[Rooster Cogburn]

Jeff Caves (Sports Talk Show Host 93.1 The Ticket The FM sports station specializing in Boise State Football Boise, Idaho · http://ktik.com/Article.asp?id=601349) on Twitter:

Sun Belt commish Karl Benson said Jax St, Ga Southern, Liberty, App St looked into joining Sun Belt and now will explore WAC fb membership

Told ya so! I have felt since Liberty's FBS announcement 2 wks ago from some comments that this is where we were headed. But will enough FCS schools go?

[Sly Fox]

I'm not convinced that Sam Houston State or Lamar have the bones to make it happen. But that may be the deciding factor in whether or not the WAC can round up enough teams. I'd certainly love to be a in a league with each of those two schools within an hour and a half of my house. But both are state schools who won't be getting any help from Austin. And their flagship school just received their Sun Belt invitation so they won't be anxious to step up with assistance. Both schools will need donors to dig deep.

It sounds like the WAC may believe that this can't be worked out in time for the June 1st deadline necessary for continuous FBS play with new editions for 2013. So we are probably looking at a 2014 FBS arrival date barring some last minute maneuvering from one of the leagues.

Frankly I am surprised that the Sun Belt commissioners who just hired Benson a few months ago chose to ignore his 12-team ambitions. If the moratorium is reinstated as many suspect, that league could be stuck between a rock and a hard place with no one to call up.

It certainly appears to be in the NCAA's best interests to continue to give the WAC lots of leeway in helping them stay afloat. So the league may likely continue to receive waivers. The last thing the NCAA wants is a lawsuit regarding FBS membership. The WAC is their legal insurance policy.

[bradyfan]

Jeff Caves (Sports Talk Show Host 93.1 The Ticket The FM sports station specializing in Boise State Football Boise, Idaho · http://ktik.com/Article.asp?id=601349) on Twitter:

Sun Belt commish Karl Benson said Jax St, Ga Southern, Liberty, App St looked into joining Sun Belt and now will explore WAC fb membership

Told ya so! I have felt since Liberty's FBS announcement 2 wks ago from some comments that this is where we were headed. But will enough FCS schools go?

This is awesome. If this picks up steam, I think it could become a very attractive conference. Maybe this is a long shot but TCU committed to the Big East before the Big 12, maybe we get ODU to rethink their future conference affiliation?

[Rooster Cogburn]

I think I saw that the WAC is meeting in Denver in mid June, so yea, 2014 it is.

[Blessed1]

Wait a minute... I thought the dead-line date to join a conference for 2013 was June 30. I think schools can officially join a new conference on July 1st. If the WAC meets in the second week of June, Liberty and the other schools will still have time for 2013, correct?

[Sly Fox]

My understanding is that the deadline to submit to the NCAA for FBS status in 2013 is June 1st. So while the WAC has until June 30th to figure out who they are going to add, if they wait past next Friday then they are adding for 2014 for FCS call-ups. The league would have to not sponsor football for 2013 and resume football sponsorship in 2014. Idaho & NM State would have to go independent for that one season before the league reformed in 2014. At least that is what I can gather from the various sources. The challenge then becomes to fill a home schedule with current FBS dates in 2014 & 2015 since most of the league would be transitional schools that wouldn't count against the 5 home game requirement. It gets crazy difficult unless the NCAA grants yet another special waiver to the WAC.

I have no idea if this is legal, but I have been musing today over the possibility of the WAC inviting us now for 2013 so we can get the transition clock turning a year earlier. We would essentially be independent for 2013 since the league wouldn't have the required number of members. And in the event the league folds, we would then be like Texas State & UTSA this past season where we burn off our transitional years to make us more attractive to other leagues down the road and we would have met the NCAA FBS requirements. Just thinking out loud.

