The Sun Belt shines on USU
Some things are meant to be.
For now, Utah State University Athletics and the Sun Belt Conference are just that – meant for each other.
At a press conference Friday morning in the Spectrum, a deal between USU and the SBC was finalized. The news was announced to a packed room of fans, USU administrators, Aggie coaches and media representatives.
“I am delighted to accept this invitation,” said USU President Kermit L. Hall. “I am most excited to join the Sun Belt. The current situation … I’m glad we are out of that predicament. We are in a better world now.”
After being an independent for the last two seasons, the USU football team will begin conference competition next fall. The rest of the university-sponsored sports will make the switch at the start of the 2005-06 season.
The only sport that will not be a Sun Belt competitor is gymnastics, which will remain in the Western Gymnastics Conference. The SBC does not sponsor the sport.
USU will join Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas State, Denver, Florida International, Idaho (football only) Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe (football only) Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, New Orleans, North Texas, South Alabama and Western Kentucky as Sun Belt members.
USU Athletics Director Rance Pugmire joked with the crowd, requesting a raise of hands from those who had asked him when the university would join a conference for football.
“I bet everyone in here has asked me that,” he said with a smile. “We’re in, thank God.”
The USU football team is already scheduled to play New Mexico State, Idaho and North Texas next season and has two other openings. Besides canceling already-booked games, Pugmire said the school may be able to count a non-conference game toward its league record.
Football was dropped from the Big West Conference in 2000, gymnastics in 2001.
Following the eradication of football in the Big West, USU was offered an invitation to join the Sun Belt, but former President George Emert declined, looking for a better offer, such as the Western Athletic Conference or the Mountain West Conference.
Now the WAC is an organization fighting against one another.
Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters feels USU will be a perfect fit for the league.
“This is a tribute to our member institutions coming together and continuing to build the conference for the future,” Waters said. “We are attracting other institutions that have a common commitment to excellence in academics and athletics. We are very honored to extend the invitation of membership to Utah State.”
He joked that the deal was confirmed by a wink between Hall and himself.
Waters said the two were at a luncheon and he said it was “time to fish or cut the bait.”
He said he would wink at Hall if the Sun Belt was going to offer an invitation and Hall would wink back if USU would accept.
“The entire restaurant just looked over at us,” Waters said.
Hall said, “What we have done is to arrange the best possible marriage, even if it was based on a wink.”
The timing is perfect for both USU and the Sun Belt Conference.
They need each other.
New NCAA regulations concerning Division I-A status will go into effect in 2005. The SBC needs to increase the number of schools playing football, men’s basketball and at least three women’s sports from five to eight. The Aggies need a home for their football team.
Thus far, USU holds a 5-12 record as an independent. When USU was a member of the Big West, it won five football titles.
Although the university will eventually move all sports to the Sun Belt, there are no hard feelings between USU and the Big West Conference.
“We are pleased that Utah State University has found a Division I-A conference home for football as well as their entire intercollegiate athletics program in the Sun Belt Conference,” said BWC Commissioner Dennis Farrell.
Farrell said he had been anticipating the move, and the conference will continue to be an all-California league in the future. Participation by USU and Idaho, a football-only member of the Sun Belt and former BWC associate, is open as long as the schools wish to continue, he said.
Not only is acceptance into the Sun Belt Conference good for USU Athletics but for the whole university and Logan City, as well.
Mayor Doug Thompson said he thinks it is a wise decision by the SBC and USU. He also said he feels whatever is good for the university is good for Logan.
Hall is looking for the new affiliation to bring more name recognition and a higher level of academics to USU.
“The university is taking a major step forward in finding a competitive home for football, building national visibility and establishing with other institutions in the west its future in Division I athletics,” Hall said. “We believe that it is imperative to establish our competitive quality, and given the changes in the NCAA, our actions in joining the Sun Belt is the very best opportunity to do so.”
The move to the SBC will make recruiting a little easier as more people in the East will recognize USU.
Sun Belt schools share $1 million annually from the New Orleans Bowl Championship and expect to receive more in the future. The conference also has an ESPN package for football and basketball.
-juag@cc.usu.edu