why the sunbelt needs NT

[statefanatic]

we can trash the sunbelt all we want, but i will tell you what we need to do. We need to get NT, ASU, TROY, and ULL to take control of the Sunbelt. if you think about it these 4 teams have great potential. NT was the leader for 4 straght seasons and got some respect from sports writers. that is why they need to get back on track and get the sports writers talking again. TROY won some big games 2 years ago and gave the Sunbelt 2 bowls for the first time ever. ASU played a good game in last years NO BOWL and got some sports writers thinking twice about there earlier comments. We all know ULL was the hottest team at the end of the season and probably should have been in the NO BOWL and will be a very good team this year. you might even throw MTSU in there if there new coach can get them on the right track. the Florida schools will catch up eventually, but i don't think ULM will ever be as close as they were last year.

tell me what you think will get us going in the right direction. do you think these 4 teams can do it or do you think other teams in the conf will.

[Zeke]

tell me what you think will get us going in the right direction.

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Numerous OOC wins for those teams you mentioned. We will have to have the Sun Belt top teams beat numerous teams besides each other. Otherwise, the rest of the nation will see the Belt champ as the crappy team that beat the other crappy teams.

Also: Bowl Victory

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Numerous OOC wins for those teams you mentioned.  We will have to have the Sun Belt top teams beat numerous teams besides each other.  Otherwise, the rest of the nation will see the Belt champ as the crappy team that beat the other crappy teams. 

Also:  Bowl Victory

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---Some good basketball teams and NCAA success also would help promote the league also. You are absolutely right.... the Belt will gain credibility if several teams can step up and win some good non-conference games and be competive against name teams. We can not just do it alone. We need to support each other.

[meangreendork]

For the 'Belt to be taken seriously, our teams have to really take it to the other conferences in all of the other sports, not just football. Since our conference doesn't have the size and prestige of the BigXII, we can't afford to only be successful in one sport.

[asuhatesme]

we can trash the sunbelt all we want, but i will tell you what we need to do. We need to get NT, ASU, TROY, and ULL to take control of the Sunbelt. if you think about it these 4 teams have great potential. NT was the leader for 4 straght seasons and got some respect from sports writers. that is why they need to get back on track and get the sports writers talking again. TROY won some big games 2 years ago and gave the Sunbelt 2 bowls for the first time ever. ASU played a good game in last years NO BOWL and got some sports writers thinking twice about there earlier comments. We all know ULL was the hottest team at the end of the season and probably should have been in the NO BOWL and will be a very good team this year. you might even throw MTSU in there if there new coach can get them on the right track. the Florida schools will catch up eventually, but i don't think ULM will ever be as close as they were last year.

tell me what you think will get us going in the right direction. do you think these 4 teams can do it or do you think other teams in the conf will.

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Hey delusional statefan,

The Belt needs MT, UNT, and/or FAU or FIU,

State doesn't compete in anything on a national level. You're in a town with 6 people, and you're in arkansas.

MT, UNT, and FAU or FIU are all in top 30 national media markets. Middle, North Texas, and FAU are all in the process of multimillion dollar facility upgrades. The above listed schools are the largest in the Belt, and have the most potential for growth.

State fans need to stop being so freakin delusional. You go to a bowl by way of a three way tie-breaker in the worst year our conference has seen since becoming I-A and all of a sudden you're the flagship?

I'd say lay off the sauce, but you can't even get sauce in Jonesboro.

Anyway to my UNT buddies. I hate you, but get the QB situation worked out because we need you guys to step up. The Belt needs at least 4 teams with winning records this year.

[statefanatic]

1. MTSU AND NT are last in softball.

2.where is NT baseball

3.NT, FAU, and MTSU finished at the bottom in football

4.i won't even mention FIU and FAU mens basketball

1 TROY ranked 29 in baseball and ULL usually rank in baseball and STATE beat ranked KENTUCKY and OLE MISS this year.

2. ULL tied for first in football with ASU and TROY gets big OCC wins in 2004.

3 ULL softball beats ranked teams.

4. ULL basketball finishes seconded in its division.

i just don't see where your comming from. you pick 2 teams that are one year from D1AA in football and FAU only plays one sport in the SUNBELT. i did say MTSU could be a part of the teams to help the belt, but they have to step up and play better under there new coach. come on give me something besides populations of cities.

