Missouri State to Sun Belt Conference?

[Sir Sci]

I don't understand how SWOMO is so delusional as to think going to the Sun Belt will get them in line for a BCS invite. Springfield doesn't have 50k people to come to their football games, it's never going to happen. If I were to pick an FCS school to eventually make the leap to FBS and then BCS there are about 50 of them I would put ahead of SWOMO. Why aren't these 50 teams making the move? Is it because they don't have the "vision?" No, it's because they aren't stupid. Maybe SWOMO is making the move because they have nothing to lose. "Hey, if we go 0-13 for 5 straight years and average 4k fans a game, we'll just cancel our football program and no one will care."

You can think it's a poor idea for Missouri State to leave for the Sun Belt, but don't go posting something this ridiculous.

1. Nobody thinks that moving to the Sun Belt means the Bears will just waltz in and go bowling or move up to the Big XII.
2. FBS requires 15k average attendance, not 50k.
3. There are other FCS programs that are much more successful (obviously), but most are smaller schools in smaller markets that are geographically isolated from any BCS conference. NDSU is probably the most worthy program to move up of anybody, but it's not like there's any BCS conference out there that would actually want them right now.
4. Missouri State tends to draw an average somewhere between 8,000-10,000 people per game each season. Last season it was an 8,700 average. While that is not good enough for FBS, there are not even close to 50 FCS programs with better attendance.

[Red]

We might think they will fail miserably in the process, but why wouldn't Missouri St go in they can make it work financially? What in the Valley is worth staying for? Our one sport that is somewhat relevant was pissed on all year nationally as being too weak to even present a challenge to a Wichita State team that lost in the round of 32.

Why not go to the Sun Belt and see what happens? Can't be worse than this dumpster fire.

[uniftw]

Obvious success is important, but it is less important than marketability and potential TV sets. I'll be honest the sunbelt sucks. I think had the MVC done what our president asked of the MVC last year we would be more inclined to stay. But the easterns blocks complete refusal to look at western schools coupled with the rejection of NCAA unit distribution restructuring has turned him off to the MVC. He pushed and continues to push the 12 member structure. The MVC added a school in Chicago to get into that market. Let's not forget that they could not even meet the minimum requirements for a beat writer. MSU is attempting to be proactive, it may or may not work in thier favor.

I have never in my life watched a Sun Belt football game. Nor have I seen a Sun Belt ad. Where is the marketability and TV exposure? Sounds made up.

I have a hard time believing that a real sports fan has never watched a Sun Belt football game. Two years ago ULM beat top 5 Arkansas the first week of the season and it was a huge story.

That Arkansas team finished the season 4-8 with wins over FCS Jacksonville State, 3 win Auburn (whos coach was fired and had 2 FCS wins and a wni over ULM), Tulsa and Kentucky (2 wins and saw the coach get fired) and had their head coach get the boot.

Yeah...

...

Yeah...

[uniftw]

I don't understand how SWOMO is so delusional as to think going to the Sun Belt will get them in line for a BCS invite. Springfield doesn't have 50k people to come to their football games, it's never going to happen. If I were to pick an FCS school to eventually make the leap to FBS and then BCS there are about 50 of them I would put ahead of SWOMO. Why aren't these 50 teams making the move? Is it because they don't have the "vision?" No, it's because they aren't stupid. Maybe SWOMO is making the move because they have nothing to lose. "Hey, if we go 0-13 for 5 straight years and average 4k fans a game, we'll just cancel our football program and no one will care."

You can think it's a poor idea for Missouri State to leave for the Sun Belt, but don't go posting something this ridiculous.

1. Nobody thinks that moving to the Sun Belt means the Bears will just waltz in and go bowling or move up to the Big XII.
2. FBS requires 15k average attendance, not 50k.
3. There are other FCS programs that are much more successful (obviously), but most are smaller schools in smaller markets that are geographically isolated from any BCS conference. NDSU is probably the most worthy program to move up of anybody, but it's not like there's any BCS conference out there that would actually want them right now.
4. Missouri State tends to draw an average somewhere between 8,000-10,000 people per game each season. Last season it was an 8,700 average. While that is not good enough for FBS, there are not even close to 50 FCS programs with better attendance.

The 8700 average is a complete...bold face...lie. I have photos from the UNI/MSU game. There was MAYBE 100 people there...MAYBE...

FCS programs that are at the top of the FCS...have been for the last decade or so

NDSU - isolated..Fargo has like 200K
UNI - less than 2 hours from 2 BCS schools and less than 5 from about 6 BCS schools...CF/Wloo is over 100 K and the 380 corridor has about a million
App State - NC has like 9 FBS programs
Georgia Southern - Georgia has 2 BCS programs, 2 other FBS programs, and like 4 or 5 FCS programs
Montana - isolated
Eastern Washington - shares a town, basically, with Washington State and Idaho.
JMU - not isolated at all
Delaware - not really all that isolated
SHSU - shares a state with about 50 other D1 football programs.

Most of what you said was completely false. I won't call it a lie...but it wasn't true.

[PantherSigEp]

Its the offseason Casey...what the hell else are we going to talk about besides the integrity of ISUr basketball and the lukewarm rumor mill that is Missouri State and conference expansion?

[TheAsianSensation]

It's simply, really: MSU wants to be a football school. Whether that's a good idea or not remains to be seen, but it's clear what they want to be, and they need to be FBS as soon as possible to make it work.

However, people should stop pretending it wouldn't be a huge hit to the basketball program. It is. It simply is. Most programs in the Sun Belt care more about their football than basketball (probably South Alabama might be the other way...obviously UTA and UALR...NMSU if they join...and that's about it). Everyone will invest in football, not basketball. Their conference champions will regularly get seeds in the 14-16 range. You can't get at-large bids from there anymore. You are sacrificing significant basketball power. Period. There is no rational way to argue that the Sun Belt is comparable to the MVC.

