Football: Sun Belt takes big hit with more defections

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, November 29, 2012

During the months that followed their 2011 New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State, and well into the ongoing 2012 season Ragin’ Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth could be heard from one corner to the next — and even on national TV — extolling the virtues of the Sun Belt Conference.

Not anymore.

Hudspeth reacted with frustration to multiple reports Wednesday both Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic have accepted invitations to leave the SBC and follow North Texas and Florida International to Conference USA.

"I love where I’m at," Hudspeth said when asked if he’s comfortable being the head coach of a program in a conference seemingly mired in no-man’s land on an ever-changing college football map.

"I just hope that, as a university, we can have enough foresight to put us in a position to be successful, and put us in a position to compete nationally in recruiting, and put us in a position to be able to financially make it against these other universities that are gonna be making a lot of money with these new conferences."

North Texas’ and FIU’s intentions were known prior to this season.

MTSU and FAU’s defections to C-USA come on the heels of news earlier this week that both East Carolina (as a football-only member) and Tulane are leaving for the Big East, which is losing Syracuse, Pitt and now Louisville to the ACC and Rutgers to the Big 10.

"As strong as this conference (the Sun Belt) was this year, I really thought this conference had really turned the corner and was gonna be one of the top up-and-coming conferences," Hudspeth after practice Wednesday night.

"It’s obviously disappointing from a sister university in this conference to see all these other teams leaving," the UL coach added, "because now you look at what’s left, and there’s not even many teams left."

By the time MTSU and FAU depart in 2014 — if they don’t end up exiting earlier than initially anticipated — the Sun Belt will be down to eight football-playing programs, including UL, UL Monroe, Arkansas State, Troy, Western Kentucky and current first-year member South Alabama.

Transitioning FCS programs Texas State, now in the WAC for one season, and Georgia State will start football play next year as replacements for North Texas and FIU.

But where the Sun Belt turns now is anyone’s best guess.

Conference president Karl Benson apologetically said via email Wednesday that he’d be "more than happy to talk," but only after an official announcement comes from Middle Tennessee and/or FAU.

(Both expected today.)

A Sun Belt spokesman said Wednesday that the conference would have no statement on the matter "for the time being," and a UL spokesman said the Cajuns’ response to developments wouldn’t come until today at the earliest.

Amid widespread speculation Western Kentucky could soon be the next to leave the Sun Belt, WKU did issue a joint statement from university president Gary Ransdell and athletics director Todd Stewart saying, in part, "Conference re-alignment is an ongoing and fluid process," and that, "We continually monitor and analyze all of the many dynamics and variables involved."

The SBC could consider ex-member New Mexico State (if Conference USA doesn’t get it next) and/or Idaho, though both members of the disintegrating WAC were ruled out earlier this year because they didn’t fit in the conference’s current geographic footprint.

"I think what we have to do is see where the dust settles and see what is in the best interest long term," Troy chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. told the Dothan (Ala.) Eagle on Wednesday.

"If we invite any institution to fill a spot, we have to go after similar programs that make up the Sun Belt," Hawkins added. "One of the more important things in my mind is the geographic foot print."

That footprint, it should be noted, is now losing two states, Florida and Tennessee, leaving it only Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia.

The Sun Belt could alternatively turn to any number of current FCS (Football Championship Series, formerly NCAA Division 1-AA) programs previously considered, including but not necessarily limited to Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Lamar and Sam Houston State.

But at least one current SBC head coach doesn’t like that idea one bit.

"I’m not favoring turning this into a ‘take-all-the-1AA’ league," Hudspeth said. "I’m not interested in that route whatsoever.

"I don’t know what the future is gonna hold for this conference. But they better make some decisions pretty quick.

"I just hope that we (the Cajuns) have been as aggressive as we can be, and I trust that we are making decisions that are best for our university," he added. "But I know that this has not been good for our conference, if you ask me."