Have you or anyone you know ever had one of those moments where you say something out loud during a conference call thinking your line is on mute - only it’s not? Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson may be fighting that feeling right now.
In a conference call heralding the addition of Coastal Carolina, Benson acknowledged far west members Idaho and New Mexico State could be on the chopping block.Odd turn in that teleconference. Karl said he was pleased to be done with questions about who would be the SBC’s 12th member ...
— Troy Schulte (@TroySchulteADG) September 1, 2015
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Benson: We need to determine if we’re going to be a 10-team league or a 12-team league.
— Troy Schulte (@TroySchulteADG) September 1, 2015
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In his defense, Benson only acknowledged the obvious. Considering the Big 12 and ACC-led legislation allowing leagues to hold title games outside the 12-plus team, two-division structure should pass before Coastal Carolina joins the conference in 2017, adding a 12th team for the sake of holding a conference championship game makes about as much sense as.... having your conference footprint spread from Moscow, Idaho to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
That’s not to say the Vandals and Aggies should go packing their bags, however.FWIW, Benson did say “I think it’s premature now to even speculate as to what that decision is” regarding Idaho/NMSU and Sun Belt future.
— Dave Southorn (@IDS_Southorn) September 1, 2015
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Still, chalk that decision up to a commissioner throwing cold water on a line of questioning that he himself opened.