http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3500305
The Sunbelt announced contracts to place teams in St. Petersburg, Birmingham, and Shreveport in the event that the SEC, Big 12, CUSA, or Big East conferences are unable to fulfill their contracts with a bowl eligible team. Why is this bad, it means that if Tech is bowl eligible to play in one of these regional bowls (Independence Bowl) and the Sunbelt also had an eligible team (say ULL) this bowls would have to choose the sunbelt team. While I certainly have nothing against Boise, New Mexico, or Hawaii these bowls are not assessable to a majority of Tech fans. That is why it is important to have regional tie-ins and the ability of fans to drive to their destination. Tech would have 5 times as many fans at a bowl game in Birmingham or Texas, than Boise and 15 times as many fans for a game in Shreveport.
It is also important when considering that for the past three years the current WAC alignment has produced 4 bowl eligible teams; it is likely that the WAC will continue to produce 4 or 5 bowl eligible teams each year. The last three years the WAC has been fortunate to have two BCS teams and a team picked up by the Liberty Bowl, allowing all bowl eligible teams postseason play. The WAC will need at least one pickup this year to keep that steak alive or a Bowl eligible team for the WAC will be setting at home.
Currently, these secondary contracts would not enable a team from the Sunbelt to jump a 7-5 from another conference. That could be important if the WAC were able to get 4 teams to 7-5.