NON-BCS Conference Rankings

[Just1More]

_ This is why UL will never improve its football program until it can move up and out of the Sun Belt. The people who claim that the Sun Belt itself can move up like the Mountain West or CUSA are just plain wrong. Any team in the Sun Belt that sees an opening in another conference will bolt. UL would be smart to do that same... _

I think the SBC can and has "moved up", but is a long ways away from leap-frogging another conference as a whole, in football, from an overall rankings perspective. If the SBC holds together, being a southern football conference is going to assist in strengthening the conference. To the extent that plays out is yet to be seen.

Unfortunately, if the strongest member(s) bolt when an opportunity arises, that will hurt the conference effort. The fact right now is that no single football program (North Texas situation has changed) has lept away from the pack. That "helps" hold the conference together, but short everyone having major OOC "upsets", it is very difficult to get "conference ranking respect".

It appears to me that each SBC football program is in an incremental improvement situation, and in reality that equality is holding down the supposed "leader" of the pack. I guess that is a benefit right now for a young conference. If one of the SBC teams expects to jump into a better conference affiliation any time soon, it will have to serve up a couple of OOC upsets in the same year that it completely dominates the SBC.

Of course, nothing would make me happier than if UL jumps ahead as the dominant football program in the SBC. Our mission right now is just to win... one game at a time. Any discussion of alternative football conferences is very premature.

[MiamiCajun32]

_ Cayenne,

The reality is the SBC has made great strides in football, remember it was a start up conference in football and took available members from where they could.

2 of the past 3 years the SBC has had 2 teams play in bowls and more one season had 3 teams bowl eligible. Are we great, no are we good, no. Are we close, yes. Due to the SBC being in existance UL, MT, ASU, Troy and even ULM have made significant improvements, both in facilities and in competiveness. We have a long way to go, and no one is beating down the door of any of our teams today to ask them to join. But I will say this, I think in a couple of years (2 to 3) the belt will be as strong as many of the conference (WAC and MAC, specifically) MT, UL and Troy and to some extent ASU are very attractive candidates, because of other sports successes. _

Sunbelt is making strides no doubt, but there is no way it will be at level of WAC in the next few years. Can you even imagine one of the sunbelt teams rising up to the level of a Boise St., Fresno St. or even Hawaii in the next few years? Not going to happen... And until the sunbelt has a few teams that can compete with top 25 teams and can make a run at the top 25 rankings, then the sunbelt will not even be mentioned in same conversation with WAC. I understand why UL did not move to WAC when allegedly had the chance a few years ago, due to travel costs, etc., but the football program would be a lot stronger had it made such a move (as would basketball, but maybe all the other sports would be suffering greatly, due to travel costs).

[MiamiCajun32]

_ Sunbelt is making strides no doubt, but there is no way it will be at level of WAC in the next few years. Can you even imagine one of the sunbelt teams rising up to the level of a Boise St., Fresno St. or even Hawaii in the next few years? Not going to happen... And until the sunbelt has a few teams that can compete with top 25 teams and can make a run at the top 25 rankings, then the sunbelt will not even be mentioned in same conversation with WAC. I understand why UL did not move to WAC when allegedly had the chance a few years ago, due to travel costs, etc., but the football program would be a lot stronger had it made such a move (as would basketball, but maybe all the other sports would be suffering greatly, due to travel costs). _

Imagine how awesome it would be to have Boise St., Fresno and Hawaii making trips to Cajun Field every now and then, with some of those games on national TV. Just not the same as ULM, Arkansas St., and North Texas coming to town...

[DestinCajun]

_ Imagine how awesome it would be to have Boise St., Fresno and Hawaii making trips to Cajun Field every now and then, with some of those games on national TV. Just not the same as ULM, Arkansas St., and North Texas coming to town... _

Yep, watching those 3 hang upwards of 60-70 a game on us on national tv would have been truly awesome.

[MiamiCajun32]

_ Yep, watching those 3 hang upwards of 60-70 a game on us on national tv would have been truly awesome.

_

Imagine that, trying to actually be a competitive football program. If you would rather the Cajuns not be in a conference with teams like that, then I suppose you would prefer a step down to D1AA? Ten years ago Boise St. would have probably been beaten up by the Cajuns, but today they are a top 25 program.

It is all a mute point anyways, because Cajuns are not in WAC and will not be joining the WAC. But your attitude is pathetic...

[DestinCajun]

_ Imagine that, trying to actually be a competitive football program. If you would rather the Cajuns not be in a conference with teams like that, then I suppose you would prefer a step down to D1AA? Ten years ago Boise St. would have probably been beaten up by the Cajuns, but today they are a top 25 program.

It is all a mute point anyways, because Cajuns are not in WAC and will not be joining the WAC. But your attitude is pathetic... _

Maybe you haven't taken notice but we have been working hard to build a competitive program and guess what we're getting there. This is now and that was then. Ten years ago we couldn't beat Northen Alabama and I watched LaTech and Tulane put a combined 129 on us.

[MiamiCajun32]

_ Maybe you haven't taken notice but we have been working hard to build a competitive program and guess what we're getting there. This is now and that was then. Ten years ago we couldn't beat Northen Alabama and I watched LaTech and Tulane put a combined 129 on us. _

I was only responding to your statement that you don't want to play teams like Boise St. and Hawaii on national TV because they may hang 60 or 70 on us.

Cajuns are much better now than in past decade (although not better than the inconsistent '96 team), but still have a long way to go to get close to what is going on at upper levels of WAC. Sunbelt is hodling the Cajuns back unless a couple of the other teams start winning big. Troy has made baby steps in that direction, so who knows? It was not so long ago that Fresno St. and Boise St. were no better programs than the Cajuns... We'll see...

[Just1More]

_ Imagine how awesome it would be to have Boise St., Fresno and Hawaii making trips to Cajun Field every now and then, with some of those games on national TV. Just not the same as ULM, Arkansas St., and North Texas coming to town... _

I understand your sentiment, but I think you were right the first time when you understood why we are not in the WAC. We are in the Sunbelt, and that is where we need to flourish. As a great man once said, "bloom where you are planted". The past is the past, and if we have any hope of a better future, we had better take care of business in the SBC.

[RonMexico]

WAC 45 years

MAC 60 years

Sunbelt 6-7 years(?)

you guys are asking a he.ll of alot, comparing the Sunbelt to conferences that have been around decades longer.

[CajunNation]

_ In reality Cajun football has improved significantly in the past 5 years as has Sun Belt football. Neither is yet where we want it to be but it's all definitely headed in the right direction.

Please let us know when one of these "openings" you speak of actually appears. _

2004

Right after New Mexico State and Utah State accepted WAC membership, this deal was on the table so that the WAC could avoid adding Idaho:



Hawaii
Fresno State
San Jose State
Nevada
Boise State
Utah State
New Mexico State
North Texas
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana



At such time, the SBC held a conference call which Wright Waters began with by airing the song, "Please Don't Go".

Our administration was against it, and UNT was talked out of the deal by the rest of the SBC, including us.

Consequently, the WAC added Idaho to get to the 9 they have now.