it has survived and taken steps to have a better all-around sports program. And that's what conferences do as time goes on."

Edited July 25, 2005 by MeanGreen61

NT80 · July 25, 2005

Waters has his sights set on the Sun Belt averaging in the neighborhood of the 35,213 that the Big East Conference averaged last season.

NCMeanGreen · July 25, 2005

That's like, what, 10 years away at least realistically...

untgirl04 · July 25, 2005

At least he sets high goals. I think Waters has made great strides in making the SBC a more respectable conference. He had a lot of really good answers to the questions, and I think his upbeat attitude makes a difference - despite all of the SBC conspiracy theories.

Shof · July 25, 2005

My first thought is, "wow, what is he smoking!" Its a great goal; but I'm not sure how realistic that is. I did a quick search to find my Cajuns best attendance figures since we moved into Cajun Field. Over 32 years our best season avg was in 1977 with 25,224 and next best was 1976 with 23,306. Both teams were good and had winning seasons and winning home games (4-1-1 and 7-0 respectively at home). So obviously winning teams are a must, especially in the smaller market towns/cities. Best single game attendance was in 1996, the infamous win against A&M with 38,783 in attendance. I only found two other instances where we had more than 30K in attendance: 1990, 36,133 (not sure but may have been against Alabama), and in 1976, 30,176. Think that one may have been against Arkansas State when the two teams were battling for the league crown. I should know; but then again, I was probably drunk that night In the 30+ years in Cajun Field, only 13 times have we averaged over 20K per game for the season.

Perhaps more realistic is an average of 25K per game for the more immediate goal. Even that will be a reach. UNT certainly has the market size to reach that figure, perhaps even the 35K figure several years down the road. In any case, I suspect ever stadium in the Belt would have to be expanded to meet the 35K attendance. I know you guys have plans for a larger capacity stadium. Cajun Field holds 31,000 now (+/- 500); but we also have a nice grass area in the end zones for overflow. The place definitely looks nice with filled up. I think we have a pic on ragin pagin.com that shows the A&M game.

PlummMeanGreen · July 25, 2005

I think Wright Waters has to have all his schools shoot for the moon and have hopes of at least hitting the barn with this attendance thing.

NT's attendance woes is a complete dilemma to many of us especially since we have so much new population in Denton County. I still say we have to be just like the evangelical churches, folks, and just go out and get them (but been saying that for a few decades now).

There is something SUMG and I have called the "Denton malaise" for years and it is an attitude that just completely guts out the enthusiasm of so many of our past NT Athletic Department employees. Having many NT enthusiast (yet non-investors) in this Mean Green football program has had as much to do with that "malaise" as anything, fellow alums/fans.

I just hope this is not the case now in MG Country, but to see any plan to dramatically increase FB attendance at Fouts Field would be a most welcome sight now.

Edited July 25, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen