[LUaddict]

I am hearing that the Sun Belt might be visiting the campus next week.

Source?

Source? What is this a research paper?

I was just asking, some people like to make stuff up. I'm not saying he is making it up, just wondering who his source is.I'm not sure who's source to believe now a days.

I was just wondering if be was well connected alum, if he works in the athletic dept, or if he works at the university. The source that is!

[Purple Haize]

Wiki alignment.com

[Liberty22]

Wiki alignment.com

Next time use proper APA format

[Kricket]

Forgive my ignorance, but who is included in the group that might be visiting?

Probably Benson and his associates.

(just a guess, that's how it's been before)

Thanks. I figured as much, but I was just hoping it'd include some of the presidents, because it seems that they're the ones who need convincing.

[Sly Fox]

The Flames Nation guys aren't the only ones submitting FOI requests. The local fishwrap in San Marcos submitted one to Texas State officials.

E-mails shine light on coach search, SBC’s future
Submitted by admin on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 1:51pm

By Randy Stevens — Sports Editor

Three days after the dismissal of former Texas State head men’s basketball coach Doug Davalos, the San Marcos Daily Record placed an Open Record request, seeking all e-mail correspondences from Director of Athletics Larry Teis regarding coaching candidates, conference realignment and Sun Belt expansion.

Transcripts indicated plenty of interest in men’s head coach position which was recently filled with the hiring of Danny Kaspar, and also provided a glimpse of the Sun Belt Conference’s strategies for future expansion.

Click Here for Full Story ($$$)

Since the story is for subscribers only, one of the posters on the Texas State board posted a brief summary:

Summed up...

14 coaches applied for the MBB job.

Benson has talked with Delaware, Jacksonville State, Illinois State, Indiana State, James Madison, Missouri State, Lamar, Liberty, Richmond, Sam Houston State, Tennessee-Chatanooga and Towson about future SBC membership.

Click Here for Thread

[Liberty22]

First, wow at some of the schools listed. I guess he is doing due diligence though. Second, it irritates me when fans of schools like Texas St., South Alabama, Georgia St., etc. are complaining about FCS schools moving up to be in a conference with them. I mean seriously, your schools were FCS literally 2-3 years ago, you are not elite, stop it, someone smack them..

[LUaddict]

Conference Expansion Update!

@Brent Thiobdeaux
#SunBelt update: Top two still #JMU & Liberty. #JaxState down the list. Missouri State is on the long term list, not for 2014. #MSUBears

[TH Spangler]

Well, they are mostly mad about us haha.

Do you think Liberty should be invited Duke?

[LUaddict]

Article from the Virginia Pilot about ODU lobbying for JMU for CUSA in in more depth than the previous article mentioned.

ODU eyes JMU for potential future Conference USA invite.

By Harry Minium The Virginian-Pilot © April 11, 2013 NORFOLK

Old Dominion athletic director Wood Selig says he's been encouraging Conference USA officials to invite James Madison to join the league, a possibility that seems more plausible now than even a few weeks ago.

C-USA commissioner Britt Banowsky told CBS Sports on Monday the league is considering expanding by two to 16 schools in 2014.
"We've modeled it at 16, and it does kind of create some divisions that are a little more geographically connected," Banowsky said. "I think, personally, a larger conference is better because you get some efficiencies."

Media reports have indicated that Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette from the Sun Belt Conference are the most likely C-USA expansion candidates. However, Selig said he supports expansion only if it results in at least one more member from the Southeast. JMU is the only likely candidate from this region.

JMU officials also appear more open to leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

JMU officials said they were committed to the CAA last year when ODU and Georgia State announced they were leaving to move up to FBS and Virginia Commonwealth exited for the Atlantic 10.
But after the recent announcement that George Mason was also leaving for the A-10, JMU officials announced they had hired a consultant to assist in creating a "comprehensive strategic plan" for JMU's athletic future.