[LUaddict]

My understanding is that the deadline to submit to the NCAA for FBS status in 2013 is June 1st. So while the WAC has until June 30th to figure out who they are going to add, if they wait past next Friday then they are adding for 2014 for FCS call-ups. The league would have to not sponsor football for 2013 and resume football sponsorship in 2014. Idaho & NM State would have to go independent for that one season before the league reformed in 2014. At least that is what I can gather from the various sources. The challenge then becomes to fill a home schedule with current FBS dates in 2014 & 2015 since most of the league would be transitional schools that wouldn't count against the 5 home game requirement. It gets crazy difficult unless the NCAA grants yet another special waiver to the WAC.

I have no idea if this is legal, but I have been musing today over the possibility of the WAC inviting us now for 2013 so we can get the transition clock turning a year earlier. We would essentially be independent for 2013 since the league wouldn't have the required number of members. And in the event the league folds, we would then be like Texas State & UTSA this past season where we burn off our transitional years to make us more attractive to other leagues down the road and we would have met the NCAA FBS requirements. Just thinking out loud.

So we got left behind by the Sun Belt because the belt feels that they don't want to be a landing spot for FCS programs or back up plan for other FBS programs. This is coming from the former commish of the WAC that drove it into the ground.

I sure hope that the new east coast WAC can conjure up enough interest from other schools so we can go FBS. Great Insight Sly, I hope that this happens. I hope this happens Sly!

[Blessed1]

Thanks Sly for your insight. I brought up the question about the 2013 deadline because of ODU. C-USA gave them some time to decide.

I like your idea of coming up now and making Liberty more attractive for other FBS conferences. In my opinion, this is the only reason why Liberty, App St, Jax St, and Georgia Southern would consider membership for the WAC. Basically, a move like this works out for all parties involve. If the NCAA grants the WAC more waivers for this group of FCS come-ups, it would create a pool of teams for other conferences to choose from. And given the fact that the realignment train is still running, conferences like the WAC and C-USA are always susceptible to raids.

Another x-factor is if the NCAA decides to pass another memorandum to halt FCS come-ups for the next several years. The NCAA is not going to give teams the heads-up, they will just do it. That's just the way they operate. Since that's the NCAA's M.O., JMU and Delaware would really have to reconsider their allegiance to the CAA. Not too sure about Delaware's alumnus, but most of JMU's is giving their administration a hard time about moving up to catch ODU.

I'm not sure if the potential move to the WAC is for all-sports or for football only. I know Barber prefers that we find a home for all sports, but if this is for football only, would we have to find a new FCS home for our sports since our major sport (football) won't be available to the Big South? Probably not. However, I'm still holding out for the CAA for our other sports.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I likw it Sly. It sounds like a very Liberty thing to do. Blessed, Barber made it clear we were moving all sports.

[TH Spangler]

Not sure if this has been posted .... http://www2.nelsoncountytimes.com/sport ... r-1938735/

http://www2.newsadvance.com/sports/2012 ... r-1938735/

[Purple Haize]

I have it on good authority that we will be invited to the WAC for the 2014 season. The WAC will also be changing its name to the Trans America Conference to better reflect its geographic make up. There has been no confirmation if the new Conference mascot will be Ru Paul or Prince Popycock.

[TH Spangler]

Sad thing about it is ... the BCS is becoming the only "top level" and the old FBS will be the new FCS. If we don't move up we are actually stepping down if you ask me? Come on MAC~a~WAC?

[Hold My Own]

In these economic times I bet they'd be willing to take a sponsor for the conference name. Bloop conference anyone???

[jcmanson]

Maybe the NCAA will state a moratorium (sp?) on new teams entering FBS after 2014. This could get App State, Jax State, Montana, Lamar, SHSU to join us in the WAC.

I think Montana is a big key. If they move up, Montana State will be moving with them. That's 2 teams right there to add to us and the 2 already in there.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Now the SunBelt board has posted the Maher junk and it's getting ugly.

[Kolzilla41]

Now the SunBelt board has posted the Maher junk and it's getting ugly.

Is there a link?

[Rooster Cogburn]

It was like 10 or 12 posts and I was PMing the Moderator who started the thread, and all of a sudden it disappeared. That is after he insulted my faith and LU a few times.

