Some of you seem to think UL and ULM may have prevented La. Tech from being invited to join the SBC. I would disagree. IMO, There were several factors that came into play, some of which may eventually change. Here are some of the factors that may not have been discussed on this forum previously:
- The eastern teams have been clamoring for the add of former FCS rival schools for some time now, including Marshall and James Madison. As I am sure many of you are aware, Marshall and App was pushing hard for their add.
- JMU is a school that the conference wanted in the last realignment, but it was not ready. They have a large athletic budget and a traditional rivalry with other eastern schools. They also have good support for their programs. Even as an FCS school, football attendance is typically well over 20K.
- I believe that Marshall and App drove the inclusion of ODU. For Marshall, it could have been an all 3 or nothing deal.
- There were rumors that Marshall may have been trying to organize the eastern SBC and C-USA schools to start an east coast league. (not sure how serious it was) The schools added to the SBC effectively removed this as an option.
- IMO, the McClelland interview from last year hurt La. Tech's chances from schools in the conference (other than UL and ULM) the most. I think UL and ULM would have voted for La. Tech to be added for political reasons, but other schools (like Arkansas State) had no such obligation. Since the administration did nothing to refute what McClelland said, I guess the other schools probably assumed that it was the official position of La. Tech. I think most conferences would not wish to add a school that openly expressed distain for the conference.
- Having 3 schools from Louisiana was also not especially appealing.
- Adding USM was a no-brainer. The west schools like UL, ULM, ASU, and USA were anxious to get a local rival, and ULM fits the bill perfectly. They also openly publicly expressed a strong desire to join the belt.
Things change rapidly in Conference realignment these days, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility. For example, if Texas State were to get an invitation to join the MWC, then I expect La. Tech might be a strong candidate to replace them, if they would publicly express a desire to join the SBC. Also, if UTA and UALR were to leave, the conference might decide to go to 16 full time members. No apology would be necessary but perhaps a rebuke of what McClelland said about the Belt might be helpful. To me, it seems like McClelland screwed the pooch as he was planning his exit from La Tech. Sometimes it is better to say nothing rather than alienate those who you may need help from in the future.
Good luck in whatever path La. Tech chooses.