As JT noted yesterday, WAC commissioner Karl Benson, as expected, accepted the job to lead the Sun Belt conference, replacing Wright Waters, who is retiring.
While the news of Benson’s incoming commish status isn’t much of a surprise, what Benson had to say in his introductory teleconference was a bit more unforeseen -- that is, if you happen to be interested in what the Sun Belt Conference does.
(No one would blame if you aren’t)
Benson said one of his first priorities is to look into expanding the league to get 12 football members, which, of course, would allow the Sun Belt to add the all-important conference championship game. There are currently 10 football members in the SBC if you include South Alabama jumping on to the schedule this upcoming season.
Where the Sun Belt would look for those two additional members remains to be seen; Texas State and UT-San Antonio are making the jump from 1-AA to 1-A and heading to, incidentally enough, the WAC. Benson wouldn’t comment on a possible football alliance, similar to the one between Conference USA and the Mountain West, between the Sun Belt and the WAC.
Benson begins work with his new conference on April 1 (not a joke) and takes over full-time in July.