Official 2015 Sun Belt Football Thread

[AshevilleApp]

I love these threads!

[Skjellyfetti]

How is Southern Miss a "real" I-A team while Western Michigan isn't?

Neither probably are, so we can take SoMiss out of "games against real I-A's". Doesn't help your cause.

Western Michigan OOC wins vs I-A teams last SEVEN years: Idaho (Sun Belt) and UConn

We don't play a great schedule.

The important thing is that it is an upgrade over the SoCon and FCS.

[dbackjon]

Neither probably are, so we can take SoMiss out of "games against real I-A's". Doesn't help your cause.

Western Michigan OOC wins vs I-A teams last SEVEN years: Idaho (Sun Belt) and UConn

We don't play a great schedule.

The important thing is that it is an upgrade over the SoCon and FCS.

In what ways?

[93henfan]

We don't play a great schedule.

The important thing is that it is an upgrade over the SoCon and FCS.

In what ways?

They get to lose money on football. Doesn't everyone want to lose money?

[Baldy]

How is Southern Miss a "real" I-A team while Western Michigan isn't?

Neither probably are, so we can take SoMiss out of "games against real I-A's". Doesn't help your cause.

Western Michigan OOC wins vs I-A teams last SEVEN years: Idaho (Sun Belt) and UConn

You did leave out Illinois, another win over UConn, and Temple...but Temple might have been in the MAC at the time.

Again, can't control what other teams do with regards to wins on their schedule.
The facts still remain:
1. WMU was a bowl team last year.
2. WMU has played a brutal schedule and will most likely go bowling again this year.
3. We destroyed WMU.

Obviously you and many others expected us to enter into FBS and blow up the division. I have to say, we really appreciate your confidence and apologize for letting you down.

Though we have come close, neither Appy nor GSU are slaying giants at the time, but I would say we are both far ahead of schedule.

[Baldy]

We don't play a great schedule.

The important thing is that it is an upgrade over the SoCon and FCS.

In what ways?

Just off the top of my head...

1. Exposure
2. Money
3. Schedule
4. Competition
5. Attendance
6. Season Tickets
7. Not playing in front of 5,000 people
8. Television

[Skjellyfetti]

They get to lose money on football. Doesn't everyone want to lose money?

Eh. Our athletic department essentially breaks even every year. Like the overwhelming majority of athletic departments.

The difference is that FCS schools subsidize their athletic departments much more.

Delaware subsidizes 77.8% of their athletic revenue. Northern Arizona subsidizes 78.48% of their athletic department revenue.

I'm thankful ours is relatively low at 52%.

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



But, let's be real... none of our schools are making bank on college athletics. That's for the most elite of the P5 athletic departments.

[Skjellyfetti]

We don't play a great schedule.

The important thing is that it is an upgrade over the SoCon and FCS.

In what ways?

I was simply talking about scheduling. Baldy mentioned other ways.

I like our conference slate better than the SoCon. There are some positives of the SoCon - proximity and being able to travel to away games. And, I will miss the rivalry with Furman. Other than that, I like the conference games more in the Sun Belt. They bring lots of fans and there is more passion.

We can also add home-and-home games against teams that wouldn't even play against us when we were FCS. We had a bit of a rivalry with Wake Forest before the stopped playing us. Now we have a home-and-home series scheduled with them. They aren't a marquee program, of course. But, do to proximity and a lot of history it's an important series to start up again. It would have been 100% impossible to host an ACC team if we were still in the SoCon and FCS.

[89Hen]

Neither probably are, so we can take SoMiss out of "games against real I-A's". Doesn't help your cause.

Western Michigan OOC wins vs I-A teams last SEVEN years: Idaho (Sun Belt) and UConn

You did leave out Illinois, another win over UConn, and Temple...but Temple might have been in the MAC at the time.

Again, can't control what other teams do with regards to wins on their schedule.
The facts still remain:
1. WMU was a bowl team last year.
2. WMU has played a brutal schedule and will most likely go bowling again this year.
3. We destroyed WMU.

Obviously you and many others expected us to enter into FBS and blow up the division. I have to say, we really appreciate your confidence and apologize for letting you down.

Though we have come close, neither Appy nor GSU are slaying giants at the time, but I would say we are both far ahead of schedule.

Illinois = 8 years ago.

WMU sucks donkey dick.

This was about the Sun Belt sucking, not just ASU and GSU. The fact that you two are battling for the conference championship should tell you just how sucky the conference is. Baldy, I'm glad you're happy playing for a SunBelt title and a berth in a low tier bowl and bringing in teams nobody in Statesboro probably gives a rats ass about. Me, I'd rather play for the playoffs and a national championship, albeit for a lower division than I-A, and see teams with some regional appeal. To each his own.

[Baldy]

You did leave out Illinois, another win over UConn, and Temple...but Temple might have been in the MAC at the time.

Again, can't control what other teams do with regards to wins on their schedule.
The facts still remain:
1. WMU was a bowl team last year.
2. WMU has played a brutal schedule and will most likely go bowling again this year.
3. We destroyed WMU.

Obviously you and many others expected us to enter into FBS and blow up the division. I have to say, we really appreciate your confidence and apologize for letting you down.

Though we have come close, neither Appy nor GSU are slaying giants at the time, but I would say we are both far ahead of schedule.

Illinois = 8 years ago.

