Benson gives WKU the shaft

Harry · December 7, 2013

The Western Kentucky football team's bowl hopes took a major hit Monday.

The GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which was thought to be WKU's best shot at a postseason game, opted to take Arkansas State (7-5, 5-2 Sun Belt Conference) over the Hilltoppers (8-4, 4-3), despite the fact that WKU defeated Arkansas State on Saturday. With Louisiana-Lafayette going to the New Orleans Bowl, the SBC has filled bowl its bowl spots.

The four remaining Sun Belt teams that are bowl eligible Texas State, Louisiana-Monroe, Troy and Western Kentucky are now left to find an at-large invitation. Some bowls with conference tie-ins will need replacement teams because those conferences won't have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its slots.

"We're going to keep fighting until there's nothing left to fight for," WKU athletic director Todd Stewart said. "Shreveport (La., site of the Independence Bowl, Dec. 31) and Detroit (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26) have openings and we've been talking to them for quite some time and I talked to both of them today and obviously talked to them over the weekend. They know a lot about us and they know of our interest and we'll just see where it goes. We'll just keep working at it as long as we can."

According to Stewart, the GoDaddy Bowl chose Arkansas State for the matchup of the Sun Belt's second-place team against the runner-up from the Mid-American Conference. Despite beating Arkansas State 34-31 on Saturday, a game at which GoDaddy Bowl representatives were present, the Hilltoppers finished in third place behind the Red Wolves in the league standings.

Read more: http://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/wku/toppers-bowl-outlook-not-as-optimistic/article_2419378f-6628-507b-bc8a-f669947a2430.html?mode=jqm

PlummMeanGreen · December 7, 2013

Obviously, that was Karl Benson's going away gift to the HIlltoppers. So sad...

Edited December 7, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

UNT90 · December 7, 2013

Actually, the first and second place teams got both bowl bids.

Seems very fair to me.

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

So glad to be in CUSA. This is harsh but let's bring in UL and ASU to keep our bowl advantage over th SBC.

LakeTravis · December 7, 2013

Little Ceasers would make a lot of sense for WKU

Look at the BGSU crowd at MAC championship, good turnout.

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

So glad to be in CUSA. This is harsh but let's bring in UL and ASU to keep our bowl advantage over th SBC.

Yeah, because rejoining the Sun Belch is exactly what we need.

GrayEagle · December 7, 2013

I wouldn't blame this on Benson. The Bowl picks the participants. Regardless of how any of us feel, the Go Daddy Bowl picked the second-place team as they were supposed to. Another factor in A-State's favor is that they almost doubled WKU's average attendance which probably translates into "travels better".

I hope that the 'toppers get a bowl; they certainly deserve one. But, it's wrong to blame Benson for WKU not getting the GoDaddy nod.

greenminer · December 7, 2013

Yeah, because rejoining the Sun Belch is exactly what we need.

Don't let the overall perception of the Belt overshadow the fact that there are still some good teams in there.

It'll be interesting to see how the Belt pans out under Benson. He basically led the WAC to a slow, painful death.

EDIT: I would take ULL over Tulane in CUSA in a heartbeat, and I know I'm not alone.

Edited December 7, 2013 by greenminer

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

Don't let the overall perception of the Belt overshadow the fact that there are still some good teams in there.

It'll be interesting to see how the Belt pans out under Benson. He basically led the WAC to a slow, painful death.

EDIT: I would take ULL over Tulane in CUSA in a heartbeat, and I know I'm not alone.

The perception is exactly what we are trying to get away from...

oldguystudent · December 7, 2013

Karl Benson doesn't have the college football Midas touch. I like to say he has the Sadim touch... everything he touches turns to sh*t.

greenminer · December 7, 2013

The perception is exactly what we are trying to get away from...

And do you think bringing in one or two teams like ULL is going to bring in that perception? Are we so high and mighty about ourselves, MTSU and the FLorida schools that we think we didn't drag that perception with us....but any follow up from the Belt will?

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

And do you think bringing in one or two teams like ULL is going to bring in that perception? Are we so high and mighty about ourselves, MTSU and the FLorida schools that we think we didn't drag that perception with us....but any follow up from the Belt will?

We certainly did bring some of the perception with the Florida schools and MTSU...the only consolation with regard to MTSU is that they were the best overall program in the belt AND within a major metropolitan area. FIU and FAU were mediocre recent start ups in a metro area that cares less about their existence than DFW does about us. NT needs to minimize any connection we ever had to the Sun Belt and win football games. Let the rest of the teams in the SBC languish,

Edited December 7, 2013 by Mean Green Matt

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

We certainly did bring some of the perception with the Florida schools and MTSU...the only consolation with regard to MTSU is that they were the best overall program in the belt AND within a major metropolitan area. FIU and FAU were mediocre recent start ups in a metro area that cares less about their existence than DFW does about us. NT needs to minimize any connection we ever had to the Sun Belt and win football games. Let the rest of the teams in the SBC languish,

Take their best and let the rest languish. UL and ASU would improve the league, not diminish it. They should have been added instead of the F_U's.

