U New Orleans athletics apparently saved

[star2city]

U of New Orleans athletics is willed $50 million - probably saves it as a DI school

Oklahoma and LSU didn't need the money.

New Orleans likely dropping to DIII

The $50 million UNO thought they might receive appears to be more like $7 million.

Two Louisiana schools (UNO and Centenary) dropping to DIII.

Rumor has it that Tulane is considering it also.

[GeauxSioux]

I talked to two of my wife's cousins, both UNO grads, a couple of months ago and they were excited about the possibilities with the infusion of money from the donor and the Hornet's owner pledging his help. They are huge Privateer basketball fans and were on board with the football going from club to a fully funded sport. I'm sure they will be quite disappointed, as they really felt UNO was on the rebound from Katrina.

Hey, there will be an opening in the Sunbelt. UND to the Sunbelt.

[MplsBison]

Makes sense. Most people in NO care about the Saints, Hornets, LSU and Tulane.

Now that the Belt would be dropping down to 12 members, will Denver still consider leaving?

Ark State - UALR, FAU - FIU, ULL - ULM, MTSU - WKU, USA - Troy, North Texas - Denver?

I guess if Denver and UNO left, this would be TX State's shot to pair up with UNT in the Belt.

[star2city]

Makes sense. Most people in NO care about the Saints, Hornets, LSU and Tulane.

Now that the Belt would be dropping down to 12 members, will Denver still consider leaving?

Ark State - UALR, FAU - FIU, ULL - ULM, MTSU - WKU, USA - Troy, North Texas - Denver?

I guess if Denver and UNO left, this would be TX State's shot to pair up with UNT in the Belt.

Denver must either decide to sponsor the minimum number of SunBelt sports (14) or leave: Denver is choosing to leave.

UNO wouldn't be able to afford the minimum number of DI sports.

The SunBelt will be at 11 members, with only UALR not playing football. Soon too be FBS UTSA and Georgia St might have better shots than Tx State, but the Belt really doesn't need more teams.

[MplsBison]

Oh Denver did decide to leave? Can you provide the link to the announcement please?

[star2city]

Oh Denver did decide to leave? Can you provide the link to the announcement please?

YOu can search for it in this forum. There's an article stating Denver does not intend to meet the SunBelt requirements and must have a new conference by 2012-13.

[MplsBison]

Hmm...nope. It wasn't on here that I could find.

[UND1983]

Makes sense. Most people in NO care about the Saints, Hornets, LSU and Tulane.

Now that the Belt would be dropping down to 12 members, will Denver still consider leaving?

Ark State - UALR, FAU - FIU, ULL - ULM, MTSU - WKU, USA - Troy, North Texas - Denver?

I guess if Denver and UNO left, this would be TX State's shot to pair up with UNT in the Belt.

I am sure if they needed a team they would look at NDSU. JBB says that the exposure the SunBelt would get having the Fargo market would be huge for the conference.

[MafiaMan]

I have to believe that Douple is salivating at the thought of adding Denver and UND to the Summit and giving Centenary the boot.

20 years after his heyday in the NBA and I still think immediately of "Robert Parish" whenever I read or see the word "Centenary."

[MplsBison]

Yeah but there are too many DI schools in Louisiana as it is. The state is obviously dominated by LSU in every corner.

Plus you have Tech in the WAC, Monroe and Layfayette in the SunBelt and Tulane in CUSA, then Southeastern, Nicholls, McNeese and Northwestern in the Southland and Southern and Grambling in the SWAC.

Louisiana only has about 4 million people.

[Sec322]

YOu can search for it in this forum. There's an article stating Denver does not intend to meet the SunBelt requirements and must have a new conference by 2012-13.

Hmm...nope. It wasn't on here that I could find.

While the Sun Belt has introduced stricter membership requirements, they do NOT have any penalties listed in their by-laws about expelling a school, if they do not meet those new requirements.

But it is clear that the writing is on the wall for Denver. It is not a good fit for the Sun Belt. They want to get into the WCC, not happening. Big Sky if they allow non football members makes sense. Denver won't think about the Summit.

[MplsBison]

While the Sun Belt has introduced stricter membership requirements, they do NOT have any penalties listed in their by-laws about expelling a school, if they do not meet those new requirements.

But it is clear that the writing is on the wall for Denver. It is not a good fit for the Sun Belt. They want to get into the WCC, not happening. Big Sky if they allow non football members makes sense. Denver won't think about the Summit.

