ADs at Troy, South Alabama approve of Sun Belt additions

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The athletic directors at USA and Troy say they support the additions of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern to the league and the direction the league has taken to produce what could be a championship game in football.

"I think they are great additions,'' Troy AD John Hartwell said. "Somebody without knowledge may say you're grasping or settling to bring up a couple of FCS schools, but if you delve and look into it, look at the history and success of those two institutions, especially as it relates to football, it's very rich. If you look at their budgets and look at football average attendance, certainly Appalachian State will step right in among the league leaders in average attendance. I know Georgia Southern doesn't average quite as much, but they are getting ready to put a significant investment into their football facility to upgrade it and add seating.

"And from a geographical standpoint they make a lot of sense, maybe as much if not more for Troy than anybody else in the league because of their geographical location to us. Back in the I-AA days of Troy, we've done battle with these teams before.''

South Alabama AD Joel Erdmann said he welcomes the two teams to the fold as well.

Read more: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/03/ads_at_troy_south_alabama_appr.html