[MeanGreen61]

WOW - 1 winning season, a tri-championship & suddenly ASU is the radiant glow of the Sun Belt! It's just gotta be so, because StateFanatic says so !

[asuhatesme]

1. MTSU AND NT are last in softball.

2.where is NT baseball

3.NT, FAU, and MTSU finished at the bottom in football

4.i won't even mention FIU and FAU mens basketball

UL has a chance just because of the amount of athletes in Louisiana. But Troy is in too small a place. They have just over 6000 students. They may field a solid football team most years and be pretty good in baseball, but as the other schools in conference (MT, NT, the FU's) improve facilities and get better, the small market SBC schools (ASU, ULM, Troy) are going to get left behind.

Middle's been in the SBC for 5 years and won 3 All Sports Trophies. How long has ASU been in the SBC? How many have they won?

Who has the better athletic department?

[BlueRaiderFan]

1. MTSU AND NT are last in softball.

2.where is NT baseball

3.NT, FAU, and MTSU finished at the bottom in football

4.i won't even mention FIU and FAU mens basketball

1 TROY ranked 29 in baseball and ULL usually rank in baseball and STATE beat ranked KENTUCKY and OLE MISS this year.

2. ULL tied for first in football with ASU and TROY gets big OCC wins in 2004.

3 ULL softball beats ranked teams.

4. ULL basketball finishes seconded in its division.

i just don't see where your comming from. you pick 2 teams that are one year from D1AA in football and FAU only plays one sport in the SUNBELT. i did say MTSU could be a part of the teams to help the belt, but they have to step up and play better under there new coach. come on give me something besides populations of cities.      

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Are you SERIOUS? Softball? GOOD GAWD. Who cares!? As far as football, yes we've under achieved, but we also beat the SEC East LEADING Vanderbilt Commodores last year when they had two SEC (That's SOUTH EASTERN CONFERENCE) wins under their belt and with a Top 10 NFL draft pick (Jay Cutler) at the helm at QB. Where is MT in baseball, doing pretty well most years considering our post season presence in the past decade? Women's B Ball? We've been to the tourney in women's b ball TWO of the last THREE years that we went to the NCAA tourney. That's THREE years in ROW. I could go on, but I think at this point you can see how ridiculous your argument is. ASU did well in the NO Bowl and made the conference look respectablel, but don't push your luck. ASU, MT, and every other university in the conference with maybe the exception of UNT is lucky to be here. UNT had/has a shot at a better conference in the future if they can keep their game up in football and get basketball going a bit.

[Seminole Indian]

State doesn't compete in anything on a national level. You're in a town with 6 people, and you're in arkansas.

More and more it looks like the same can be said about the U of A.

Not sure I agree with that part of your post about the populaton of Jonesboro, looked outside and it looks like there are more than six to me.

Not sure that the negatives associated with ASU's location, being in Arkansas, is not offset somewhat by other factors, like being one of only two 1A's in the State and being located in a region of the State that has always had a regional identity.

Those other schools you mentioned, while they are in great markets, have strong competition in those markets and that does dilute the advantage a little. They may insure that the SBC gets a better TV deal but the schools in the rural areas will benefit just as much from the coverage.

[go stAte]

Hey delusional statefan,

The Belt needs MT, UNT, and/or FAU or FIU,

State doesn't compete in anything on a national level. You're in a town with 6 people, and you're in arkansas.

MT, UNT, and FAU or FIU are all in top 30 national media markets.

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All of these towns are smaller markets than Jonesboro. Their universities are doing fine.

City Pop.

Oxford, MS 11,756

Clemson, SC 11,939

Starkville, MS 21,869

Stillwater, OK 39,065

Blacksburg, VA 39,573

Auburn, AL 42,987

Manhattan, KS 47,916

Ames, IA 50,731

[asuhatesme]

All of these towns are smaller markets than Jonesboro. Their universities are doing fine.

City                 Pop.

Oxford, MS                      11,756

Clemson, SC                    11,939

Starkville, MS                  21,869

Stillwater, OK                  39,065

Blacksburg, VA                39,573

Auburn, AL                      42,987

Manhattan, KS                  47,916

Ames, IA                        50,731

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They are also already in BCS conferences. The Waltons are behind a combination of Ark and Mizzou. I don't see Tyson on any buildings on ASU's campus, so where's your revenue coming from?

[UNTFan23]

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

All of these towns are smaller markets than Jonesboro. Their universities are doing fine.

