[PAmedic]

new website. whoo.

Sun Belt Conference ‏@The_Sun_Belt 21h

A small preview for our re-designed new website, which will debut tomorrow! #FunBelt http://ow.ly/i/4lzXF

Sun Belt Conference ‏@The_Sun_Belt 10h

Good morning fans, check out the new http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ live NOW! #FunBelt pic.twitter.com/nMhfwZOWeH

I'm sure everyone is rushing to check it out.

[Liberty22]

but they hash tagged funbelt so I bet there are tons of people checking out the F.U.N.

[VAGolf]

[youtube]

[/youtube]

Also, they featured this promo video.

[Sly Fox]

Take this for what it is worth ...

[flamehunter]

Interesting that Coach Gill is a follower.

[jcmanson]

Gill follows anyone that follows him.

[Sly Fox]

The reports are being roundly ridiculed on the Sun Belt boards as expected. But where there is smoke there could be a few sparks.

[GillsHill2013]

or a powdered fart

[LUconn]

Man, I thought Gill and I were friends.

[Sly Fox]

Tough way to have it broken to you, LUconn. Harsh.

Yeah, the guy who posted this doesn't exactly have a stellar track record of scoops. But who knows?

[flameshaw]

I read somewhere that a couple of days ago, JB confirmed he had been on the phone with the SBC the night before. I believe it was a newspaper article, but can't be certain. I don't have the link any longer. Basically said now that JMU is not interested in anything immediate, we were #1 in line. I will get excited when I see something official.

[Chris Lang]

It may be breaking that sources are saying they're having renewed conversation, but it's already on the record from both Benson and Barber that conversations have occurred in the past. Anyway, there's no doubt that the conversations have continued between the two sides. It's a matter of getting the presidents in the Sun Belt on board. That's been the case for some time now.

[Purple Haize]

Barber: Hey, I was just calling cause I saw you guys still had an opening
Benson: I thought I changed this number
Barber: you did but I know people. So is it true? Do you guys still have an opening?
Benson: Yeah....about that....umm...
Barber: Well if you do I think I know someone who may be interested
Benson: Look Jeff...
Barber: Well let's just say its a 'friend of mine'
Benson: Would this be the same friend who got you my new unlisted and encrypted phone number?
Barber: I can neither confirm nor deny that
Benson: Well great talking to you again
Barber: So can I give my friend this number
Benson: Sure
20 minutes later...
Barber: *ring*ring*ring*ring
Operator: I'm sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service....

[michaeleyou]

I read somewhere that a couple of days ago, JB confirmed he had been on the phone with the SBC the night before. I believe it was a newspaper article, but can't be certain. I don't have the link any longer. Basically said now that JMU is not interested in anything immediate, we were #1 in line. I will get excited when I see something official.

I saw that too. Someone had posted it on Facebook as current news. But upon closer inspection, I saw that it was actually an article from April.

[flamesfilmguy]

I read somewhere that a couple of days ago, JB confirmed he had been on the phone with the SBC the night before. I believe it was a newspaper article, but can't be certain. I don't have the link any longer. Basically said now that JMU is not interested in anything immediate, we were #1 in line. I will get excited when I see something official.

I saw that too. Someone had posted it on Facebook as current news. But upon closer inspection, I saw that it was actually an article from April.

it was in the flames football alumni facebook page by Paul rutigliano. I saw it too and freaked then saw when the article was written lol

[Cider Jim]

Should have taken our Quiz Bowl team down to Sun Belt country.

[TH Spangler]

Sun Belt led the way among non-BCS leagues
Appalachian State’s new league generated about $4 million in bowl money

Tommy Bowman/Winston-Salem Journal |

Commissioner Karl Benson of the Sun Belt Conference — the league that Appalachian State will call home starting with the 2014-15 academic year — said this week that there isn’t a set timeframe for adding a 12th football school.

But one bit of news has the league excited.

The Sun Belt ranked first in performance — and accompanying Bowl Championship Series revenue — among conferences that weren’t automatic qualifiers for BCS games last season, according to a recent CBSSports.com report.

Click Here for Full Story

[ATrain]

Feel free to move this post/article to the thread about paying athletes, but...

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/01/major-c ... ns-odu-nsu

"The question is what all of the leagues that don't play FBS football decide to do," Selig said. "You've got different philosophies between some of the schools in those leagues. One school might choose to pay the full cost of attending school, while another might not.

"That could start another round of conference realignment."

[Liberty22]

I know most of you won't believe me but I don't care. I spoke to a friend of JMU's Associate AD for development tonight and asked if JMU was going to make the jump. He said that He told him that they will be moving to the MAC. They are in discussions and are going to be invited. He said that JMU is a little surprised that they aren't farther along than they are yet but that the MAC is for sure happening. JMU's new coach has a clause in his contract that his pay will be escalated when they move to match the pay of MAC coaches. This is excellent news for us because I really believe that there is no one else for SunBelt that is ready. At the very least it encourages me.

[TH Spangler]

What you heard is quite consistent with what every insider has told Jon or myself for a while. JMU and the MAC have a very cozy relationship at this point. It's just a matter of time.

Keep in mind though, that the Sun Belt Presidents will choose Hawaii Technical Junior College of Waffle Making before us if given a chance. I'm still hoping for a short wait followed by a Conference USA invite. That would give us a great rivalry with ODU.

+1

[Purple Haize]

Keep in mind though, that the Sun Belt Presidents will choose Hawaii Technical Junior College of Waffle Making before us if given a chance. I'm still hoping for a short wait followed by a Conference USA invite. That would give us a great rivalry with ODU.

Well who DOESNT like waffles?

[TH Spangler]

I've tried both, C-USA has better waffles!

[Liberty22]

Agreed. CUSA would be legit.

[flameshaw]

Right now any conference is legit if we can get to FBS. Beggars can't be choosers. Let's be happy with whatever opportunity may arise.

[LUminary]

Right now any conference is legit if we can get to FBS. Beggars can't be choosers. Let's be happy with whatever opportunity may arise.

That's exactly right.