Why we won't get into the Belt

[altadawg]

Allow me to put forth some information that will undoubtably get a few of you fired up. While Tech may be trying to be 'cool and coy' about whether or not we want to even talk to the Belt, I have received info that the Belt may not want us.

Some of you think we can treat these guys like crap and still get in whenever we want. After all,

Why would the Sun Belt not want:
Rebuilt baseball facility with one of the top up and coming coaches
Top-4 most storied Basketball program in Women's history that is still a major player
Normally competitive Football team that recently won a conference title and played in a bowl game


Because...
No major boost in season ticket sales / overall attendance in comparison to Belt schools?
No major facilities upgrades in several years that are on par or below many Belt schools?
No long-term plan that is stated or has been given publicly
Lack of a strong Foundation to raise $$$?
Awful non-revenue sports (tennis, golf, etc) with a very bleak future?
Terrible relationship with home-town businesses?
Dwindiling relationship between current President / AthDir & Alum / Donors

I will stop there though I could go on. Some of the same reasons we were embarassed beyond belief by CUSA.

Somebody in that Ivory tower and in that TAC had better start getting their act together before I and others completely lose our cool. I have had just about enough.

[altadawg]

Some of you think we hit rock bottom last Friday. You have no idea how far we can still fall.

Could you image how ugly it would be when the WAC( not if, when) decides we are not right for their conference anymore and we get rejected by the Belt?

If we don't get serious about our future we will have no choice to return to Independent.

[sportkid]

Alta,
What is your point? Right now, the Sun Belt needs us more than we need them. If we need them, then they will gladly accept us. Every single school in the Belt knows that adding Louisiana Tech would be beneficial to their league. We could tell the Sun Belt to kiss our ass and they would still gladly take us. They need warm bodies right now. I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about us. You are right about us being lacking in all of those areas but right now, we are still a value to the Belt. What you heard was just posturing by a league trying to act proud. I'm not convinced nor do I really care.

SK

[CARTEK]

You don't get it...market was the sole stated reason for our uninvite to CUSA...the unstated reason was that Memphis, UAB, and USM did not want to recruit against us, period! Some of you can continue to believe it hinged on a multitude of reasons...but you are wrong!

[altadawg]

You don't get it...market was the sole stated reason for our uninvite to CUSA...the unstated reason was that Memphis, UAB, and USM did not want to recruit against us, period! Some of you can continue to believe it hinged on a multitude of reasons...but you are wrong!

I said SOME of the reasons for rejection. Of course Market size and recruiting factored in. But if you believe they were the only reasons you are wrong!

It doesn't matter anyway. What does matter is that the WAC is going to kick us out(unless we go broke first) and we will be crawling back to the Belt. So, lets do it now while we are still dominate (compared to WAC schools) and likely to get an invite.

The only thing I know for sure; The longer we wait to engage with Waters and the Belt, the more likely we are to get SNUBBED by Belt.

[CARTEK]

...oh, the damned sky is falling again!

[Cal&Ken]

We will not be snubbed by the belt. We will do the snubbing - we will not request to be part of them.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

We will not be snubbed by the belt. We will do the snubbing - we will not request to be part of them.

Exactly!

[altadawg]

I'm hoping common sense and intelligence prevails..Some of you have lost your minds.

Just for the record, today I believe we would be the Sun Belt's first choice. TODAY, we have the WAC and the BELT in a position to take EXTREME ADVANTAGE OF THIS SITUATION. All we have to do is swap with U of Idaho, and this move would cost almost nothing!!

Wait too long, and the move will be OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE.

You will see. Look for Bensen and Waters to turn the heat up on us real soon folks. Wait too long, and we will be sorry for a generation to come.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

You need a serious break before you break ALTADAWG! Enjoy the weekend.

[Dawgbitten]

I would just like for Dan Reneau to address the issue of our uninvite to the CUSA. The silence is deafening.

[Memdawg]

I'm hoping common sense and intelligence prevails..

You must have forgotten that this is Tech we are dealing with here!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[TECH88]

I would just like for Dan Reneau to address the issue of our uninvite to the CUSA. The silence is deafening.

He'll never address it, he would have done it by now if he had any intentions on telling us. Remember, stealth and secrecy are how we do business at Tech.

[arkstfan]

Altadawg, get some yellow paper and sell that post as a booklet "Alta Notes on La.Tech and conference realignment" or "Realignment for Dummies".

Some additions you can make.

"La.Tech has to contact us" TRANSLATION "We're not doing anything to contact Tech that can be spread in the media until we know they want to be a serious candidate."

"I have had no contact with La.Tech" TRANSLATION "I've not talked with anyone at La.Tech. If you were paying attention you will remember when Thompson was commissioner that the Sun Belt didn't contact FIU when they first joined. FIU's president called UNO's chancellor who happened to be president of the Sun Belt. UNO's president dealt one-on-one with the rest of the SBC presidents, when they were on board, the file went to the league office to go through the expansion process. Tech could be in hourly contact with other SBC schools but until everyone is ready, I can deny contact."

We all know that Monroe isn't knocking itself out to get in the Belt, they are in a super compact league for basketball and non-revenue sports. The only reason ULM would want full membership is because they are afraid that Tech would try to boot them, but the league wants a 4-4 schedule so ULM is safe as long as there isn't another viable school in the region to be #9. The conference wouldn't care if ULM ever became a full member if not for the fact they need one more full I-A member to keep the seats on Board of Directors and Management Council. That has to be done before July 1 so there will be no full invite to ULM until either #1. La.Tech makes it known through the back channels that they have made their mind up to join or #2 We get to around June 15 and don't have decision and have to wrap it up by inviting ULM.

[PlummMeanGreen]

We will not be snubbed by the belt. We will do the snubbing - we will not request to be part of them.

So yall are going to be the "snubber" and the 'Belt the snubbee?

NON SMACK MODE:

Granted, you all should do whats best for your overall athletic program but for darn sure don't be guilty of burning the barn down to kill the mouse on all this non BCS conference re-alignment charade; after all, neither of our schools were hardly spurned by a Big 12 type conference recently.

CUSA is still in an unsettled way with Memphis and ECU making apparent noises of wanting out and Rice talking about dropping football. Would any of us want to be in what was left knowing that CUSA still may be unsettled even after those kind of losses?

The majority of UNT'ers I've heard or read are good with the idea of having La Tech in the 'Belt to help us build onto something still merely 3 years old yet a league we really think is "build-able" and has more than just potential.

Think about this: 2 years ago what did most of us think of the MAC? 2 years from now what could some think of the Sun Belt? I think what it took the MAC years and years to do the SBC will cut more than just in half with a similar success.

I do think some (not all) of you posters on BB&B have made Wright Waters seem to be the 2'nd coming of Lucifer, but he is not that at all. If any of you sat down long enough with the man you'd soon find out that he is quite level thinking and most stable for a non BCS conference commissioner for what they've all had to put up with in recent years.