The Sun Belt commissioner offers up a frank discussion about several topics concerning the Sun Belt Conference.

(I've got a feeling Benson's phone line to the AD at Alabama-Birmingham is burning up.)

http://georgiastatesports.blog.ajc.com/ ... n-atlanta/

The last question asked what he's most proud to have overcome. He answered: "To reach 12 teams." Does this mean we have?

HeffnerIV wrote:The last question asked what he's most proud to have overcome. He answered: "To reach 12 teams." Does this mean we have?

This was the last question. The proud of question was above it.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve yet to overcome in the Sun Belt?

A: Getting to 12 teams.

firemoose wrote:

HeffnerIV wrote:The last question asked what he's most proud to have overcome. He answered: "To reach 12 teams." Does this mean we have?

This was the last question. The proud of question was above it.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve yet to overcome in the Sun Belt?

A: Getting to 12 teams.

Yeah, that's what I get for writing on message boards after midnight.

I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

I wager that if we finish 1st, 2nd, or maybe even 3rd, that we go to a bowl game. 1st is guaranteed isn't it?

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

Lord, don't get the Liberty haters stirred up again.

According to a person who has a vote in the every matter related to the Sun Belt, here's what is likely to happen:

As you already know, James Madison has no interest in playing in the Sun Belt.

Liberty is a non-starter, too. Liberty not only would be the only private school in the conference but also it would put all other Sun Belt schools at a significant financial disadvantage.

The school that currently has the most support is Alabama-Birmingham. Sun Belt officials are less concerned about getting to 12 football schools because the NCAA is more likely to move the mountain to the Big 12 (and Sun Belt) rather than move the Big 12 to the mountain. What is more important to Sun Belt officials (and spelled out well by Benson) is getting the conference to 12 basketball schools. Once that is done, the league can adopt an east-west format and move from 20 conference games to a more preferable 16. Sixteen, the theory goes, gives schools like App State more flexibility in bringing better non-conferences teams to Boone. It also reduces travel, which, as we all know, is a huge issue with a conference as wide spread as the Sun Belt. And, although Birmingham is a coveted market, Conference USA is eager to drop to 12 schools (fewer mouths to feed).

NewApp wrote:

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

Lord, don't get the Liberty haters stirred up again.

Or the Liberty supporters.

ASUMountaineer wrote:

NewApp wrote:

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

Lord, don't get the Liberty haters stirred up again.

Or the Liberty supporters.

For good or bad, there are precious few Liberty supporters on the MMB.

NewApp wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

NewApp wrote:

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

Lord, don't get the Liberty haters stirred up again.

Or the Liberty supporters.

For good or bad, there are precious few Liberty supporters on the MMB.

Sometimes a minority can be very vocal. At least they have been on the SBC board.

ASUMountaineer wrote:

NewApp wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

NewApp wrote:

spong wrote:I'm just glad to be in a conference where the commissioner is willing to acknowledge issues we are having. i.e. our conference travel is very difficult and if we win a lot of football games there is still a good chance we won't be going to a bowl game. This is more than what we could say about other commissioners we've had to deal with.

Our problem with conference realignment isn't that he doesn't want to expand it is that the ADs can't agree on a school. Really ADs having Liberty in your conference is way better than the current travel.

Lord, don't get the Liberty haters stirred up again.

Or the Liberty supporters.

For good or bad, there are precious few Liberty supporters on the MMB.

Sometimes a minority can be very vocal. At least they have been on the SBC board.

True, but the anti-Liberty crowd shouted them down 10 fold on here and the old Delphi board.

I don't know if shout is the correct word. I don't mind stating my objections and will do so again if I feel a need to do so. And you can certainly name me personally in the anti-Liberty crowd but I do object to the implication, inference, or direct statement that I shouted even with a virtual ALL CAPS shout.

McLeansvilleAppFan wrote:I don't know if shout is the correct word. I don't mind stating my objections and will do so again if I feel a need to do so. And you can certainly name me personally in the anti-Liberty crowd but I do object to the implication, inference, or direct statement that I shouted even with a virtual ALL CAPS shout.

I don't know what you are talking about as I don't recall which posters were against Liberty. All I know is that there were more against anything Liberty stands/stood for than those who supported them in any way shape or form.

FTR "shout" as I intended was just a figure of speech. As to all caps, I never bought into the nonsense that all caps means shouting.

I have a feeling UNCG might be a dark horse if UAB doesn't work out.

For them they are the odd duck now in the SoCon as the last team without football. A few years ago there were rumors about them trying to get into the CAA. The Sun belt has comparable basketball to the CAA. having a home game every season against us and against Georgia State will do a better job filling up the Greensboro Coliseum than Samford does.

For the conference, they would be a good travel partner for us. Their profile is similar to the other non-football schools in the conference. We could have ESPN3 games at the Greensboro Coliseum and the potential for having a championship tournament at the ACC headquarters would spark Carl Benson's interests (he's seems very ambitious when it comes to the tournament). They also have men's soccer to help the conference's young soccer league.

I thought the only reason to take another school is so we can have a Sun Belt championship football game? Why would we take another non-football playing school?

AppAttack wrote:I thought the only reason to take another school is so we can have a Sun Belt championship football game? Why would we take another non-football playing school?

Benson seems convinced that eventually the NCAA will waive the mandatory 12 for a championship game. That's good for us because it leaves more money for us. Having the G for all other sports gives us a travel partner and divisions which will cut down on travel. Plus, we can then dump this ridiculous 20 game conference schedule. Others can point out the negatives but I like it!

Seems simple to me. Add either UAB or as a back up UNCG. Either way, the Sunbelt is strengtened by adding an attractive basketball school and market in the footprint. Boot Idaho and NMSU, they simply don't fit, and go to a 9 team football conference with a round robin format, true football conference champion crowned, 4 home, 4 away gives more OOC options for various schools. What's not to like? Do we really want to sell out to have a football conference championship game that will probably end up being televised on a Thursday night on ESPNU with 15-20K people there? I don't think so.

So I guess we'd have 11 with no divisions and the top two in the standings play in the championship game? We need 12 with two divisions.

I'd love to have the G for selfish reasons -- I live there!

I like 9 for football -- play everybody -- or 12 -- nothing in-between!