NON-BCS Conference Rankings

[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.

[CajunNation]

_ The football conference has been around for what, 5-7 years?
The strides have been huge from where we started. We will only continue to prosper. Like Destin said, if you know about an opening in another conference-do tell, cause the rest of us want to know about it.
How about we stop whining about things we cant control, and do something about the things we can.

L'Ronte' _

See Above.

Also, things we can do know:

1) Require football for membership.
Everyone will be on the same page. There will be no friction from the non-football schools about ponying up the money for a second bowl bid.

2) Add any schools from the following group that wants to come:

Texas State
Missouri State
Louisiana Tech
Southern Illinois

In a recent interview on local radio, Wright Waters admitted that we have been contacted by (5) 1-AA schools inquiring about SBC membership. It is widely speculated that Texas State and Missouri State were 2 of these schools.

Wright Waters has told these schools there is no room.

The SBC leadership does not have the gumption to do what is necessary in getting this conference to the next level.

Mark my words. If our membership does not change drastically, the SBC will still be languishing as bottom feeders 5-10 years from now.

For all of you people saying that "in a few years the SBC will be just as good as CUSA", STOP REPEATING YOURSELF.

You said that 3 years ago.
You're saying it now.
In 3 years, you'll be saying it again.

[CajunNation]

_ 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. _

Nope.

Only 3 schools in the WAC were members previous to the 2000 season.

Hawaii
Fresno State
San Jose State


All of the stats quoted at the beginning of this thread were from 2000 and beyond.

[CajunNation]

_ 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... _

Let me just give you an example of what our conference schedule would have looked like had we taken the deal offerred in 2004.


2005

#9 BOISE STATE
at Utah State
NORTH TEXAS
at New Mexico State
HAWAII
at San Jose State
NEVADA
at #22 Fresno State
at Louisiana Tech


2006

at #9 Boise State
UTAH STATE
at North Texas
NEW MEXICO STATE
at Hawaii
SAN JOSE STATE
at Nevada
#22 FRESNO STATE
LOUISIANA TECH

[Sonsissymia]

_ But to say the sunbelt will never be as good as cusa or the wac is just rediculous. Those conferences are not that far ahead of us now.

i do not spend much time weighing the relative stengths of non-bsc conferences, but i do see where every year the sbc champ plays an also-ran from cusa [is it the third tier tie-in, or fourth, for that conference?], and almost every year the cusa rep crushes the sbc school as i recall. cusa football is that far ahead right now.