Comments for WAC’s decline is Sun Belt’s gain at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 20 out of 20 comments http://www.theind.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:15:04 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-25310 Should I repeat myself? - WAC CHAMPS Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:10:00 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20435 I'm sorry WAC fans, but you just can't see it because you are in such denial. I agree that historically, the WAC has accomplished more than the SunBelt, and had better teams. Some of those teams started from not much and grew to prominence. BUT, those teams have left, and college football is a different thing now. Do not expect UTSA to go undefeated in a few years and win a BCS bowl. Not gonna happen. Any fans that think the WAC's future is brighter is delusional. They are moving backwards, while the SunBelt is moving forwards. I don't think any Sun Belt teams or fans would want back Idaho, Utah St, or NM St. And several schools from the Belt have already turned down the WAC, so that should tell you enough. - stAte Howl Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:28:37 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20302 Good article, as usual, from Dan. And the reponses indicate the football season can't get here soon enough. Ranking conferences is like ranking recruiting classes, fun enough, but it really should be done years after additions and subtractions take place. Clearly the WAC weathered a previous mass defection which created the MWC and produced an outstanding program in Boise State that followed economics and found a better place. The Sunbelt has yet to produce a BCS-Busting team but it will have more than enough opportunities to prove itself this fall. Namely, Illinois, Virginia Tech (ASU)Florida, Michigan State, Auburn(FAU)Florida State, TCU, Iowa (ULM) Purdue, Georgia Tech, Tennessee (MTSU)Clemson, Arkansas (Troy) Kentucky, LSU (WKU)and Oklahoma State, Arizona (Cajuns). It won't be easy...all but one of those games (Tech @ MTSU)is on the road. Not surprisingly, Sunbelt teams play only two teams from their "rival" conferences, both from the MAC: FIU @ Akron and Cajuns @ Kent State. - rambeaux rawlings Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:18:09 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20270 I can't believe people are actually trying to say that the WAC is in better shape than the Sun Belt! Seriously what is wrong with La Tech fans? La Tech pumped every resource they have into their football program at the expense of their other sports and have NOTHING to show for it. And now they get to play in a Conference that doesn't even have enough members to play football. The WAC is now a mixture of bad Sun Belt teams, bad Southland teams, and HUGE travel costs. I'll enjoy watching La Tech go down with the ship. - This Guy Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:46:19 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20227 Tech fanboys = delusional. - Louisiana84 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:07:12 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20220 Yeah, La Tech ruled the Sun Belt...all those All Sports trophies they won...oh wait...La Tech was in the Sun Belt for 11 years and never won the Bubas cup? Well at least they have all those conference football victories to show they're superiority...oh wait...La Tech never played football in the Sun Belt? Your notion that the wheels in the WAC will keep turning is the one that is "an illogical". You're right, Tech's program has gotten better due to association with the likes of Boise, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno. All those schools are leaving and none of the ones remaining are on the level of those leaving, so who are the greater programs who are going to build up the incoming programs? The WAC will fall beneath the Sun Belt and La Tech knows that they cannot remain in the WAC if they accept to continue their upward trajectory. La Tech cannot become the next Boise State because the new WAC will not produce another Boise State. CUSA currently has no vacancies and no need to expand. If CUSA finds itself looking for new schools, La Tech is far from a lock for an invite. CUSA passed Tech over once before and there are more than enough options out there that could result in Tech being passed over again. I think Tech has a fair shot at a spot in CUSA, but there's a list of about a half dozen schools who have just as good a shot and it's very possible that geography will play a key role in any future CUSA realignment. As long as CUSA is still viewed as a possibility, it's easy to dismiss the notion of Tech returning to the Sun Belt, but if CUSA passes over Tech once again, it will be time for the Tech administration to take a good hard look at which is the lesser of two evils between the WAC and the Sun Belt. - MTPiKapp Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:57:10 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20204 The notion that the Sun Belt has somehow gotten magically better because of the WAC’s restructuring is an illogical. The WAC is a conference of growth and development. Over the past 10 years the WAC has had some strong teams that have competed in, and won several BCS games. Tech being a part of the WAC has made its program stronger. Because of success of several WAC programs, some have been offered an invitation to be promoted to a larger conference. This had led to vacancies in the WAC that need to be filled. Some of the new schools don’t have football programs, but someday they will. And as the new programs are developed and succeed one day they move on to a larger conference. The Sun Belt on the other hand is a conference comprised of teams who make up the historical bottom 8 rungs of the NCAA FBS ladder. These same teams have been there for years, and are locked in proverbial NCAA FBS Dungun. Why would Tech want to join the Sun Belt? To resume its role as the big dog of the Sun Belt whose pee runs down on the ladder onto the bottom 8 rungs of the FBS? Tech ruled the Sun Belt for years, and moved on. Too bad this writer has not. Don’t be surprised when CUSA comes calling for Tech. - Shreveport Dave Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:10:50 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20200 To all the WAC apologists... The WAC will not rebound from this, not this decade. Enjoy 2011 when you will still have a shot at being ahead of the Sun Belt. In 2012, you will be the worst conference in the country there is no two ways about it. I find the comments about the Sun Belt membership from the UTSA fan beyond hilarious. UTSA has yet to play a snap of competitive football and you're talking trash about the Sun Belt membership? I find it especially hilarious that you mention Troy and Middle Tennessee who have combined for seven bowl appearances in the last five years. In that same time period, the members of