City                 Pop.

Oxford, MS                      11,756

Clemson, SC                    11,939

Starkville, MS                  21,869

Stillwater, OK                  39,065

Blacksburg, VA                39,573

Auburn, AL                      42,987

Manhattan, KS                  47,916

Ames, IA                        50,731

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They may be in smaller cities than Jonesboro but not smaller markets. Jonesboro is the 179th largest market with around 90,000 households.

As examples...Oxford MS is in the Memphis marketing area whereas Jonesboro, which is a similar distance away is not because Oxford has no TV station. Clemson is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg marketing area which is roughly ten times the size of Jonesboro. Stillwater OK is in the Tulsa TV market; Blacksburg VA in Roanoke's, etc. The closest in size of those listed is probably Starksville which is in the Columbus-Tupelo marketing area that is still twice the size of Jonesboro.

Further, these are BCS schools which get a share of their conference's bigger pie.

************

The WAC is consider weaker than the MWC and C-USA even though their top two teams, Boise State and Fresno State, are arguably better than the best of either of those leagues. But, look at the bottom of their conference. San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State and Idaho are weaker than even teams of the Sun Belt Conference so they pull down the conference until they aren't that far ahead of us.

Which means that any four of us could win most of our out-of-conference games (which we have a snowball's chance in hell of doing) and still be at the bottom-rung if the other four fall flat. In other words, it's going to take seven or eight making strong OOC showings before the conference gets respected.

Now football gets the most ink and if football is good then the perception of the Sun Belt Conference will be good also. However, if basketball can achieve the status that baseball has (say a top eight conference), it would definitely help our conference.

[Seminole Indian]

They are also already in BCS conferences. The Waltons are behind a combination of Ark and Mizzou. I don't see Tyson on any buildings on ASU's campus, so where's your revenue coming from?

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ASU and all the SBC teams have a variety of revenue sources, as do all 1A programs, and as the SBC matures and the TV exposure and bowl tie-ins increase, the revenue opportunities will increase. Who knows the Waltons just might decide to support some SBC team.

The critical step to the future, as far as football was getting in position to met the new 1A requirements, which the SBC teams have, and matching schools that are similar when it comes to their level of play.

The problem in the SEC in football is you really have a top division of real BCS contenders like Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn, and I think eventually South Carolina, then a noticeable drop-off to the other programs. These smaller schools simply do not have the ability to hang with the upper group on a consistent basis and realistically just hope for enough wins to get an a bowl game. Over time the competitive gap between these two groups will increase.

Arkansas is the good example of a former football powerhouse that has no way of getting back to the top as long as it stays in the SEC. It just hope it can have a wining season again.

Edited April 23, 2006 by Seminole Indian

[asuhatesme]

ASU and all the SBC teams have a variety of revenue sources, as do all 1A programs, and as the SBC matures and the TV exposure and bowl tie-ins increase, the revenue opportunities will increase. Who knows the Waltons just might decide to support some SBC team.

The critical step to the future, as far as football was getting in position to met the new 1A requirements, which the SBC teams have, and matching schools that are similar when it comes to their level of play.

The problem in the SEC in football is you really have a top division of real BCS contenders like Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn, and I think eventually South Carolina, then a noticeable drop-off to the other programs. These smaller schools simply do not have the ability to hang with the upper group on a consistent basis and realistically just hope for enough wins to get an a bowl game. Over time the competitive gap between these two groups will increase.

Arkansas is the good example of a former football powerhouse that has no way of getting back to the top as long as it stays in the SEC. It just hope it can have a wining season again.

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Conference affiliation has nothing to do with it for Arkansas. The fact that they are in Fayetteville has everything to do with it.

The Hogs have some of the nicest facilities in the country. They are in one of the top 2 conferences in the country.

They are also in one of the thirty worst towns in the country.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Arkansas once recruited Texas especially East Texas very well for a large percent of their players... including Jinmmy Johnson. After leaving the SWC they were no longer a regular opponent of Texas colleges therefore East Texas was not been as easy to recruit from. That may not be the main reason they have declined but it is a big one. They just haven't been able to get top level coaches either... possibably for somewhat the same reason again.... it is difficult to recruit our of state players there and a new coach would realize that... no beaches, no winter sports, no big city nearby.....ie. no excitment except outside of school.