The consultant's report isn't expected to be finished until this summer.
"I'm not going to pretend that I know what's best for JMU," Selig said. "This is an issue for JMU's leadership to decide. But from the outside looking in, they appear to have everything that an institution needs to be successful in FBS.
"When I've been asked by other athletic directors within Conference USA about James Madison, I have been very supportive of JMU. They've been casual conversations. A lot of people in Conference USA don't know a lot about JMU. As we continue to try and add a presence in the southeast in Conference USA, JMU seems like a natural."

Media reports have indicated that the Sun Belt is recruiting JMU. However, C-USA would be more financially lucrative and offers JMU more regional rivals than the Sun Belt, which has lost four members to Conference USA.

C-USA paid about $1.17 million in television revenue last year to each school, compared to $40,000 for the Sun Belt, Western Kentucky officials said when they recently announced they were jumping leagues. C-USA would also offer JMU three rivals within a 4-1/2-hour drive: ODU, Marshall and UNC Charlotte.

C-USA has generally sought large TV markets for expansion, but recently made an exception when it invited Western Kentucky, which was added in large part to strengthen men's and women's basketball.

Selig said JMU doesn't have a large TV market, but has much more that C-USA officials would find attractive, including a 25,000-seat football stadium that recently underwent a $62.5 million renovation and expansion.

JMU has been ODU's athletic rival dating to 1971, when the schools played their first basketball game. ODU has played JMU only twice in football, but the games both drew large, loud crowds.
JMU coach Mickey Matthews said even before the schools played, the rivalry was the most intense on his schedule.

"I hate to say hate because I don't hate anyone," Matthews said last year. "But there's a strong dislike on both sides of the river among the ODU crowd and the JMU crowd."
Selig said if JMU remains in the CAA or jumps to the Sun Belt or Mid-American Conference, he hopes ODU will play the Dukes in football and men's basketball.
JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne did not return an email seeking comment Wednesday.

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/04/odu-eye ... usa-invite


C-USA could make an exception in regards markets additions of schools for JMU just like they did for WKU hoops. Lets hope they CUSA adds JMU and we get to go to the SBC.

[SumItUp]

Well, they are mostly mad about us haha.

Do you think Liberty should be invited Duke?

should, could, or will?

[bluedevilflame]

CUSA is a better fit for JMU anyway, I'm ready for their invite to come so we can go ahead up to the Sun Belt

[TH Spangler]

Well, they are mostly mad about us haha.

Do you think Liberty should be invited Duke?

should, could, or will?

should?

[Blessed1]

Nothing earth-shattering, but still news... Sounds like the writer needs some lessons about writing a un-biased piece.

Sun Belt acknowledges talking to Liberty

Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said he has had conversations with Liberty regarding their interest in joining the Sun Belt.

He declined to provide any details of their conversations.

The Sun Belt, Georgia State’s home conference officially on July 1, currently has 11 football-playing schools. The conference reached 12 with the recent additions of Georgia Southern and Appalachian State in all sports, and Idaho and New Mexico State in football only. However, Western Kentucky then announced that it was leaving the Sun Belt to join Conference USA.

The Sun Belt is trying to solve two issues: reaching 12 football-playing members so that it can host a championship game in 2014, and trying to have 12 basketball-playing members. Adding New Mexico State in all sports, for example, would solve the basketball issue, but wouldn’t solve the football issue.

Adding Liberty – again not a done deal and based upon the wording of Benson's answer, perhaps a one-sided conversation -- would solve both.

I mentioned James Madison as a school the Sun Belt was interested in adding a few weeks ago. It appears that the Dukes aren’t ready to declare their FBS intentions, and won’t be by the NCAA’s annual deadline of June 1. Benson again declined to comment.