WMU sucks donkey dick.

This was about the Sun Belt sucking, not just ASU and GSU. The fact that you two are battling for the conference championship should tell you just how sucky the conference is. Baldy, I'm glad you're happy playing for a SunBelt title and a berth in a low tier bowl and bringing in teams nobody in Statesboro probably gives a rats ass about. Me, I'd rather play for the playoffs and a national championship, albeit for a lower division than I-A, and see teams with some regional appeal. To each his own.

Not that it matters, but WMU beat Illinois in 2008.
2008 + 7 years = 2015.

Other than the 16 to 18K who showed up to ball games, nobody gave a rats ass about SoCon teams, either. Aside from the game last Thursday night, we consistently draw 23-24K now and season ticket sales have increased over 30% in two years. Yeah, the Sun Belt sucks, but competition wise, its still much better than the SoCon.

[Pwns]

Why does it matter what WMU has done over the last 10 years? If history matters more than the current year can we count our win over Florida as being the same as beating an SEC team ranked in the top 10? This year WMU is at worst the third-best team in the MAC and we beat them by 4 touchdowns with our backup QB. We aren't comparing ourselves to the ACC or even the AAC. I don't understand what is so hard to comprehend about that.

[Skjellyfetti]

WMU sucks donkey dick.

And, they'd probably be favored by 3 scores over Delaware.

[Skjellyfetti]

Troy - App State was a hell of a game.

#FunBelt

[dbackjon]

Troy - App State was a hell of a game.

#FunBelt

2-6 Troy?

The same team that lost to Abilene Christian a first year FCS school last year?

Fascinating

[Baldy]

Troy - App State was a hell of a game.

#FunBelt

Better say an extra prayer tonight.

[AshevilleApp]

Troy - App State was a hell of a game.

#FunBelt

2-6 Troy?

The same team that lost to Abilene Christian a first year FCS school last year?

Fascinating

If you watched, you'd know. Troy played a really good game.

And if you must use an FCS analogy. Try this year when Troy handily beat Charleston Southern. You know, a team that is playoff bound with wins over Citadel and Coastal Carolina.

[Skjellyfetti]

The same team that lost to Abilene Christian a first year FCS school last year?

Fascinating

No, actually the space-time continuum also applies to FBS football and the Sun Belt.

Last year's Troy team wasn't able to make the game and it was actually this year's Troy team who we played.

[Ivytalk]

Can we start a MAC thread? This Toledo-NIU game is pretty good!

[Skjellyfetti]

And, seems like we're close to finalizing a deal for hosting Miami next year.

Miami is certainly down, but it's a game that we would have had 0% chance of hosting if we were still FCS (for dbackjon).

And, it is winnable (for 89Hen).

We hear UM football is close to finalizing a deal to play at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) next season, with the teams playing a game at Sun Life in a future year. Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is 7-1, with its only loss to Clemson. UM’s other 2016 non-conference games: Florida A&M, FAU and at Notre Dame.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-b ... s-hea.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CID1990]

And, seems like we're close to finalizing a deal for hosting Miami next year.

Miami is certainly down, but it's a game that we would have had 0% chance of hosting if we were still FCS (for dbackjon).

And, it is winnable (for 89Hen).

We hear UM football is close to finalizing a deal to play at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) next season, with the teams playing a game at Sun Life in a future year. Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is 7-1, with its only loss to Clemson. UM’s other 2016 non-conference games: Florida A&M, FAU and at Notre Dame.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-b ... s-hea.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

congrats

one fbs team is getting another fbs team from a different conference to play them

unprecedented

[Skjellyfetti]

Try to catch up with the thread before replying.

There are plenty here who do not consider Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to be, in 89Hen's words, "real I-A teams."

dbackjon was asking earlier if there are any scheduling advantages to being FBS in the Sun Belt. A home game against Miami would certainly qualify - as that would be impossible in FCS or in the SoCon.

[CID1990]

Try to catch up with the thread before replying.

There are plenty here who do not consider Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to be, in 89Hen's words, "real I-A teams."

dbackjon was asking earlier if there are any scheduling advantages to being FBS in the Sun Belt. A home game against Miami would certainly qualify - as that would be impossible in FCS or in the SoCon.

like i said

congratulations

youre practically ECU

[Ivytalk]

Try to catch up with the thread before replying.

There are plenty here who do not consider Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to be, in 89Hen's words, "real I-A teams."

dbackjon was asking earlier if there are any scheduling advantages to being FBS in the Sun Belt. A home game against Miami would certainly qualify - as that would be impossible in FCS or in the SoCon.

Miami, huh? Beware of the Thug Factor.

[Baldy]

And, seems like we're close to finalizing a deal for hosting Miami next year.

Miami is certainly down, but it's a game that we would have had 0% chance of hosting if we were still FCS (for dbackjon).

And, it is winnable (for 89Hen).

We hear UM football is close to finalizing a deal to play at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) next season, with the teams playing a game at Sun Life in a future year. Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is 7-1, with its only loss to Clemson. UM’s other 2016 non-conference games: Florida A&M, FAU and at Notre Dame.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-b ... s-hea.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very nice deal.
I'm jealous.
So Fuck you.

[89Hen]

WMU sucks donkey dick.

And, they'd probably be favored by 3 scores over Delaware.

Awesome. Got any other non-sequitors?