As part of an introduction to Herd Nation I wanted to make a post sharing some of my thoughts on the Sun Belt Conference since I have covered schools within the conference.
For me, it all started in 2007. This was before the split that sent several schools to CUSA. At that time, the conference wasn't well thought of and only had one bowl game because of that - the New Orleans Bowl - and you had to win the conference in order to make that trip. I can remember rumblings that teams were leaving the conference, and CUSA began popping up as a potential destination for those teams.
Lo and behold that split happened. The SBC then went to work to stabilize the conference when teams like Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, FAU, and FIU left the conference. They ended up adding Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, and Appalachian State.
That did offer stability to the conference, and those teams helped to elevate the perception of the conference. Over time additional bowl games were added and SBC teams were quite successful in those bowl games against opponents from other G5 conferences. During that time I was able to attend several of those bowl games and the cities that hosted them all had great things to say about the revenue their cities experienced due to the bowl games and how well the SBC fan bases traveled to them. The one city that I didn't find this true in was New Orleans.
It wasn't that fans didn't travel to New Orleans. If your team plays there and you have the funds available to go, you go. The issue at the time was the Sugar Bowl. That was the big draw for New Orleans.
I can remember going to New Orleans when Arkansas State played several years back. People would notice you weren't from there and would ask what brought you to town. NUMEROUS times when I responded with "I'm here for the bowl game" I was met with "You came down early. The Sugar Bowl isn't for another two weeks!".
It was like that bowl game was irrelevant to the town down there.
Meanwhile, I attended bowl games in all three Alabama locations, and those towns absolutely loved it when bowl week came. They rolled out the red carpet and you know the two teams in town that week were the big names in town.
Now, the SBC has expanded once again, adding Marshall, ODU, Southern Miss, and JMU.
Since that expansion the level of competition in NUMEROUS sports has elevated the entire conference to a new level. There was a time when the SBC was perceived as the worst G5 conference in the country. Not so much any more. I'm hearing more and more people say we may in fact be the best G5 conference in the country now.
Of course the AAC snobs would differ on that (remind me to tell you all about the time I nearly got into a fight in an AAC press box because I got tired of one of their media member's smart mouths) but the facts are our teams have competed against and beaten some of their best teams. Even with as bad as Arkansas State was last year it took an implosion by the Red Wolves before Memphis was able to beat them late in the game.
For a guy that has covered this conference for 15 years I am excited to see where the conference is today, and where it will continue to go moving forward. I believe the conference leadership is doing a great job and they understand what they have to do to keep this conference at the forefront of the G5 landscape.
Now, lets get to the 2023 football season and see how things work out this year!
For me, it all started in 2007. This was before the split that sent several schools to CUSA. At that time, the conference wasn't well thought of and only had one bowl game because of that - the New Orleans Bowl - and you had to win the conference in order to make that trip. I can remember rumblings that teams were leaving the conference, and CUSA began popping up as a potential destination for those teams.
Lo and behold that split happened. The SBC then went to work to stabilize the conference when teams like Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, FAU, and FIU left the conference. They ended up adding Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, and Appalachian State.
That did offer stability to the conference, and those teams helped to elevate the perception of the conference. Over time additional bowl games were added and SBC teams were quite successful in those bowl games against opponents from other G5 conferences. During that time I was able to attend several of those bowl games and the cities that hosted them all had great things to say about the revenue their cities experienced due to the bowl games and how well the SBC fan bases traveled to them. The one city that I didn't find this true in was New Orleans.
It wasn't that fans didn't travel to New Orleans. If your team plays there and you have the funds available to go, you go. The issue at the time was the Sugar Bowl. That was the big draw for New Orleans.
I can remember going to New Orleans when Arkansas State played several years back. People would notice you weren't from there and would ask what brought you to town. NUMEROUS times when I responded with "I'm here for the bowl game" I was met with "You came down early. The Sugar Bowl isn't for another two weeks!".
It was like that bowl game was irrelevant to the town down there.
Meanwhile, I attended bowl games in all three Alabama locations, and those towns absolutely loved it when bowl week came. They rolled out the red carpet and you know the two teams in town that week were the big names in town.
Now, the SBC has expanded once again, adding Marshall, ODU, Southern Miss, and JMU.
Since that expansion the level of competition in NUMEROUS sports has elevated the entire conference to a new level. There was a time when the SBC was perceived as the worst G5 conference in the country. Not so much any more. I'm hearing more and more people say we may in fact be the best G5 conference in the country now.
Of course the AAC snobs would differ on that (remind me to tell you all about the time I nearly got into a fight in an AAC press box because I got tired of one of their media member's smart mouths) but the facts are our teams have competed against and beaten some of their best teams. Even with as bad as Arkansas State was last year it took an implosion by the Red Wolves before Memphis was able to beat them late in the game.
For a guy that has covered this conference for 15 years I am excited to see where the conference is today, and where it will continue to go moving forward. I believe the conference leadership is doing a great job and they understand what they have to do to keep this conference at the forefront of the G5 landscape.
Now, lets get to the 2023 football season and see how things work out this year!