[agrinut]

I am hesitant about the move because of basketball. That is really the only negative I see right now. I don't think MSU will leave if the numbers don't work financially. To my earlier post, of course MSU would like a western school for travel purposes but it is my understanding that it is more for a voting ally as much as anything. As far as the NCAA shares goes it was my understanding that he felt it would encourage the individual schools to invest in thier programs.

[AndShock]

I don't understand how SWOMO is so delusional as to think going to the Sun Belt will get them in line for a BCS invite. Springfield doesn't have 50k people to come to their football games, it's never going to happen. If I were to pick an FCS school to eventually make the leap to FBS and then BCS there are about 50 of them I would put ahead of SWOMO. Why aren't these 50 teams making the move? Is it because they don't have the "vision?" No, it's because they aren't stupid. Maybe SWOMO is making the move because they have nothing to lose. "Hey, if we go 0-13 for 5 straight years and average 4k fans a game, we'll just cancel our football program and no one will care."

You can think it's a poor idea for Missouri State to leave for the Sun Belt, but don't go posting something this ridiculous.

1. Nobody thinks that moving to the Sun Belt means the Bears will just waltz in and go bowling or move up to the Big XII.
2. FBS requires 15k average attendance, not 50k.
3. There are other FCS programs that are much more successful (obviously), but most are smaller schools in smaller markets that are geographically isolated from any BCS conference. NDSU is probably the most worthy program to move up of anybody, but it's not like there's any BCS conference out there that would actually want them right now.
4. Missouri State tends to draw an average somewhere between 8,000-10,000 people per game each season. Last season it was an 8,700 average. While that is not good enough for FBS, there are not even close to 50 FCS programs with better attendance.

1. The justification I'm seeing all over the place from SWOMO fans is that this move positions SWOMO for the upper echelon. If the Sun Belt is your desired peak it doesn't seem like this move has any reasoning behind it at all.
2. Refer to 1.
3. Geography doesn't matter for football. If you're good enough, they will take you
4. You're right, not even close, I was using hyperbole. The actual number is 35. My bad.

[tribecalledquest]

Again...I realize W's and L's may not matter but Mo. State isn't even good at FCS football. Not close.

Fans aren't showing up now to watch the Bears play UNI, EIU, or NDSU.

Are they going to show up and see the Bears lose even worse to Troy and Arkansas State?

That doesn't seem likely.

[Sir Sci]

I don't understand how SWOMO is so delusional as to think going to the Sun Belt will get them in line for a BCS invite. Springfield doesn't have 50k people to come to their football games, it's never going to happen. If I were to pick an FCS school to eventually make the leap to FBS and then BCS there are about 50 of them I would put ahead of SWOMO. Why aren't these 50 teams making the move? Is it because they don't have the "vision?" No, it's because they aren't stupid. Maybe SWOMO is making the move because they have nothing to lose. "Hey, if we go 0-13 for 5 straight years and average 4k fans a game, we'll just cancel our football program and no one will care."

You can think it's a poor idea for Missouri State to leave for the Sun Belt, but don't go posting something this ridiculous.

1. Nobody thinks that moving to the Sun Belt means the Bears will just waltz in and go bowling or move up to the Big XII.
2. FBS requires 15k average attendance, not 50k.
3. There are other FCS programs that are much more successful (obviously), but most are smaller schools in smaller markets that are geographically isolated from any BCS conference. NDSU is probably the most worthy program to move up of anybody, but it's not like there's any BCS conference out there that would actually want them right now.
4. Missouri State tends to draw an average somewhere between 8,000-10,000 people per game each season. Last season it was an 8,700 average. While that is not good enough for FBS, there are not even close to 50 FCS programs with better attendance.

The 8700 average is a complete...bold face...lie. I have photos from the UNI/MSU game. There was MAYBE 100 people there...MAYBE...

FCS programs that are at the top of the FCS...have been for the last decade or so

NDSU - isolated..Fargo has like 200K
UNI - less than 2 hours from 2 BCS schools and less than 5 from about 6 BCS schools...CF/Wloo is over 100 K and the 380 corridor has about a million
App State - NC has like 9 FBS programs
Georgia Southern - Georgia has 2 BCS programs, 2 other FBS programs, and like 4 or 5 FCS programs
Montana - isolated
Eastern Washington - shares a town, basically, with Washington State and Idaho.
JMU - not isolated at all
Delaware - not really all that isolated
SHSU - shares a state with about 50 other D1 football programs.

Most of what you said was completely false. I won't call it a lie...but it wasn't true.

Take it up with the NCAA then, because those are the official numbers they released with their annual attendance report last season. In case you don't know, attendance is determined by tickets sold. It also doesn't take into account how many students leave the game after halftime because they showed up to watch the band.

The official attendance numbers for every MSU home game last season:

Northwestern State 10,147
Central Arkansas 8,963
Illinois State 8,507
SDSU 12,312
Indiana State 6,648
UNI 5,621

That makes an average of 8,700 if you round up the decimal.

App State and Georgia Southern are already going to be Sun Belt members, so not relevant. If you'd pay attention, the rumors are that the Eastern Sun Belt teams want JMU, whereas the Western schools want Missouri State. So right there three of your examples are schools that are accounted for.

For the others let me clarify my statement. No other schools that may have had more success are close to FBS conferences that are looking to expand their membership, and are therefore isolated from conferences that are looking to add teams. UNI definitely has the success to justify moving, but what Northern or Midwest conference is looking to expand? The MAC certainly isn't after UMass withdrew, and the Big XII and B1G aren't going to just pick UNI up out of FCS.

Sam Houston State would make sense to move up before Missouri State, I will give you that one.