Sun Belt expands to 12 for football in '14

[armchairqb]

I'm sure bringing in Idaho and New Mexico State are no great shakes whatsoever, but bringing in App State and Georgia Southern are very good moves. Even the Sun Belt could have a championship game. Idaho and NM State are football-only additions; App State and Georgia Southern join in all sports.

What Sun Belt commish Karl Benson needs to do is to be able to KEEP the league at twelve teams for football. Benson would have to encourage league members to up the exit fees(preferably $2M, up from $1M) to make sure they aren't raided by C-USA...again. If he can't, then "goodbye Sun Belt" by 2016.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/3/26/4148330/sun-belt-expansion-appalachian-state-georgia-southern

[Eric]

I do like these additions for the Sun Belt. New Mexico State and Idaho are probably too far out of the way, but they needed a home and the institutions are probably pretty chummy with Karl Benson. Plus, both schools used to be members of the Sun Belt not very long ago. This will give them the opportunity to field a conference championship game. Idaho and New Mexico State are only two programs, so travel won't be a huge deal for the other teams in the conference. I wonder though if they would just be better off both going to the Big Sky full-time (Idaho is a new member) at this point since they haven't been capable of fielding a competitive FBS program for decades.

I don't think they could have added two more FBS-ready FCS schools than Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. Delaware and James Madison are also probably ready to go FBS for football, but time will tell for them. I think C-USA will be an option for those schools when Southern Miss and Marshall go (Tulsa was added to the Big East just a week ago or so).