Things arent quite so clear cut these days.

Sun Belt schools command much greater fees for not playing a home and home series. In just a few years the price has just about doubled to get a Sun Belt team to play a 1-and-done against a larger conference school.In fact, LSU recently announced its intention to start scheduling more games against in-state FCS schools becuase rent-a-wins from the FBS are commanding more cash.

On top of the rising costs of playing, Sun Belt school are no long write in wins. Recent victories over not only other mid-major conferences, but the BCS schools as well, shows that the Sun Belt is no longer in its infancy. It is a conference that is hungry for respect and plans on earning it the hard way, by winning.

Think I'm crazy? Take a look at the last three years, the schools in the Belt have been doing pretty good against supposedly better opponents. Sure they still take some bumps and bruises against some schools, but the conference has come a long way from the easy rent-a-win days.

In the 2007 season, Troy drummed Oklahoma State to the tune of 41-23. Had you asked anyone from Oklahoma before the game if the winner of the game would do so by an 18 point margin, no one would have believed that it wouldn't be Oklahoma State as the winner.  Florida Atlantic beat Minnesota in a 3 point shootout 42-39, showing some Sun Belt offensive firepower. ULM showed Alabama a thing or two in an impressive upset of Saban's new team 21-14. The belt also beat some other Mid-Major conference teams that year, including an Arkansas State wins over SMU and Memphis, a Middle Tennessee win over Memphis, and a Florida Atlantic New Orleans Bowl win over Memphis.

The 2008 season also saw some OOC wins by the Belt. Arkansas State beat Texas A&M in their opener. A week later Middle Tennessee upset the ACC's Maryland. There were also some great mid-major victories last year including wins by Florida Atlantic over UAB, Louisiana over Kent State, FIU over Toledo, and a Florida Atlantic victory over Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.

So far the 2009 season has not been disappointing, and there is much more to come. A key win by Louisiana over Kansas State is the first BCS win by a Sun Belt team in the young season. The Sun Belt still has plenty of opportunities to gain a few more. The Belt has also notched an early win over another mid-major this season, North Texas beat a Ball State team that went 11-1 last year. 

The rest of the schedule presents some great opportunites for the Sun Belt. This weekend Middle Tennessee faces a flailing Maryland program. FIU takes on Rutgers, FAU travels to South Carolina, Louisiana and LSU face off, ULM and Arizona State battle it out in the desert. While the casual observer may take these games all as automatic losses for the Belt, the teams in the Belt see them as chances to make a mark.

Only time will tell if the Sun Belt Conference can be more than the Bowl division door stop and Rent-A-Win center, however if they keep notching victories over BCS conference schools at this regularity, it will not be long till they are rated higher than many of the other mid-major conferences