May Ask The Commissioner

MeanGreen61 · May 1, 2006

Tommy:

Why have you not gone after a second bowl game, it appears that with the NCAA expand the bowl opportunities the Sun Belt was left out?

Commissioner Waters:

Tommy, it is a close call and we certainly recognize the potential recruiting issues. The answer is somewhere between financial resources and competitive incentive. Financially, the bowls you are describing are really no-risk ventures for the sponsoring agencies. Conferences are guaranteeing $35-550K to the agency regardless if they have a team that qualifies or not. That is a pretty big leap in faith for us considering that in five years, only three times have we had a second team qualify (MTSU, Troy and ULL) and once there was an opportunity available (Troy in Silicon Valley). We receive roughly a million dollars each year from the BCS and we use that money to supplement our TV package in all sports, (football, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball ( other sports are broadcast over the Sun Belt Network on the Internet). So, to operate a second bowl would require us to eliminate 10 to 15 productions. Not sure that is a good idea.

From a competitive stand point, last season was really the first season where we got the impact we wanted from our football race. We went to the next to last weekend with seven teams still having an impact and interest on who would go to New Orleans Bowls. The last week we had four teams still playing a role in that decision. So by having one game, it ups the stakes for winning the championship and that creates interest on campus. Now did I enjoy, not being able to place ULL? Absolutely not, but I appreciate the fact that they come back this year with a resolve to win the game out right and take charge of there own destiny.

The third factor, is the number and location of bowls. I believe that we will see the trend of last year continue, and we will see more conferences not able to fulfill their contractual obligations and thus be in need of teams with winning records (seven or more wins)and teams that travel well. What can fans do to help their team? Buy tickets and travel with your team. Not only is it fun, it makes a difference when that bowl director says. “How many tickets can you guarantee?”

MAY Q&A'S

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UNTLifer · May 1, 2006

T.J.: With Louisiana - Monroe joining the conference next year in baseball are the other nine schools still going to be in also. Are any other schools joining?

Commissioner Waters: TJ, ULM and FAU will take the league to 11 and the later addition of UNT will put us at 12. Now, let me tell you that any time you start playing a double elimination tournament with more than 8 teams, it is no longer a tournament, it is marathon. So if we go to a format in the future that is more inclusive than eight teams, it will probably look something like the NCAA format over two weekends.