In a recent blog, I wrote about everything that’s wrong with Sun Belt basketball.  Well, maybe not everything.  But the key points, certainly.

But I had a boss who once said, “Don’t just give me problems, offer solutions.”  And, so I will.  Here are some of the things which could really help the Sun Belt get better.

WHACK THE 20-GAME SCHEDULE—This is wrong on so many fronts, not the least of which is a very self-serving decision on the part of the coaches.  They say if you’re not going to bring everyone to the conference tournament, then you have to make the schedule fair.  Well, we’ve already debunked how twenty is fair.  It isn’t.  No, this is more about the standings.  If unbalanced scheduling causes a team to finish second instead of first, fine.  Go win the tournament.  The issue is finishing eighth or ninth.  You finish eighth you’re in the tournament.  You finish ninth, you could be out of a job.  But in reality, you really don’t have much of a shot to win the tournament anyway.  Do you really want to put your student-athletes in the position you put them in this year, where they might have to play five games in ten days?  Just to finish eighth?  Puh-leeze.  Cut it to 18.  Or even better yet, 16.  You’ll have to work a little harder on non-conference scheduling.  You’ll survive…unless of course, you finish ninth.

GET TO TWELVE…OR TEN—Conference USA currently may or may not have an opening soon, depending on what they decide concerning UAB.  In the past, when CUSA has had an opening, they’ve looked to the Sun Belt.  And, they may do that again.  But they may choose not to expand further.  Or, maybe they’ll choose someone in the FCS.  Right now, the Sun Belt is at eleven schools.  If CUSA stands pat and allows UAB to remain, the Sun Belt needs to add New Mexico State for all sports.  First of all, the league would actually be adding a team with a basketball tradition…and a darned good one at that.  And, second, travel partners kick in and the league schedule is cut to 16. And, for teams on the outer fringe geographically, you only have to make the trip out west (or way east) once every two years. Now, if UAB is available and CUSA doesn’t want to add a member from the Sun Belt, you add UAB like, yesterday.  (Sorry, NMSU).  The Blazers also have a very good basketball tradition and they are a great fit geographically.  Either way, you have a scenario where you can set up travel partners and make scheduling and traveling much easier.  If CUSA comes calling and a team leaves, you do nothing and play with ten.  That’s eighteen conference games.  Twelve is a better number but ten is certainly doable. It should be noted I said travel partners.  I did NOT say split into divisions, although you would schedule as though you were.  If you win a "division championship" but you have the fourth best record in the league, you haven't accomplished much, although coaches will make you try to believe you did.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ADDITION GOOD FOR BASKETBALL—I really believe getting to twelve in basketball is more important than getting to twelve in football.  Yeah, I know.  That’s a huge sin to feel that way.  So, okay.  If you have to get to twelve in football, there has to be a caveat:  Whoever the addition is MUST make basketball better.  Liberty…you’re out.  Well, you were out anyway, but you know what I mean.  Honestly the only school I can think of who fits that bill is Missouri State.  If they want in, you take them.  Otherwise, stay at eleven for football and just add a basketball school.

PUT YOUR MONEY BACK INTO YOUR PROGRAM---Most schools in the league are asked to go and play guarantee games to help balance the budget.  Some have to play more than one.  Chances are you aren’t going to win those games.  If you’re going to ask your basketball program to generate extra money to balance the budget (and,in all probablilty, take a loss), at least take some of that money and put it toward scheduling.  Go raise the money to make up the difference.  That’s what an athletic department does, right?  If you want your basketball program to generate $200,000 in guarantee money, take half of that and buy a couple of Division I opponents.  Chances are, playing at home you’ve got a great chance to win.  And, as a whole, the conference OOC winning percentage goes up which helps the league’s RPI.  Tell your coaches they can play no more than one non-D1 opponent.  Then  help him get it done in a fair and equitable manner.  There are leagues that require its membership to put a certain amount of money into buying guarantee games each year.  The Sun Belt needs to take a look at that.

AS I JUST SAID...--No more than one non-D1 opponent.  21 of those games were played this year, and while the 'Belt won them all, the NCAA, for RPI purposes, recognizes none of them.  Therefore that winning percentage that looks so good really isn't.  If AD's will invest in the program, there will be less need for non-D1 games.  Schedule to win.  Improve the league's winning percentage.  RPI goes up.

USE EXTRA GAMES TO HELP GEOGRAPHIC SCHEDULING—If you’re only playing sixteen conference games, that’s four more opportunities to schedule games.  Do your best to schedule games against teams that are a bus ride away.  You’ll develop (or in some cases, renew) geographic rivalries and do it economically.  Many coaches are willing to play XYZ college at home but don’t want to return the visit.  Put your ego in your pocket.  Schedule smart.

CUT DOWN THE TRAVEL COSTS—Just about everything listed above will result in a reduction of travel expenses.  But, what about If the league stays at eleven members?  Well, if you’re going to have eleven and the insistence remains to play twenty “to make things fair” then you’ve got to do something about economics.  The business of traveling across the country for a Thursday game, coming back home for a Saturday contest then hitting the road again for a Monday game is just silly.  I’m not sure exactly how to do it without putting one team at a disadvantage, but in league play when you hit the road, you play two games.  No reason why the Texas schools should have to make two separate trips to Georgia and vice versa.  It’s estimated the crazy travel this year has cost teams roughly $50,000 extra dollars just for conference games.  That’s almost enough to buy a Division I opponent.

None of these are easy to do.  Any or all of them would take some creativity and some sacrifice by athletic budgets.  But any administrator who doesn’t recognize this league is in trouble from a basketball standpoint and something needs to be done needs to take off the blinders.

This is fixable.  Time to take the steps to do it.

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