Tech to the Belt, 2026

[HoustonCajun]

Geezus Krist man. Enough with Tech! Why do you think they add anything to this league?

So, in this fantasy conference, replace Tech with ULM.

Sun Belt - 12 members (Western based)

UTSA, Texas State, Rice, N. Texas, Ark State, ULM, UL, S. Miss, Tulane, Memphis, Tulsa, UAB

Since we are just spit balling here with what we want our conference to look like, that likely won't ever happen. So, the real questions is who do you replace Texas State with in our current conference?

West

UL, ULM, Ark State, USM, USA, Troy, ?

East

App State, Marshall, JMU, GA Southern, GA State, Coastal, ODU

Options to replace Texas State - no FCS teams:

West - Sam Houston, New Mexico State, UTEP, LA Tech - None of these are particularly attractive

East - E. Carolina, WKU, MTSU, Liberty - would have to move one of the Eastern Division schools to the West, presumably GA State (the most western school in the east).

No team will leave the AAC payouts (Memphis received $11M) for $2M from the SBC plus pay exit fees. For that matter, what does the $2M SBC payout per team do for any school? That could be why the Pac 12, MWC and ACC are perceived ahead of the SBC despite on-field success.

Only CUSA teams would move to get out of that weak conference, but none of them are attractive except for WKU, MTSU and LA Tech which no one wants to be associated with again. WKU and MTSU would not be the best fit for the Western footprint although they are farther west than GA State.

So, what is the best option to replace Texas State and why?

[Geaux]

So, in this fantasy conference, replace Tech with ULM.

Sun Belt - 12 members (Western based)

UTSA, Texas State, Rice, N. Texas, Ark State, ULM, UL, S. Miss, Tulane, Memphis, Tulsa, UAB

Since we are just spit balling here with what we want our conference to look like, that likely won't ever happen. So, the real questions is who do you replace Texas State with in our current conference?

West

UL, ULM, Ark State, USM, USA, Troy, ?

East

App State, Marshall, JMU, GA Southern, GA State, Coastal, ODU

Options to replace Texas State - no FCS teams:

West - Sam Houston, New Mexico State, UTEP, LA Tech - None of these are particularly attractive

East - E. Carolina, WKU, MTSU, Liberty - would have to move one of the Eastern Division schools to the West, presumably GA State (the most western school in the east).

No team will leave the AAC payouts (Memphis received $11M) for $2M from the SBC plus pay exit fees. For that matter, what does the $2M SBC payout per team do for any school? That could be why the Pac 12, MWC and ACC are perceived ahead of the SBC despite on-field success.

Only CUSA teams would move to get out of that weak conference, but none of them are attractive except for WKU, MTSU and LA Tech which no one wants to be associated with again. WKU and MTSU would not be the best fit for the Western footprint although they are farther west than GA State.

So, what is the best option to replace Texas State and why?

1. Quietly crawl on glass to the AAC.

2. The SBC invites Middle Tennessee and split the SBC into North & South divisions.

North:
Marshall
JMU
ODU
App St
Costal
MTSU
Arkansas St

South:
Georgia St
Georgia Southern
Troy
Southern Miss
South Alabama
ULM
Louisiana

...average divisional road trip will be five to eight hours drive time.

[CajunNation]

. . . So, what is the best option to replace Texas State and why?

Liberty, because they are the only school that makes us stronger.

[Turbine]

Lamars stock would skyrocket in the Sunbelt.

Texas State was not much more than Lamar when thet joined.

...and Lamar has FBS experience.

[NOCajun]

What's that saying: " Too little, too late?"

[JamesTheJeweler]

So, in this fantasy conference, replace Tech with ULM.

Sun Belt - 12 members (Western based)

UTSA, Texas State, Rice, N. Texas, Ark State, ULM, UL, S. Miss, Tulane, Memphis, Tulsa, UAB

Since we are just spit balling here with what we want our conference to look like, that likely won't ever happen. So, the real questions is who do you replace Texas State with in our current conference?

West

UL, ULM, Ark State, USM, USA, Troy, ?

East

App State, Marshall, JMU, GA Southern, GA State, Coastal, ODU

Options to replace Texas State - no FCS teams:

West - Sam Houston, New Mexico State, UTEP, LA Tech - None of these are particularly attractive

East - E. Carolina, WKU, MTSU, Liberty - would have to move one of the Eastern Division schools to the West, presumably GA State (the most western school in the east).

No team will leave the AAC payouts (Memphis received $11M) for $2M from the SBC plus pay exit fees. For that matter, what does the $2M SBC payout per team do for any school? That could be why the Pac 12, MWC and ACC are perceived ahead of the SBC despite on-field success.

Only CUSA teams would move to get out of that weak conference, but none of them are attractive except for WKU, MTSU and LA Tech which no one wants to be associated with again. WKU and MTSU would not be the best fit for the Western footprint although they are farther west than GA State.

So, what is the best option to replace Texas State and why?

What do you mean replace Tech with ULM????Tech would have to be in our conference to be replaced by anybody. And ULM is already in the conference. How are you "replacing" any school with ULM if they are already in our conference?

[no1cajunfan]

Lamars stock would skyrocket in the Sunbelt.

Texas State was not much more than Lamar when thet joined.

...and Lamar has FBS experience.

Other than being slightly closer Lamar is not any better than SHS. Having FBS experience a hundred years ago does what? How does it look if SBC took a Southland school over a CUSA school? Perception is everything.

[HoustonCajun]

What do you mean replace Tech with ULM????Tech would have to be in our conference to replace anybody. And ULM is already in the conference. How are you "replacing" any school with ULM if they are already in our conference?

No, I initially had Tech is the fantasy conference set-up and simply removing Tech and putting ULM back in it. Note that I moved a lot of schools around. Remember, what I was doing was creating a new conference that did not include ULM. I called is the SBC but that would not fly if original members were not included. Tech doesn't have to be their replacement, but we either put ULM in or find another school if we stick with the SBC name. I believe Rice has the name rights to the SWC, so we could call it that.

[Turbine]

How does it look if SBC took a Southland school over a CUSA school? Perception is everything.

I get your point.

It would look a lot like when every member not named Louisiana joined.

Louisiana is the only school (besides the last entrants) that wasn't taking a step up to join the conference.

[RaginDave]

Lamars stock would skyrocket in the Sunbelt.

Texas State was not much more than Lamar when thet joined.

...and Lamar has FBS experience.

The facilities at Texas State were lightyears ahead of where Lamar is now, the fan base was lightyears ahead of where Lamar is now, the athletic budget was lightyears ahead of where Lamar is now, not even close. So I think you are mistaken, Texas State was much more than what Lamar is currently.