NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference is in the early stages of examining potential branding changes, and recently hired commissioner Karl Benson hinted at a possible new look when he took the podium for remarks at Monday’s football Media Day in New Orleans.

Unlike other conference staffers wearing clothing that featured the league’s current logo, Benson wore a shirt featuring almost-neon yellow lettering that spelled out SUN BELT in all capitals.

"There’s a little subliminal message there about the bright future for the Sun Belt Conference," Benson quipped. "Hopefully you got it."

TRANSITION YEAR

With Florida International and North Texas moving from the Sun Belt to Conference USA after the 2012-13 school year and Georgia State, Texas State and (as a non-football-playing member) Texas-Arlington all joining the league as of July 2013, the notion of chaos in the conference during the year ahead might seem like a possibility to some.

Not Benson, though.

"It’s a transition year. I’ve been through a lot of transition years in my previous position," the former WAC commissioner said.

"Even though it can be awkward," Benson added, "it can be very manageable and it can be very productive — and, unlike some other conferences that are having some acrimony and some contentiousness, the relationship that we’ve had, and expect to have, with North Texas and Florida International this coming year is business as usual."

As previously established by existing conference bylaws, Georgia State’s teams reportedly will not be eligible to win Colonial Athletic Association championships during its year of transition to the Sun Belt.

Other cases nationwide have resulted in litigation over exit issues.

WAC WOES

Benson said this week that because of ongoing conference realignment throughout the country, "one conference is in jeopardy of dissolving and not being in place for the 2014 (football) season."

That’s an apparent reference to his former conference, the WAC. All of its current football members except Idaho and New Mexico State will soon have new conference homes.

LOOKING AHEAD

The first games of the college football season involving Sun Belt teams have Middle Tennessee hosting McNeese State for a non-conference meeting on Aug. 30, a Thursday, and South Alabama hosting Texas-San Antonio in another non-conference affair the same date.

UL’s first game is Sept. 1, at home against Lamar.

Also playing before the Ragin’ Cajuns do is Florida Atlantic, which is host on Aug. 31 to Wagner, an FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) program from the New York City borough of Staten Island.