the 2012 WAC have combined for three bowl appearances. - MTPiKapp Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:51:49 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20198 Like Greece, the only thing the WAC has left to hold on to is their history. - Green Jackal Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:07:11 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20196 Actually, your media market information is incorrect! North Texas is part of the Dallas (#5) market. We're in it for football, UTA only for basketball and non-revenue generated sports. Actually, put the product on the field and let's see who really wins. Schools such as Texas State barely beat Central Arkansas last year in the Southland....going to be a rough road for UTSA and TSU-SM, but we've been down that road before. Good Luck and have fun! - ArkansasEagle Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:26:36 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20194 To UTSA Alumni: You are only correct in one thing and that is the TV markets. However, you are missing the TV contracts and bowl tie ins. The WAC for 2011, has 3 bowl tie-in's. Its TV contract has been cut in half. In 2012 and beyond, the WAC has ONE BOWL TIE-IN. While the Sun Belt is up for a new TV deal next year and it has THREE BOWL TIE-IN'S. I am glad the see USTA start football. However you are way off base on where the fit is better money wise!! - Lafitte the Pirate Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:52:05 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20179 The author of this article needs to get a shovel because he is buried in BS. I would never want to play in the Sunbelt. Their schools have the least name recognition of any conference in the nation. South Alabama...Troy...Middle Tennessee...Little Rock...Really?!! The WAC has four schools in the nation's top 20 TV markets. Dallas #5, Bay Area #6, Seattle #14, Denver #18. In the top 50, the WAC has two more to add, Salt Lake City #33 and San Antonio #37. The Sunbelt has only one school in the top 50, Miami at #16. Wow Sunbelt! I bet there is a bidding War brewing with the sports channels over your next TV contract! Lol. With Larry Coker(btw, he won a national championship) coaching our team, I'm very optimistic about our future. Its quite possible we'll be the next Boise State in the near future. The Southland Conference good for us but we had to move up. The WAC is a much better fit for us than the Sunbelt. ULL and North Texas should defect from the Sunbelt and join the WAC. Travel-wise, that would make it easier for me to attend road football games. - UTSA_Roadrunners_Alumni Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:05:16 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20172 Really Dwight? You are going to reference a LA Tech alum and his thoughts on where Loser Tech should be? Again...you guys keep trying to fire back from these flat out truths by stating that "oh yeah?? The WAC had Boise St. and Nevada...and Hawaii!". Who cares? You don't have them now. Quit living in denial. The articles are being written by non-Sunbelt alum because the can see without their blinders on. Even UTSA and Texas State fans know that a Sunbelt offer would have been far more attractive to them. No to Loser Tech being in the Sunbelt. The can take their apexed when Terry played school and stay on the H.M.S. WacTanic and I will smile when she slips beneath the surface and LA Tech either comes begging and/or goes to the Southland. Don't even think for a NY second that CUSA wants you. - LA Tech is comical Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:39:11 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20169 Only Sunbelt fanboys currently put the Sunbelt above the WAC. The WAC's history has a much better resume than the Sunbelt's. A football national champion (BYU) and consistently competitive football and basketball teams that crack the top 25 annually. The Sunbelt has been unable to do that in its entire existence. Even with the MWC gutting the WAC, the WAC still has better teams than the Sunbelt and will have more success this decade. The WAC has a culture of taking I-AA or other lesser known schools and turning them into great ranked programs (Boise State & Nevada). The Sunbelt has never done that and probably won't in the near future. Even Terry Bradshaw has said the gutted WAC is still superior to the Sunbelt. Google it and you will find his quotes. - Dwight Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:40:07 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20167 Any delay in Sun Belt expansion is good. Louisiana Tech and Texas State would probably have been chosen if the Sunbelt were to have added two teams this past year and that would have been a huge mistake. UTSA just needs a couple of years to build a program in this developmental league and then will be well prepared to move up. La Tech is a tiny school, has no market value, and would only be another mouth to feed. UTSA and Texas State are both huge schools in new markets that would enhance the Sunbelt package. - Bexar Necessities Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:12:40 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20166 Go WAC. No, really, go. It's time for your break. - Random Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:54:32 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20164 Funny how La Tech has spurned a return the Sun Belt, and now finds itself in basically a revamped Southland. Talk about taking a fall. That, and the fact that Van de Velde is talking academics coming from La Tech, affectionately referred to as the Stanford of Ruston, is hilarious. - North Texan Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:36:43 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20161 @Inu(tech) Well you're definitely in that race now! I agree the WAC wasn't a bottom 3 conference before. In fact it was debatable whether WAC or MWC were stronger some years. - O'RLY Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:03:31 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20160 "Until this year, the WAC, Sun Belt and the MAC could all make legitimate arguments in the race for 11th place among the 11 NCAA FBS (formerly I-A) conferences." Really? With 3 BCS bowls, 3 teams in the top 25 last year, and something like 8-4 against the MWC last season? The WAC may be headed for worst conference honors in two years (Hawaii, Fresno, and Nevada will still be there this year), but we haven't really been "in the race" so far. - Inu Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:17:42 +0100 http://www.theind.com/lifestyle/indextra/87-indextra/8722-wacs-decline-is-sun-belts-gain#comment-20156 Good article. Only one comment: South Alabama already has football and just needs to move up to FBS status which it'll do by 2013. They've fast-tracked their program and will be by-passing the FCS (1-AA) level. - Farbar Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:37:42 +0100