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NEW SUNBELT MEMBER

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Looks as though the SBC will have a new member next year. On Nov. 2nd the board of regents at Western Kentucky will vote on the move to 1-A with the team expected to join the SBC although the MAC is also showing interest. They are already members of the SBC in most other sports and the school and program want to make the move in football. We will have to keep our eyes open over the next few weeks. GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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NEW SUNBELT MEMBER

That could be good for us owlfan, depending on how much longer you will be in Carbondale. That will be the closest away game for us. I just mapquested it. A little over 5 hours for me.

Now, all the teams play all the teams. Will that remain the same?

FAU - THE REAL SLEEPING GIANT
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NEW SUNBELT MEMBER

NEW SUNBELT MEMBER

It does balance the conference out with 8 teams, if it happens will the coference be split into two seperate east and west divisions? It will interesting how the scheduling will be handled.
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Unless the conference grows to 10 or 12 members, I don't see a reason for having two divisions. It just doesn't make sense to have two 4 team divisions in a conference. I think the addition of Western Kentucky will bring a lot of tradition to the SunBelt and it will also make the conference more competetive. GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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NEW SUNBELT MEMBER

In all likelihood, WKU will join the SBC for all sports after their Board votes on November 2nd. They are always among the strongest programs in the SBC and football should also be competitive. When they join there will be 12 all-sports members (football teams, USA, Denver, and UNO) and nine football members.

With nine members we will have four I-A conference home games each year, which is the key. Remember, one requirement for staying I-A is to have five I-A home games each season. Our 2-for-1 contracts will take care of the remaining game.

Once this happens it is unlikely further expansion will occur unless Denver finds a new home. The conference would have a great balance for scheduling in all sports and seems to be trying to improve the programs of existing members.
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WKU would be good. But Southern Illinois would be interesting, too, if it took football back to I-A. That's a huge university, and in a football-rich area, Southern Illinois. Historically, SIU has been strong in basketball (again, Southern Illinois is a talent-rich area), too.

Besides, as I learned many years ago at a summer workshop I attended there, a very old cannon sits in a prominent spot near an early building (called 'Old Main,' I think). The cannon has been painted many times by this fraternity or that over the years. Campus legend is that a cannon ball is automatically fired every time a virgin walks past the cannon – and it hasn't fired since 1901. How can you go against a school such as that? I think it should be enthusiastically welcomed.
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SIU would be a great addition, but it won't happen. SIU is staying put, although a new stadium is in the mix. The program has great tradition with 3 straight conference championships and three straight playoff appearances. It is a school of about 22,000 in football country. SIU has great fan support. I could go on and on about SIU. We lost a tough one to Western Kentucky last night which might keep us out of the playoffs this year unless we win out. GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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It's doubtful new members other than WKU will be considered unless it looks like a team will leave. The SBC doesn't seem interested in expanding for expansion's sake anymore. However, if another wave of realignment hits anything could happen.
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There is absolutely no talk of SIU moving to the SBC. SIU is very happy at the 1-AA level. The only team that is planning a move is Western Kentucky. GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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Adding WKU will definitely be good for the conference, especially football. But I'm still unclear, will we play every SBC team each season?

4 SBC home games
4 SBC road games
4 non-conference games… right?

Makes sense. Plus it should alleviate any problems like last year, having teams win the conference but not be bowl elligible because they don't have 6 wins.

President of the No Homers Club. Keepin' it real since 2001.
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