Post by Trojan Warrior on Jul 27, 2014 15:51:22 GMT -6
It is rare to hear Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson speak in a gathered setting without bringing up the success of Boise State.
Benson served as the Western Athletic Conference Commissioner from 1994-2012 and saw the league have its moments in the sun with Boise State bringing the most attention to the conference with two undefeated seasons, three undefeated regular seasons and two BCS bowl apperances under the leadership of Chris Peterson from 2006-2013.
The commissioner is adamant in his beliefs that the next Boise State could reside in the Sun Belt Conference, especially with the recent success of schools like ULM, who reached national recognition for its 2012 season, including its upset win over No. 8 Arkansas.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also gaining notoriety with its three straight New Orleans Bowl wins, along with Arkansas State who has won at least a share of the Sun Belt title for the past three years and is coming off its second straight bowl win.
“We want to ultimately become a Top 25 team week in and week out,” said Mark Hudpseth, head coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns. “Look at Boise or TCU or the University of Louisville model. We want to be that team one day, but that’s awfully hard.”
All three schools mentioned, though, ended up leaving for other conferences once they had a taste of success and became consistent Top 25 teams. In fact, Boise State’s move to the Mountain West Conference in 2011 started the demise of the WAC which did away with its football conference after the 2012 season.
The Sun Belt is now one of the Group of Five, along with non-AQ conferences the American Athletic, the Mountain West, the Mid-American and Conference USA with the highest ranked champion earning a spot in the new college playoffs beginning this season.
The Sun Belt finished highest among the non-AQ conferences this past season with 21 non-conference wins, including a 4-1 record over C-USA, 3-0 against the MAC and 1-0 against the Mountain West — another notable fact that Benson frequently brings up as well.
“With a new television contract, better officiating, a better strategy for scheduling, it all adds up to the recipe for success for the Sun Belt and this new era for college football,” Benson said. “As one of 10 FBS conferences and the youngest, the Sun Belt is prepared for today and poised for the future.” (Full Article)
Benson served as the Western Athletic Conference Commissioner from 1994-2012 and saw the league have its moments in the sun with Boise State bringing the most attention to the conference with two undefeated seasons, three undefeated regular seasons and two BCS bowl apperances under the leadership of Chris Peterson from 2006-2013.
The commissioner is adamant in his beliefs that the next Boise State could reside in the Sun Belt Conference, especially with the recent success of schools like ULM, who reached national recognition for its 2012 season, including its upset win over No. 8 Arkansas.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also gaining notoriety with its three straight New Orleans Bowl wins, along with Arkansas State who has won at least a share of the Sun Belt title for the past three years and is coming off its second straight bowl win.
“We want to ultimately become a Top 25 team week in and week out,” said Mark Hudpseth, head coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns. “Look at Boise or TCU or the University of Louisville model. We want to be that team one day, but that’s awfully hard.”
All three schools mentioned, though, ended up leaving for other conferences once they had a taste of success and became consistent Top 25 teams. In fact, Boise State’s move to the Mountain West Conference in 2011 started the demise of the WAC which did away with its football conference after the 2012 season.
The Sun Belt is now one of the Group of Five, along with non-AQ conferences the American Athletic, the Mountain West, the Mid-American and Conference USA with the highest ranked champion earning a spot in the new college playoffs beginning this season.
The Sun Belt finished highest among the non-AQ conferences this past season with 21 non-conference wins, including a 4-1 record over C-USA, 3-0 against the MAC and 1-0 against the Mountain West — another notable fact that Benson frequently brings up as well.
“With a new television contract, better officiating, a better strategy for scheduling, it all adds up to the recipe for success for the Sun Belt and this new era for college football,” Benson said. “As one of 10 FBS conferences and the youngest, the Sun Belt is prepared for today and poised for the future.” (Full Article)