What is the Sunbelt to do?

The 2012 realignment cycle has hit the Sunbelt Conference hard.  About a year ago the Sunbelt looked poised and well positioned going into the future with 10 football members and 12 members overall with the additions of football playing members Texas St and Georgia St and non-football school Texas-Arlington.  Conference USA has gone to the Sunbelt to replenish its depleted ranks, taking Florida Atlantic, Florida International, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee from the league (as well as WAC refugees LA Tech and UTSA, FCS upgrade Old Dominion and Charlotte's football program which will play its first down this fall).

These leaves the SBC in a precarious position.  It has just 8 football playing members---
Western Kentucky
Georgia St
Troy
South Alabama
UL Lafayette
UL Monroe
Arkansas St
Texas St

and non-football members---
Arkansas-Little Rock
Texas-Arlington

Tulsa's imminent departure from C-USA to the Big East will likely deprive the SBC of yet another member and should other shifts occur (another C-USA school to the BE or UTEP to the MWC) the situation could become even worse.

The SBC desperately needs to get commitments from FCS programs willing to upgrade to the FBS level if they are going to continue as a conference.  Fortunately for the SBC, the Southeastern US has plenty of potential candidates that could make the jump.  They should also consider bringing in New Mexico St in as a full member and maybe even Idaho as a football affiliate.

Georgia Southern is a natural addition--they would be the easternmost member of the SBC but they have a natural rivalry with Georgia St as they have long fought over which university owns the initials "GSU".  Georgia Southern is an FCS powerhouse too.  Georgia Southern is also feeling somewhat threatened by their upstart rivals in Atlanta which could prove as a motivator for the transition.

Appalachian St would be a dream addition but courting them seems to be a challenge.  They seem comfortable where they are in FCS in the elite SoCon but if their rival Georgia Southern announces they are moving attitudes in Boone, NC could change.

Jacksonville St is an Alabama school with some history with Troy.  They are one of the Ohio Valley Conference's top programs and they have solid attendance.  They aren't a sexy pick put they are an available option.

James Madison is a school in Northern Virginia that is equipped to make the move provided they are willing to commit to traveling the SBC's Deep South conference footprint.  Their attendance, facilities, and on field performance are all top notch.  There is also the fact that their current home in FCS, the Colonial Athletic Association is very factionalized and the conference's commitment to playing FCS football at a high level is waning as only 4 full members currently sponsor the sport.

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia would be a natural companion for the James Madison Dukes.  The university's chancellor has already expressed his desire to take the Flames up to college football's highest level of competition and styles his school as the Evangelicals' Notre Dame.  They too would have to commit to some serious increases in travel expenditures by moving to the SBC but their FCS home, the Big South, is currently in shambles and is down to 6 football members.

Encouraging Texas-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock to revive their dormant football programs would also help the SBC's woes.  Texas-Arlington has a suitable on-campus stadium already and I've suspected that an expressed interest in reviving the program helped get them included the last time the SBC expanded.  UALR could play in War Memorial Stadium, where the Arkansas Razorbacks play when they make their annual visit to the state's capital city.  I suspect that that the Razorbacks will be resistant to any attempts by their little brother to play college football however.

There are also options within the Lone Star State that the SBC could explore.  Schools like Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston St, and Lamar come to mind.  These schools would struggle to meet FBS attendance requirements (but them again Georgia St has yet to prove they can get their average over the 15,000 mark and over half of the MAC meets that requirement.  Sam Houston St has appeared in back-to-back FCS title games so they could definitely come in and make a respectable showing in the SBC.

An honorable mention should go out to UT Chattanooga. UT Chattanooga of the SoCon could attempt to make the jump with Georgia Southern and Appalachian St.  The Mocs aren't at the same level as some of the other candidates but they could turn to them if others pass on the SBC.

Missouri St could also work their way in to the conversation if they are willing to part ways with the Missouri Valley Conference.  They are in Southwest Missouri and not a terribly long trek from Arkansas St.  Their name change to Missouri St a few years ago seems to indicate to me that they are looking to go to a higher level.  It also fits with the "Fill in the blank" St theme the conference has going (i.e. Arkansas St, Texas St, Georgia St).

That's a total of ten programs that they could pursue to make the jump up to FBS.  And that total does not include New Mexico St or Idaho, nor the revival of football at UALR or UT-A.  I also heard a rumor that the University of North Florida in Jacksonville was considering adding football; presuming they want to follow the same path as FAU and FIU the SBC would be the perfect place to start.  Another idea floating out there is that SBC should recruit some of the bigger HBCU's to join their league--Florida A&M, Alabama St, Tennessee St, and Jackson St.  Bringing in the HBCU's would certainly elevate the quality of SBC halftime performances.

The moral of this blog post is that the Sunbelt Conference can survive but to do so they need to start bringing in new blood and do so quickly before C-USA returns to pick them clean once more.