JONESBORO -- "The Fun Belt no longer is the Fun Belt. It may be more considered the Physical Belt, or whatever you want to call it."
Out of context, that quote from Arkansas State Coach Butch Jones may get its laughs. But despite being a part of the Sun Belt Conference for less than two years, Jones recognizes a real shift in league dynamics.
"Three, four years ago ... you'd outscore everyone 48-46, 52-48, and then all of a sudden, with new coaches coming in, new recruiting philosophies, the Sun Belt changed drastically," Jones said during his news conference Tuesday afternoon.