Sun Belt to 9 teams in '07 ?

[MeanGreen61]

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=113064

Good news for BCS heavyweights: The Sun Belt likely will expand to nine teams in 2007, which would give the BCS boys yet another rent-a-win opponent. The league wants a ninth team--likely I-AA Western Kentucky, which is contemplating a move to I-A--for scheduling purposes (four home games, four road games). . . .

From a thread on the WKU board:

"Actually, things are getting underway in September and to be finalized October 3rd, one way or another. Now you have a specific date to look forward to."

True or false ? Time will tell.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

I hope this is true. This may not be great news for Mean Green fans but if WKU joins it is definately good news for the Sun Belt. That will add a great rivalry to the region.

[HawaiianGreen]

What kind of 1aa team does W. Ken. have?

[Raider_ATO]

What kind of 1aa team does W. Ken. have?

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They were the 2002 1-AA champions. This past season they didn't do so well (6-5) but made it to the playoffs the 5 years before.

It will be a great rivalry game for MT. It's only logical for them to make the move. For their own sake in the conference, and the conference's sake. They are expanding their stadium this year also. It seems that this is somewhat credible talk compared to the previous rumors about WKU making the jump.

I'm not letting myself get excited though. You never know with WKU.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---What is their enrollment....and in what town/city are they located? I realize that they are a Sunbelt basketball member but are they very small like Rice or rather large like Texas State (27,000?) which is located between two large cities, San Antonio and Austin..

[the green rokemi]

great, another regional team

[Raider_ATO]

---What is their enrollment....and in what town/city are they located?  I realize that they are a Sunbelt basketball member but are they very small like Rice or rather large like Texas State (27,000?) which is located between two large cities, San Antonio and Austin..

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-Bowling Green, Kentucky (an hour drive north of Nashville on I-65).

-18,525 enrolled.

-3:2 Female:Male ratio.

-Top 10 winningest basketball program in the history of the NCAA.

I guess we can't add another regional university though. I mean, they can't possibly do well in SBC football. Just look at UNT's SBC football history. Also, as much as I'd like a balanced schedule, I couldn't stand it being against a school with a direction in their name.

[MeanGreen61]

---What is their enrollment....and in what town/city are they located?  I realize that they are a Sunbelt basketball member but are they very small like Rice or rather large like Texas State (27,000?) which is located between two large cities, San Antonio and Austin..

←

0'4-'05 info shows 18,485 enrollment, $35,000,000 stadium renovation/expansion underway and with a $14,650,000 athletic budget.

[SilverEagle]

I'd rather have Texas State in the SBC.

[BlueRaiderPride]

I hope this is true.  This may not be great news for Mean Green fans but if WKU joins it is definately good news for the Sun Belt.  That will add a great rivalry to the region.

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They just gave their coach an enormous pay raise and extension with a clause that includes moving the program to Division 1-A within the next year or so.

[ArlingtonMeanGreen]

They just gave their coach an enormous pay raise and extension with a clause that includes moving the program to Division 1-A within the next year or so.

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Yea Bowling Green, That is where the GREAT CORVETTE is built

[Spaceraider]

I hope this is true.  This may not be great news for Mean Green fans but if WKU joins it is definately good news for the Sun Belt.  That will add a great rivalry to the region.

←

If this is true, it does provide another instant rival for Middle Tennessee. There's no love lost between the two. It will definitely get more attention in the Nashville media than say a MT - UL Monroe game. It'll help attendance for the host school when both play each other. It certainly does when we play in basketball.

One question I have is if wku does announce this fall they want to compete in the Belt in 2007 - is that possible and if it is should the Sun Belt go out of the way to accomodate wku in their 2007 schedules on such short notice. I remember how doing the same for utah state really screwed a lot of conference fb schedules.

BTW, wku was picked to finish fifth in the 1aa gateway league.

[MeanGreen61]

I'd rather have Texas State in the SBC.

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Texas State seems to be running in neutral reluctant to make a committment to move to 1A. Per conference rules, WKU is automatically accepted if they move to 1A because of their current membership in all other sports.

Edited July 31, 2006 by MeanGreen61

[eeally]

Honestly I don't like to keep a man down but we do not need Texas State entering Div 1 right now. They are a sleeping giant like us and we need to separate ourselves with a new stadium and a baseball program before Texas State makes a jump.

Texas State seems like a nice addition to the Conf USA mix....

[MeanGreen61]

Interesting sidenote.

Notre Dame quarterback transfers & picks WKU over TCU. Hmmm. Eligible immediately but using a redshirt year.

Wolke transferring to Western Kentucky

By STEVE HEATH

sheath@dnj.com

Family and football are two very important things to David Wolke, and ultimately, the reasons he chose Western Kentucky over Texas Christian Sunday.

The former Smyrna star quarterback, who played behind Notre Dame Heisman trophy candidate Brady Quinn for two years before deciding to transfer last month, said the "family atmosphere and the program's coaching staff" were the main reasons he chose the I-AA school in Bowling Green, Ky., over the I-A defending champions of the Mountain West Conference.

Wolke, though immediately eligible at Western Kentucky, will use his redshirt season this year and have two more seasons of eligibility remaining. He had requested a redshirt season to get a master's degree.

FULL ARTICLE

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../607310321/1006