What Exactly Did the Sun Belt Sign?

[CajunT]

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=345&f=3397&t=3568955

[RaginFan2]

_ http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=345&f=3397&t=3568955 _

Thanks for sharing that. I don't think too many (any?) of us thought that the secondary agreement allowed a 6-6 SBC team to take precedence over a 7+ win team. But we ALL thought (or were led to believe) that a 6-6 SBC team would take priority over any other 6-6 team. That is what has baffled and upset most of us. It appears the agreement was a very limited help for the conference and none this year.

[BrockMeaux]

Thank you. Great write-up. And very informative. Anybody know when HIS contract is up?

[CajunT]

_ Thank you. Great write-up. And very informative. Anybody know when HIS contract is up? _

John Turner wrote the article, but it certainly brings to light why Wright Waters is hiding under his desk not talking to the media.

[Rebel02]

Could this be the turn of events that costs WW his job as SBC commish? I'm sure the member schools are NOT pleased about the "agreement" with the 3 bowls that WW signed.

[ulforlife]

THIS IS A TRAVESTY!

[RaginCajun77]

John Turner wrote the article, but it certainly brings to light why Wright Waters is hiding under his desk not talking to the media.

What's really sad is the fact that Wright Waters didn't have the grapefruits to stand up and admit he was wrong today and answer questions from the media. The member schools of this conference need to hold Wrights feet to the fire on this one.

[KAjunRaider]

_ http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=345&f=3397&t=3568955 _

This is an email from Waters 2 weeks ago (to one of our BlueRaiderZone.com mods) concerning the bowl situation and secondary tie-ins :


If an opening exist (we anticipate an opening in PapaJohns and Independence but not St. Pete) a Sun Belt team with a winning record (7-5 or better) trumps all teams regardless of records. If all teams with winning records are obligated and an opening still exist a Sun Belt bowl eligible team (6-6) trumps all other bowl eligible teams.

This allows Sun Belt teams to stay regional and try to build our fan base. Bowls want teams that travel, we need to prove we can travel and the best way to do that is stay regional.

Hope this helps.


H. Wright Waters, Commissioner

The Sun Belt Conference

601 Poydras Street Suite 2355

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Office: 504/299-9066 ext 211

[CajunT]

_ This is an email from Waters 2 weeks ago (to one of our BlueRaiderZone.com mods) concerning the bowl situation and secondary tie-ins :


If an opening exist (we anticipate an opening in PapaJohns and Independence but not St. Pete) a Sun Belt team with a winning record (7-5 or better) trumps all teams regardless of records. If all teams with winning records are obligated and an opening still exist a Sun Belt bowl eligible team (6-6) trumps all other bowl eligible teams.

This allows Sun Belt teams to stay regional and try to build our fan base. Bowls want teams that travel, we need to prove we can travel and the best way to do that is stay regional.

Hope this helps.


H. Wright Waters, Commissioner

The Sun Belt Conference

601 Poydras Street Suite 2355

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Office: 504/299-9066 ext 211 _

Yes, I read it on your board. He didn't have a clue on what he signed! He is incompetent period!

[geo_cajun]

Wow! What a bunch of BS. We need to call for WW's head on this one. He either lied or was completely negligent in his duties. Neither one is acceptable. We need to lay off this Tech bashing, I don't see it as their fault. It was our fault for not winning games, obviously. But the people we should be angry at are WW for failing our conference, and the I bowl committee and their buddy, the AD at NIU who pushed us out. Thanks for nothing sunbelt. We are not in a an elite conference, and I have not problem with that (a nationally competitive conference would be good) but I at least expect them to fight for any member of the conference in a situation like this. I was thinking about watching old yeller later, maybe that'll cheer me up; or maybe platoon.

[KAjunRaider]

Well, from here on out, it's gonna be one for all, and all for one. Look after your own arses. Cannot depend on the SBC. Negotiate your own bowls, own TV deals, etc.

Here's a post (on our board) from one of our more knowledgable, longtime fans:

ThreeIfByLightning wrote: I think a factor here is that the Sun Belt didn't perform well in out of conference this year, which only served to foster the perception that it is the worst conference in football (regardless of the fact that it's actually making strong headway in becoming stronger than the MAC and C-USA).

The alternate bowl ties was a joke. Realistically, the Sun Belt has grounds for a lawsuit, but because the bowl games in question pay so little it would quickly be eaten up in legal fees and become a one leg butt kicking contest. The conference will never take that route.

I was trying to think about the implications of what took place today and here's my take, but I would love to get ArkStateFan's reaction. To date, everyone in the conference has been fairly amenable to putting the conference first in the best interest of all the schools as a whole. I think this sends a signal that every team in the Sun Belt is going to start looking out for their own interests. This is going to seriously derail some strength and progress that the conference was developing. To that end, any talk of the SBC positioning itself to be in a good position for a merger with C-USA following the next realignment is going to take a hit. Not to say that just about anything is possible, but every school in the conference is probably going to start looking after it's own ass even if it has to say to hell with the Sun Belt.

Middle Tennessee desparately needs an NCAA tournament appearance in basketball this year. We've got to start positioning ourselves to be as attractive as humanly possible. In C-USA, UL and ASU both go to bowl games this year. If MT would have been 6-6 and in C-USA we would have gone to a bowl game. In the Sun Belt there are no guarantees. From today forward it's every school for itself. Just my take.

_ Wow! What a bunch of BS. We need to call for WW's head on this one. He either lied or was completely negligent in his duties. Neither one is acceptable. We need to lay off this Tech bashing, I don't see it as their fault. It was our fault for not winning games, obviously. But the people we should be angry at are WW for failing our conference, and the I bowl committee and their buddy, the AD at NIU who pushed us out. Thanks for nothing sunbelt. We are not in a an elite conference, and I have not problem with that (a nationally competitive conference would be good) but I at least expect them to fight for any member of the conference in a situation like this. I was thinking about watching old yeller later, maybe that'll cheer me up; or maybe platoon. _

[DestinCajun]

"ThreeIfByLightning wrote: I think a factor here is that the Sun Belt didn't perform well in out of conference this year, which only served to foster the perception that it is the worst conference in football (regardless of the fact that it's actually making strong headway in becoming stronger than the MAC and C-USA). "

This is a factor I haven't seen mentioned thus far and I agree it could be significant.

UL played and lost to USM and UTEP. ASU played and lost to close to USM and MEMPHIS. Had either of us each won one of those, we'd probably be taking bowl trips.

Had MT gotten that last yard and beaten Kentucky 21-20 and come in and beaten UL, I feel certain you would have gotten a bowl.

Bottomline, we just didn't get it done when we needed to. Much of the rest of the stuff I'm seeing is mostly hogwash.