That's RIGHT!!!! The Vandals and Aggies are back in the 'Belt baby!!!!!!
Yes, Yes...I didn't forget about you App State and Georgia Southern. I intend to do a blog about your addition as well at some point this week. But first I gotta take care of some business first...this is personal.
Well, well, well....Idaho and New Mexico State...how's it been? It's been what? ...ten years? TEN YEARS since you last played football in the Sun Belt. 2004. A lot of things have changed and happened since the 2004 season. Some notable things to consider:
-Enormous tsunami devastates Asia; 200,000 killed
-US officials hands power over to the Iraq government
-Gay marriages begin in Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize such unions
-In May 2004, the national average gas prices rose above $2 a gallon for the first time.
-The sporting champions of that year:
Super Bowl
New England d. Carolina (32–29)World Series
Boston d. St. Louis (4–0)NBA Championship
Detroit d. Los Angeles (4–1)Stanley Cup
Tampa Bay d. Calgary (4–3)NCAA Basketball Championship
Connecticut d. Georgia Tech (82–73)NCAA Football Champions
Southern California-Lord of the Rings wins Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards, and among the notable celebrities dropping dead includes Marlon Brando, Ronald Reagan, Yasir Arafat, Ray Charles, and Christopher Reeve just to name a few.
(If you're interested what else happened in 2004, Read more at:) Top News Stories from 2004 | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/year/2004.html#ixzz36EAziZhR
After the conclusion of the 2004 season and in the midst of ALL that, you both took off like a bat in the night for the WAC. Now I didn't hold it against ya both at the time (ESPECIALLY YOU IDAHO). Better geographic fit and with Boise State starting to ascend the ladder of strength, it appeared that the WAC was a stronger conference than the Belt, who at the point in time was admitting Troy as full members, as well as bringing in the "F_Us" (to those not familiar with Belt fan lingo, that's a quick way of discussing both Florida Atlantic and Florida International). Both at the time were extremely young, unproven programs and I bet if you were ask many at the time which conference would cease sponsoring football, no doubt the majority of those asked would've responded "SUNBELT."
NOOOOOPPPPEEEE.
Despite Boise State becoming juggernauts, the majority of the WAC struggled in conference play with Hawaii and Nevada towards the heyday becoming one hit wonders. In fact, New Mexico State! Some of your best average attended games and most victories within the last 15 years came during the 'Belt years!
Sunbelt Years: 2001-2004
2001: 5-7
2002: 7-5
2003: 3-9
2004: 5-6
43% winning average
The Aggies first season in the WAC...they went 0-12. The most victories they had in their nearly nine year stint as WAC members was four victories...total. Also consider this little tidbit: They're last season in the SBC (2004) their average attendance was 16,069 (which according to NCAA records was a change of -6,094 from the season before). In 2005, the average dropped to 12,557-you can do the math on that drop. Though the Aggies attendance did ultimately rebound as the seasons rolled on, no doubt when they were more competitive in the Belt, interest was higher.
Ultimately, I think it's good to have the Aggies back in the Belt for football. Yeah they're a little too west for some's liking, but they've got potential to rebound and be competitive. Ultimately in my eyes, the addition of NMSU will only be a solid get if the 'Belt adds them as full members-whether they will be added as full members remains to be seen. I'd be willing to bet they're success (or lack) will be a factor, as well as if they're postseason basketball success continues.
Idaho....Idaho...What good thing can be said about Idaho being in the 'Belt?
....Least they're not UMASS??
......just shaking my head thinking about the idea of IDAHO being a SUN BELT MEMBER 21st century. What's even more crazier to contemplate is the fact that THEY'RE BACK in the Sunbelt AGAIN!! I mean it made more sense back in the early thousands-the 'Belt was still a young, fledgling football conference and quite frankly would've probably took the University of Alaska if they were division I. Though the consensus is that the Sunbelt is still among the least regarded leagues in college football, knowledgeable college football fans know that the conference has grown stronger and competitive as the seasons gone on. With that rise to stability, they became more geographically located, spanning north-central Texas to south Florida. But with the realignment and all these teams moving across the board it's like deja'vu that the conference went back to the old bread and butter and got the first (and only) division I school available to pick up.
Now Vandals...I like ya. I have a strange fascination with the Kibbie Dome in all it's wonder and extreme compactness. If only you dudes could switch spots with say...Kansas...Colorado. I think everything would be peachy keen. But coming back to reality, your closest conference member is Texas State, with a flight time being right at 5 1/2 hours. (For those hardcore Vandals/Bobcats fans that wanna road trip it up that is a roughly 31 hours, nearly 2,000 miles...one trip).
I completely sympathize with your plight Idaho nation-you've hit a rut in terms of success on the field, with the WAC gone their's no real viable conference for you guys to join and after all the work to move up to FBS level, the remote thought of having to drop back down to the FCS level seems like a PR nightmare. Unless the miraculous happens and Idaho either can negotiate to switch spots with another state or even more miraculously a new division league is created in the western part of the country...the future of Vandal football in the belt will not be a lengthy one I imagine.
Predictions:
- New Mexico State, barring a conference raiding the Mountain West, will be full members in the Sunbelt eventually.
- The University Presidents representing all the conference members will be waiting to see if James Madison changes their mind (highly doubt), if EKU and/or Missouri State improve their facilities and get the necessary approval and support to move up Division I.
- Which ever of the three scenarios mentioned above occurs, you'll quickly see them filling the Idaho Spot.
- Idaho will have an extremely hard decision to make-return to competing as an Independent or dropping down to the Big Sky Conference (which is where all their other sports are). I would bet they'll give the Independent a try as long as possible.
- Divisions will be as such if Missouri State and EKU Joins: (WEST: Arkansas State, ULM, UL-Lafayette, Texas State, New Mexico State & Missouri State. EAST: Troy, South Alabama, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Eastern Kentucky and Appalachian State).
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