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

Take their best and let the rest languish. UL and ASU would improve the league, not diminish it. They should have been added instead of the F_U's.

Maybe so, but they weren't. There's nothing in the Sun Belt right now that can help CUSA. We already have 14 teams for goodness sake.

shaft · December 7, 2013

For the record I'm a fan of that Big Red blobby, mascot thing they have, but I will not be going to WKU.

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

Maybe so, but they weren't. There's nothing in the Sun Belt right now that can help CUSA. We already have 14 teams for goodness sake.

True on the 14 teams but the best they have to offer are regional and CUSA will split at some point. There is a East/West rift already. The old CUSA model is dead. Hell, throw in Texas State. Admit it, MTSU as good as a program as they are mean nothing to us. A regional FBS conference works best for us. I say work work toward the inevitable. CUSA will add, just no more from the East like JMU. What is a JMU anyway?

shaft · December 7, 2013

Take their best and let the rest languish. UL and ASU would improve the league, not diminish it. They should have been added instead of the F_U's.

No they shouldn't have. Maybe you missed the news about the new bowls; Miami-beach, Boca Raton, and Bahamas.

Markets matter.

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

True on the 14 teams but the best they have to offer are regional and CUSA will split at some point. There is a East/West rift already. The old CUSA model is dead. Hell, throw in Texas State. Admit it, MTSU as good as a program as they are mean nothing to us. A regional FBS conference works best for us. I say work work toward the inevitable. CUSA will add, just no more from the East like JMU. What is a JMU anyway?

I don't disagree with that, but until that happens we need as much distance as possible from the Sun Belt. CUSA isn't falling apart enough to move toward that yet. I don't know much about James Madison, but the people complaining about the addition of ODU (which has decreased some) should realize they have at least 2-3 times as many season ticket holders as we do. For me, Texas State would be the first team I pulled out of the Sun Belt...you know, if the sky is falling and I had to pick one.

No they shouldn't have. Maybe you missed the news about the new bowls; Miami-beach, Boca Raton, and Bahamas.

Markets matter.

The Bahama bowl is about as useless as the Hawaii bowl.

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

No they shouldn't have. Maybe you missed the news about the new bowls; Miami-beach, Boca Raton, and Bahamas.
Markets matter.

Meh, we took La Tech and WKU so markets matter only somewhat. Lose those bowls and pick up more locals. Don't get me wrong, I am loving life in CUSA but a regional FBS is the ultimate outcome.

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

I don't disagree with that, but until that happens we need as much distance as possible from the Sun Belt. CUSA isn't falling apart enough to move toward that yet. I don't know much about James Madison, but the people complaining about the addition of ODU (which has decreased some) should realize they have at least 2-3 times as many season ticket holders as we do. For me, Texas State would be the first team I pulled out of the Sun Belt...you know, if the sky is falling and I had to pick one.

The Bahama bowl is about as useless as the Hawaii bowl.

I think taking their two best programs would further distance us from the SBC. Agree?

Mean Green Matt · December 7, 2013

I think taking their two best programs would further distance us from the SBC. Agree?

Not too beneficial if it damages the CUSA brand, right? The CUSA brand has been through enough. Let's just stay put for a bit.

GrayEagle · December 7, 2013

In the interest of market size FAU and FIU were taken; not because of their success on the field. Both were well under .500 for their short career. They also struggle at the gate. For their existence they've averaged less than 15,000 attendance per game. They should not have been added. Yes the conference might have lost some Florida recruits but I doubt that the conference as a whole would have noticed.

Middle Tennessee State has a football history of fielding teams that win more than they lose. They were in a large market. They should have been added before any Florida school. The only objection to many is that their name is too long and won't fit a marquee. Even dropping the 'State' doesn't shorten it enough to fit. I've never like four letter abbreviations so MTSU doesn't do it for me. So, I wish that they would take a page from Southern Mississippi and simply be called Middle Tenn. Maybe rename it as a single name for an early governor or significant college president. They also field competitive teams in all sports. Again, they belong.

Louisiana and Arkansas State ranked one and two in the conference in football and each averaged 25K attendance. Those would be near the top in CUSA. They've also been in the FBS for more than 25 years each. They should be entitiled to advance, just as we advanced.

There is no mechanism for kicking anyone out of the conference so the only way to strengthen the conference would be to raise it to 16, which may happen in time.

GreenFlag · December 7, 2013

Not sure how UL and ASU damages the CUSA brand since they would immediately be contenders. If we brought them the SBC goes back to a one bowl league. UL and ASU is a far cry from NMSU, Idaho, USA, and Troy. Good lord the SBC sucks going forward.