---In the short run it may mave been a smart move to leave... since the SWC has so much corruption in their programs and Arkansas and Texas (especially under Royal and Broyle ) seemed to stay with the rules. The conference also was not viewed that good anymore with several very weak teams...Rice, SMU, TCU....but long term it may have hurt them.... They would likely be a Big-XII team now instead of Baylor and that would have helped their recruiting area.

--Baylor obviously benefited from their departure.

[Seminole Indian]

---In the short run it may mave been a smart move to leave... since the SWC has so much corruption in their programs and Arkansas and Texas (especially under Royal and Broyle ) seemed to stay with the rules. The conference also was not viewed that good anymore with several very weak teams...Rice, SMU, TCU....but long term it may have hurt them.... They would likely be a Big-XII team now instead of Baylor and that would have helped their recruiting area.

--Baylor obviously benefited from their departure.

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Edited April 24, 2006 by Seminole Indian

[LongJim]

Conference affiliation has nothing to do with it for Arkansas.

Of course it does. Why would a blue-chipper from Houston--who could have his momma and daddy see him play on regional TV every weekend if Arkie had been in the B12--want to go to Fayettenam now? That was one of the ONLY "perks" their SWC affiliation afforded them. They also played roughly half of their schedule in Texas every year, as well. Now Arkie has no Texas-based games in order to recruit here. Texas HS football players couldn't care less about them. Arkansas committed recruiting suicide when they joined the SEC.

And now the aardvarks have to recruit against the east-coast SEC teams, and recruit the same areas. Not many Florida recruits want to go to Hooterville to play football, when they can just as easily pick Tallahassee, Tampa, Miami, SC, etc.

This is where you're right about Fayettenam being a drawback.

On topic: in the long run, these same factors are what work in UNT's favor, and hamper other SBC schools, IMO.

Edited April 24, 2006 by LongJim

[Seminole Indian]

Arkansas committed recruiting suicide when they joined the SEC.

IMO.

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Edited April 24, 2006 by Seminole Indian

[eulesseagle]

If any member in the SBC had a chance to jump to the MAC, WAC or CUSA would they? or would they have the loyalty to stay in the SBC?

I say if any member of the SBC had chance to jump they would do it in a New York minute without thinking twice or asking permission from the other schools.

Until Prince Charming comes along with the "glass slipper" then UNT along with the other "hillbilly" members of the SBC just have to wait, like "wall flowers," to be asked to dance. Until then we will all have to go to the "Sadie Hawkins" dance instead of the "big" ball.

[Seminole Indian]

If any member in the SBC had a chance to jump to the MAC, WAC or CUSA would they? or would they have the loyalty to stay in the SBC?

I say if any member of the SBC had chance to jump they would do it in a New York minute without thinking twice or asking permission from the other schools.

Until Prince Charming comes along with the  "glass slipper" then UNT along with the other "hillbilly" members of the SBC just have to wait, like "wall flowers," to be asked to dance.  Until then we will all have to go to the "Sadie Hawkins" dance instead of the "big" ball.

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Well, UNT (for sure), ULL and ASU all reportedly had opportunities to jump to the WAC recently but choose not too. Just did not add up.

Lets face it almost everyone feels that the WAC and even CUSA are unstable and I think UNT felt it was better to focus on spending it’s dollars on facilities improvements and upgrading it’s other sports. Football is not a problem and UNT wanted to invest its dollars in correcting the problems before the next opportunity comes around. A school like La Tech, who got trapped in the WAC, simply has not, is not, in a position to keep up with UNT, ASU or some other SBC schools in improving their infrastructure. That will be a problem when the chips began to fall.

Edited April 24, 2006 by Seminole Indian

[Guest ike]

sunbelt should be merged with wac or cusa...

more teams in one conference = power to do more and command more, a championship game, better bowls, tv, etc.

a nice big fat conference would also help UNT

[LongJim]

The demise of the SWC has helped UNT recruiting because Rice, and SMU simply do not have a built in recruiting advantage over UNT. The fact that Arkansas is having to go else where does mean that there are a few morequality players available to the other Texas schools after the big boys have gotten the ones they want.

It is ironic that ASU’s recent, although rather modest, football success is probably directly related to the influx of a lot of Texas players, especially on defense. The ability to recruit these players is really a result of being in the same conference with UNT.

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Very astute observations. I totally agree, and think that this also means that UNT needs to take advantage of this situation while they can.