[bradyfan]

Sad thing about it is ... the BCS is becoming the only "top level" and the old FBS will be the new FCS. If we don't move up we are actually stepping down if you ask me? Come on MAC~a~WAC?

This isn't true at all. The point of moving into FBS isn't necessarily to compete for a championship, that's nice if we can but it isn't the point. The point of an FBS conference, for football reasons at least, is to compete in bowls. If you win a bowl, there is a certain payout to your school from the sponsors. You also will never see an FBS team play at an FCS school. It's almost always the other way around, and when there are exceptions, you won't find big schools traveling to you. Once you become an FBS school, this changes. VT has traveled to Marshal, ECU and Temple. UVA has played at Idaho, Wyoming and I think Western Michigan a few years ago. Becoming an FBS school, allows us to bring in big name opponents like that. Notre Dame anyone? The other big reason is your chances of being on national T.V. increases greatly. Fox Sports, NBC, ESPN are all networks that broadcast FBS teams. Not to mention, EA Sports puts all FBS teams in their game. A move up is most certainly not a move down, it may be losing it's appeal but we would obviously be in a better position.

Maybe the NCAA will state a moratorium (sp?) on new teams entering FBS after 2014. This could get App State, Jax State, Montana, Lamar, SHSU to join us in the WAC.

I think Montana is a big key. If they move up, Montana State will be moving with them. That's 2 teams right there to add to us and the 2 already in there.

+1 I think Montana is in a different position then it's been in the past. The FCS is losing it's quality and if we recruit App St., JMU, and Georgia Southern, that's a huge loss for the FCS. Those have been giants over the years. I don't see Montana hanging around the Big Sky, as long as Montana St. can join.

[jcmanson]

Looking around online, supposedly there's some legislation in Montana that requires Montana AND Montana St to switch conferences together. As desperate as the WAC is right now, I think they'd gladly take Montana St to get Montana. It's clearly a numbers game.

[jcmanson]

I wonder, if the WAC decides to do this, if they invite 6+ teams but each invite is contingent on the other. Meaning, we get offered, we can accept but it isn't valid unless there's a total of 8 football teams in the WAC (meaning 6 others would have to accept).

[TH Spangler]

This isn't true at all. The point of moving into FBS isn't necessarily to compete for a championship, that's nice if we can but it isn't the point. The point of an FBS conference, for football reasons at least, is to compete in bowls.

I agree ... The BCS is diffidently building a higher wall between themselves and FBS schools though. Ask anyone in the ACC. We really, really need to move up now, based on events and our investment. The WAC thing would be nice.

[jbock13]

Guys, stop worrying about what losers on the sun belt board think. They're irrelevant.

[LUaddict]

This isn't true at all. The point of moving into FBS isn't necessarily to compete for a championship, that's nice if we can but it isn't the point. The point of an FBS conference, for football reasons at least, is to compete in bowls.

I agree ... The BCS is diffidently building a higher wall between themselves and FBS schools though. Ask anyone in the ACC. We really, really need to move up now, based on events and our investment. The WAC thing would be nice.

I agree moving up now is important, especially since the NCAA is going to hammer down that moratorium for 10 years. Sun Belt already shut us down, uncludimg all the the other FCS schools that want to move up. I hope we can get a consensus with these FCS schools willing to sacrifice travel for this new conference. I hope Idaho and NMSU is willing to sacrifice travel and inviting the necessary number of schools and being able to find them and willing to move up. With that said, to the WAC mobile!

[ballah09]

one good thing is the $$$ and revenue that Liberty brings in along with their TV network. I think the WAC-East wouldn't have a strong chance of forming if their wasn't a source of revenue/TV market. They could easily ink a good deal with FSN,ESPN, etc...

[jcmanson]

We could see something where the WAC invites 2-3 FCS teams a year for the next 3 years. This will help even out the rule governing Year 2 Transition teams (must play at least 5 home games, 4 of which must be against FBS, and must play a total of 8 FBS games).

I think from all the internet fodder and what Benson said, that we have 6 teams in:
Idaho
New Mexico St
Liberty
App State
GA Southern
Jax State

We need at least 2 more.