And again I ask, where are the articles from Denver media or even the UDenver SID annoucing that Denver will not be staying in the SunBelt?

I think they've looked around and have seen that they can't get into the WCC and their only other option is to join Northern Colorado in the Big Sky, IF they can get in.

[bincitysioux]

Denver to the Summit makes lots of sense. Easy travel, big market, no football, TV options. Isn't it odd that the Sun Belt's deadline coincides with the expiration of the NCAA moratorium? 5 sports to add is quite a financial burden.

[MplsBison]

Denver to the Summit makes lots of sense. Easy travel, big market, no football, TV options. Isn't it odd that the Sun Belt's deadline coincides with the expiration of the NCAA moratorium? 5 sports to add is quite a financial burden.

Yeah but they could call the SunBelt's bluff and see if they really do kick them out or not. I'm betting the SubBelt is hoping Denver leaves, rather than having to actually kick them out.

Now that New Orleans is going DIII, the Belt is at 12 with 10 football members. Not bad. Otherwise, if Denver leaves they're going to have to add UTSA or Texas State (or possibly both). Not sure if North Texas would allow that.

Don't get me wrong, I would be OK with taking in Denver in the Summit. But my ideal goal would be getting rid of the mountain time zone schools and bringing in the footprint to the midwest and great lakes.

[star2city]

Yeah but they could call the SunBelt's bluff and see if they really do kick them out or not. I'm betting the SubBelt is hoping Denver leaves, rather than having to actually kick them out.

Here's the article that you were too lazy to search for:

DU Clarion: Denver in search of a new conference

Plainly stated in this thread: Denver being forced out of SunBelt

The Sunbelt gave them five years to find another conference in order to save DU the embarrassment of being kicked out.

The Sunbelt was the league that evicted Texas-Pan Am. They are fully capable of kicking out another team, especially one that refuses to abide by league by-laws.

[MplsBison]

Hmm...the thing that sticks out to me about the DU student newspaper article is that none of the quotes from the AD explicitly state this: "Denver is leaving the Sun Belt".

Why not? Why isn't that explicit quote published anywhere?

[MplsBison]

New Orleans is going DIII: http://www.wbrz.com/news/uno-to-drop-athle...division-three/

So assuming this happens and Denver leaves, the Sun Belt will look like:

Ark State (FB)

Ark Little Rock

LA - Lafayette (FB)

LA - Monroe (FB)

North Texas (FB)

?

Troy (FB)

South Alabama (FB...SunBelt in a few years)

Western Kentucky (FB)

Middle Tennessee (FB)

Florida Atlantic (FB)

Florida International (FB)

Looks like they would have an opening for either Texas State, UT-San Antonio or Lamar. Then you would think that the Southland would FINALLY have to throw UT-Pan American a bone...right?

I also see no reason why Little Rock couldn't start football, with Memorial stadium right there. They can always play on the road when the Razorbacks are in town. Highly doubt big Arkansas would let that happen, though.

[star2city]

Looks like they would have an opening for either Texas State, UT-San Antonio or Lamar. Then you would think that the Southland would FINALLY have to throw UT-Pan American a bone...right?

I also see no reason why Little Rock couldn't start football, with Memorial stadium right there. They can always play on the road when the Razorbacks are in town. Highly doubt big Arkansas would let that happen, though.

UT-SA is aiming for CUSA: they and Charlotte might get in directly as FBS newbies if the Big East steals Memphis and UCF.

Arkansas doesn't want to play any games in War Memorial anymore, but still doubt UALR would start football. UCA isn't that far away in Conway, and UALR, which has the UA Med School, would need approval from UA Regents.

If a new Atlantic FBS conference starts, could see FIU and FAU leaving for that. A conference like this would exceed the Sunbelt in no time:

Delaware

James Madison

Old Dominion

Liberty

Appalachian St

Charlotte

Ga State

Ga Southern

FIU

FAU

(with many other possiblities: UMASS, Stony Brook, Temple, Jacksonville St, Youngstown St, Kennesaw State, Coastal Carolina)

[MplsBison]

That conference does look pretty strong, Star.

The UALR thing is definitely a reach, but UCA isn't a factor. Little Rock is very strongly Razorback country. The city probably wouldn't even care if UALR started FBS football in Memorial. But Fayetteville would not allow it.

[GeauxSioux]

Instead of adding a new topic, I thought this was good a place as any... Cuts to higher education could shutter some campuses

Members of the Senate