Great information over at Appstatenation.com

[GrassyNoleHitman]

http://www.appstatenation.com/

They ran a FOIA request to Ga Southern for any e-mails regarding conference expansion. most of it is Sunbelt related, but one thing stuck out to me as being more important than just the Belt.


Back in October/November, NMSU was pushing hard to get in to the Belt. they were lobbying Ga Southern as a potential partner to get in. By late December the Belt was lobbying Ga Southern and App State to come on board as a team.

IMHO, thanks to basketball, NMSU is far more valuable than Ga Southern, even with the travel difficulties they present. so why did the belt stop considering them? (or did NMSU stop pushing for belt membership?)


so i consulted my magic 8 ball on this. it told me that once Tulsa gets the Big East call-up, NMSU is next on deck for CUSA as a neat travel partner with UTEP.


obviously i have no inside information...but it seems like a logical way to connect those dots.

[Dawg06]

I sure hope NM State will be Tulsa's replacement. All indications are pointing to NM State and WKU being the next two schools on deck for C-USA membership.

[RealityCheck]

I sure hope NM State will be Tulsa's replacement. All indications are pointing to NM State and WKU being the next two schools on deck for C-USA membership.

UTEP should have veto power to block NMSU membership in this round. If UTEP has no objections, I would prefer NMSU over WKU. If UTEP objects, NMSU will be there if UTEP goes elsewhere or if another school follows Tulsa.

[StrayDawg]

Back in October/November, NMSU was pushing hard to get in to the Belt. they were lobbying Ga Southern as a potential partner to get in. By late December the Belt was lobbying Ga Southern and App State to come on board as a team.

IMHO, thanks to basketball, NMSU is far more valuable than Ga Southern, even with the travel difficulties they present. so why did the belt stop considering them? (or did NMSU stop pushing for belt membership?)

I also don't have any inside info, but this sure smells of Karl Benson politics. NMSU was a WAC team when it all fell apart. Isn't it true that there were some hard feelings between Benson and a few of the WAC teams during his final months? Then he takes over the Sunbelt and, instead of going with an existing D-1 team, he tries to get App State, who would have to come up to D-1A. That just doesn't feel right. Geography could have played a role, but NMSU would probably bring more overall money because of their TV deals and good basketball team.

Maybe it's just me thinking too much into it, but Benson seems shady enough to do something like that.

[Dawg06]

I also don't have any inside info, but this sure smells of Karl Benson politics. NMSU was a WAC team when it all fell apart. Isn't it true that there were some hard feelings between Benson and a few of the WAC teams during his final months? Then he takes over the Sunbelt and, instead of going with an existing D-1 team, he tries to get App State, who would have to come up to D-1A. That just doesn't feel right. Geography could have played a role, but NMSU would probably bring more overall money because of their TV deals and good basketball team.

Maybe it's just me thinking too much into it, but Benson seems shady enough to do something like that.

I don't know if it's personal for Benson or not. He's delayed sending out invites for now.

Remember Benson left the WAC for the Belch after the WAC presidents refused to give him a 4-year contract extension that would've taken him into retirement. Benson's contract with the WAC was due to expire in the summer of 2012, and that's why he left during the spring of 2012 for the Belch.

[PawDawg]

Benson is corrupt. His handling of Boise was all I needed to see.