LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -Big Easy or Bust. That’s usually the outlook in the Sun Belt Conference, where everyone begins the season fighting for the league championship and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.
This year, however, the league generally regarded as the weakest in major college football is hoping for more. As teams from top conferences struggle to become bowl eligible, the Sun Belt appears poised to take advantage and earn additional spots in the postseason.
“There’s still a lot of games to be played,” Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters said. “But it’s certainly appearing to be a step in the right direction.”
The Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001, but it has never sent more than two teams to bowls. Most of the time, only the New Orleans Bowl features a representative from the conference, but in July the league announced agreements with the St. Petersburg Bowl, the Papajohns.com Bowl and the Independence Bowl. The Sun Belt would have a chance to participate in those games if other conferences couldn’t fill their allotted spots.
onference teams have won the necessary six games to qualify for the postseason. Assuming two SEC teams end up in the Bowl Championship Series, both the Independence and Papajohns.com Bowls could have openings.
The Independence Bowl also has a Big 12 tie – and might not be able to fill that spot either. It’s still possible for more teams from major conferences to qualify for the postseason – Auburn can become bowl eligible by beating top-ranked Alabama, for example – but it’s almost time for some of these bowls to move on to other options.
“At this point, we could be open-open,” said Missy Setters, executive director for the Independence Bowl. “So we’re looking basically all over the country at this point.”
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Troy (7-4) is the conference’s current leader – and as of now the Sun Belt’s only bowl eligible team. But four other teams have five wins, so the league’s postseason roster could certainly increase.
lity opponent, and we wanted to try to keep our teams regional.”
Regional concerns are even more important this year in tough economic times, so conferences, teams and bowls might emphasize keeping teams close to home. The Independence Bowl is in Shreveport, La., and the Papajohns.com Bowl is in Birmingham, Ala.
Aside from Troy, the Sun Belt’s remaining bowl contenders have work to do before they’re eligible, so it’s difficult to project who might end up in what postseason game. Only Arkansas State (5-5) has a chance to match Troy with seven wins, and a 6-6 team can be at a disadvantage when considered against a 7-5 team for a bowl.
“All the seven-win teams have to be placed before any six-win teams can go, when you go outside of your primary (conference) agreement,” Setters said.
Still, the additional bowl possibilities have added some intrigue to the final weeks of the regular season in a conference that often struggles for attention. If Arkansas State wins its final two games – and Louisiana-Lafayette beats Middle Tennessee next week – there would be a three-way tie for first place between Troy, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette. All three teams would be bowl eligible.
“There’s no doubt that playing for something in November, late November and early December, is definitely a big positive for your kids,” Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said. “And for your program in general.”
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