Talon said

Thats been flying around for a couple of years now nolejc1

True; every year about this time the WKU to the MAC rumor resurfaces. It is right up there with the La Tech to the CUSA rumor, the Memphis to the Big East rumor, the Boise State to the MWC rumor, etc.

It is a slow time of the football year so . . .

From a traveling standpoint none of the INDY's will qualify. The service teams will have a huge following and of course ND have their own College Format/Set-up with NBC.

If we concentrate on getting some wins in over the Mid major teams within the next few years, I really feel that type of move would help us a lot. But we probably will stick with the top of the line OOC games for awhile.

I agree O.G. and in all honesty I think the Belt is going to hold fast with the exception of WKU and LA Tech if they do anything. So, "what we have is what we got" at least for the next couple of years. My opinion only, so make the best out of what you have and pull a few surprises from time to time and who knows.

With the SBC conference being so young and loaded with former 1-AA team, plus with so many changes in a short period of time, IMO we need to stick with what we do have now and let the conference develop.

Right now the conference is a wide open race every year, which is very good in helping the conference develop. Let see where we are as a conference in 5 years and then we can consider bring another team in, unless you can bring an established team with-in the conference. Another 1-AA team will not help with the image we are now trying to shed.

I agree Bytor a 1-AA team isn't going to do much but I do believe that WKU would only because they are in the conference in all other5r sports. Now I also believed that a lower end BCS team as was mentioned before would help and I'm not talking the bottom of the barrel but a team that rattles the door every so often.

BMarkey said

If WKU wanted to join, fine. It's already a member.

For a lot of reasons, WKU seems to be the only reasonable option right now. It's not likely that a football-only member will be added. Adding another all-sports member would upset the scheudling balance in the other sports. The best option, in terms of scheduling and dividing the revenue in other sports, is for WKU to move their football program to I-A.

nolejc1 said

Who would you like to see.Theres plenty of options like Georgia So.,Texas State,Western Kentucky,and others.

Count out Georgia Southern. They're AD is stupid enough to believe that their school mush have a budget somewhere around $30 million before jumping to 1-A. Problem is that no school in the history of 1-AA has ever had a budget that large without going 1-A. Therefore, we can conclude that if that is a priority for the move, Georgia Southern will NEVER join 1-A.

Texas State is more likely.

Even more likely than them is Appalachian State which is expanding it's stadium and is working on a feasibility study.

Western Kentucky is almost a sure-fire bet. If they jump to 1-A in football, which I believe they will announce on June 30th, they will join the Sun Belt because their other sports are there, AND they don't have unanimous support of MAC presidents to get there.

Interesting points BlueRaider, the MAC has been a bit wishywashy with them.

I got another one for you guys what are the chances of the Belt merging with the Big East or C-USA.

Maybe the CUSA yeah but the BE no.In the next couple of years I think that the BE will kick ND out unless they join football.Once they kick ND out they will add ECU,UCF,or Memphis.

Here's the word on Southern Illinois straight out of Carbondale, home of the fighting Salukis. S. Illinois was 1-A until I believe 1983. They dropped to 1-AA and won a national title in 1984. We are not that far north, only 4 hours from Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State. The team has had great success in the last 4 years due to coach Kill. Prior to that, SIU was a perennial bottom dweller. The school boasts an enrollment of over 25,000 however, the stadium only holds about 12,000 and most games draw between 8,000 and 10,000 fans. A new stadium is in the planning stages, but it is only expected to seat about 15,000 fans. While there has been some mention of SIU making the move to 1-A, it most likely won't happen. I would like to see it, but it probably won't be in the near future. GO OWLS!!!