The Flames, located in Lynchburg, Va., have been interested in joining an FBS league for the past two years. Liberty athletic director Jeff Barber said on April 2 that he was in talks with the Sun Belt.
Liberty, currently a member of the Big South Conference, would bring renovated facilities that I’m told are as good as anyone on the mid-major level. I’ve been told they are comparable to Appalachian State’s facilities. (I haven’t been there so I have no first-hand knowledge).

In football, the Flames won the Big South in 2007 and ’08.

In men’s basketball, the Flames have reached the NCAA tournament three times.

In baseball, the Flames have reached the NCAA tournament three times.

The downside is the potential addition of Liberty doesn’t bring a rivalry with any of the Sun Belt’s schools. Also, the school was started by Jerry Falwell, which could bring issues that I’ll leave up to you to debate.

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/georgia-stat ... g-liberty/

[rmiller1959]

Nothing earth-shattering, but still news... Sounds like the writer needs some lessons about writing a un-biased piece.

Not a bad piece. If the last sentence is what qualifies the article as biased, I'll take it. Our founder and our engagement in the public square are issues for some, and I'm OK with that. I look forward to a visit from their officials because I think our facilities and the growth on this campus will blow their minds.

[bluedevilflame]

Nice subtle stab at Jerry at the end there

[Blessed1]

Nice subtle stab at Jerry at the end there

You noticed that too, huh? I know he's a Georgia State beat writer, but there are certain levels of journalism a writer must uphold. Since he's passing on information, he cannot go by the opinions of others unless he had the opportunity to talk to the other side too. Just saying...

[Liberty22]

Ah the good ole days when reporters/journalists just did their jobs...

[Kricket]

I like the lone comment on that article that all of the teams from the SoCon and Big South will soon be in the Sun Belt. Big South?

[Purple Haize]

Well, they are mostly mad about us haha.

Do you think Liberty should be invited Duke?

Do I think the Sun Belt should invite us? Or do I think liberty should accept the invite?

Yes and yes. I am obviously biased, but I believe we would be a great fit for Sun Belt or Conference USA. We also need to take whatever we can get at this point. The Sun belt with App State, JMU, Ga State, and GA southern provides some good regional games. C-USA with Charlotte and ODU would do the same.

Which is what the Dark Side has advocated from Day 1.

[Purple Haize]

I would also like to add that moving to either of these conferences will not increase our national profile much until we are winning the conference. I'm pro any FBS, but it isn't a quick path to national prominence. This is just the very, very beginning.

What??! We will be playing in a BCS Bowl inside of 3 years !

[Kalel]

Sorry to post and disappear! Been in Augusta all day for the first round of the Master's. great day! Can't reveal my source of the SBC visit next week...like my job too much! But it is credible, very credible.

[ATrain]

I would also like to add that moving to either of these conferences will not increase our national profile much until we are winning the conference. I'm pro any FBS, but it isn't a quick path to national prominence. This is just the very, very beginning.

What??! We will be winning a BCS Bowl inside of 3 years !

FTFY

[LUGrad2000]

Sorry to post and disappear! Been in Augusta all day for the first round of the Master's. great day! Can't reveal my source of the SBC visit next week...like my job too much! But it is credible, very credible.

The Master's is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Plentiful free parking. $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches. The most beautiful course in the world. No cell phones! The most knowledgeable golf patrons. Everywhere you look, you are reminded of the great moments that have happened there.

Btw. Thanks for the info.

[TH Spangler]

I would also like to add that moving to either of these conferences will not increase our national profile much until we are winning the conference. I'm pro any FBS, but it isn't a quick path to national prominence. This is just the very, very beginning.

What??! We will be playing in a BCS Bowl inside of 3 years !

Don't be a doubting Thomas

[Purple Haize]

I would also like to add that moving to either of these conferences will not increase our national profile much until we are winning the conference. I'm pro any FBS, but it isn't a quick path to national prominence. This is just the very, very beginning.

What??! We will be winning a BCS Bowl inside of 3 years !

FTFY

This is why you are strong in the Dark Side