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Boise State’s move to the Mountain West could net the school millions.

Honolulu Advertiser columnist Ferd Lewis writes that USC’s frustrations with the NCAA could come out against Hawaii during the season opener.

Tulsa coach Todd Graham has confidence that the offense will run smoother than a year ago.

New Mexico State has cut $3 million from its athletic budget in the last two years.

The Orlando Sentinel takes a look at Louisiana-Monroe during its breakdown of FBS programs.

The Sun Belt Conference is moving up in the bowl world.

After being the only conference with just one automatic tie-in for the past nine years, the Sun Belt secured two for the next four seasons with the New Orleans and GMAC bowls. The conference also has three secondary tie-ins.

So there are more opportunities for the Sun Belt, which will make for a more interesting race to the postseason.

Here’s a look at where I see the Sun Belt’s bowl bids going:

Count on it

Troy: The Trojans lost star quarterback Levi Brown to graduation, but they had a great competition this spring and should pick up right where they left off. Almost all of the key pieces of the offense return. The questions are on defense. The Trojans are still deciding between a 3-4 and a 4-3 and will tailor to their personnel.

Middle Tennessee: There are some folks out there who are predicting a down year for the Blue Raiders. I’m not one of them. Yes, they have two new coordinators, but I think the ideas will stay the same. Quarterback Dwight Dasher will have some help with the return of Phillip Tanner, and the defense should be strong once again.

Outside shot

Louisiana-Lafayette: In four of the past five years, the Ragin’ Cajuns have achieved the six-win bowl threshold only to be denied a postseason berth. That ends this year. With more bowl opportunities for the Belt, the Ragin’ Cajuns finally get to the postseason and keep coach Rickey Bustle’s job.

Arkansas State: I expected Arkansas State to not only be in the bowl picture a year ago, but also challenge for a conference title. That didn’t happen and the Red Wolves managed just four wins. But this spring was productive, especially on offense, and Arkansas State could make a surprising run to the postseason.

Florida Atlantic: Last season was a surprise considering the Owls were picked to challenge for the conference title. They lost six of their first eight and then lost quarterback Rusty Smith. A lot of the talent from last year returns and quarterback Jeff VanCamp will be better for his playing experience a year ago. I’d expect the Owls to give Troy and Middle Tennessee a run for their money.

Louisiana-Monroe: Todd Berry spent much of the spring assessing talent, teaching his system and trying to make his team tougher, and all of that might pay off in the end. This ULM team won six games last year and returns a lot of the talent from a year ago. It’s possible that they could make another run to six wins, but will it be enough for a bowl game?

Better luck next year

Florida International: Last season, I thought the Golden Panthers were going to turn a corner after their five-win season in 2008, but they actually regressed, which makes me a little gun-shy this year. FIU will be playing with a lot of emotion this season, but I’m not sure whether that will help or hurt in the long run.

North Texas: This is the decisive year for head coach Todd Dodge and it doesn’t help that his starting quarterback is now a receiver. Since Dodge took over, the problem has been with the defense more than the offense and that’s not going to change overnight. UNT will be better, but not yet good enough to make a bowl.

Western Kentucky: First-year head coach Willie Taggart has been charged with turning the Hilltoppers around, but it's going to take some time. He doesn’t quite have the players to contend with the top teams in the conference, and right now the Hilltoppers just need to know what it's like to win a game.

Conference USA announced its bowl lineup, which includes six guaranteed spots and a backup for a seventh game.

Louisiana-Monroe is working on building depth for its offensive line because it had just 10 players available during spring practices.

Hawaii wraps up its spring football season tonight with a spring game.

More on the Mountain West and what it needs to do to become an automatic qualifying conference.

First-year Memphis football coach Larry Porter is in demand as fans expect him to turn the program around.

Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry promised to shake things up in his first spring and that included the depth chart.

Redshirt freshman Kolton Browning has supplanted senior Trey Revell as the starting quarterback for the Warhawks. ULM announced the news by releasing its depth chart Tuesday morning.

The move seemed to be imminent when Browning started last week’s spring game with the first team. He completed 12 passes for 136 yards and the game’s only passing touchdown.

Berry noted that both players had their ups and downs during spring practice.

“That’s what’s happened all spring is they’ve all had their moments – good and bad,” Berry told the Monroe News-Star. “We’ve got to obviously get that bad out of them, but competition is a wonderful thing. I think that continues to show. You can mix those guys on and throw them in s sack and throw one out and would end up being OK, but in the same sense there’s some things we’ve got to get corrected.”

Last season, Revell was the team’s primary starter and played in all but two games. He completed 121-of-210 passes for 1,739 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Even without Darius Marshall, running back is still a strong suit for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

The MAC continues to produce quality quarterbacks with Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Western Michigan’s Tim Hiller both selected in the NFL draft.

Optimism is high about this year’s Utah State football team.

UTEP walk-on quarterback Carson Meger made a strong impression during the Miners' spring game.

New coach Todd Berry was pleased with Louisiana-Monroe’s completion to spring practice.

Troy’s quarterback battle is definitely down to two, but coach Larry Blakeney is going to let the competition continue to fall camp.

Marshall defensive players are trying to make emotion and intensity a staple of their everyday routine.

Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry wasn’t pleased with the way his team returned from spring break.

Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora is happy his team is out of spring football with no serious injuries.

Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart is placing high expectations on his new team and it’s responding well this spring.

Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Zach Rhodes is moving to defense.

Rhodes, who hasn’t played in a collegiate game since 2007, was supposed to be a part of a heated quarterback battle that also included last year’s starter Trey Revell, part-time starter Cody Wells and redshirt freshman Kolton Browning.

Rhodes worked out at the Hawk position Wednesday, a hybrid spot that acts like a rover in the secondary. The move is permanent and Rhodes, a senior, will try to replace former defensive captain James Truxillo, who held the position last year.

Rhodes started his collegiate career at SMU in 2006. After a redshirt season, he played quarterback and wide receiver for the Mustangs. He played in six games for SMU, completed 8-of-15 passes for 81 yards a touchdown and an interception. He also had 32 rushing yards. He didn’t record a catch.

He sat out in 2008 because of NCAA transfer rules and left the team in 2009 for personal reasons.

New Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry has been lauded for his promotion of competition during his first week of spring practice, but when the Warhawks donned pads for the first time Monday, Berry took competition to a whole new level.

Louisiana-Monroe made every player live during sessions involving the offense and the defense -- including the quarterbacks.

“With our offense, the quarterback has got to be live,” Berry told the Monroe News-Star. “We can’t evaluate them if they’re not. So much of our offense is predicated on those guys making plays.”

Berry said prior to spring practice that every position was open, including the starting quarterback spot that Trey Revell won after spring practice a year ago. Senior Zach Rhodes, sophomore Cody Wells and redshirt freshman Kolton Browning are also competing for the starting job.

Revell passed for 1,739 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 games last season. Wells, who started two games last year but played in all 12, threw for 762 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Rhodes, who took a hiatus from football in 2009, played in six games as a redshirt freshman at SMU in 2007. He transferred to Louisiana-Monroe after the year and sat out the 2008 season because of NCAA transfer rules.

Berry has been known for his reliance on his quarterback's playmaking abilities. At UNLV, quarterbacking duo Omar Clayton and Mike Clausen were both dual threats. Clayton is the only UNLV quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a single game.

Boise State football coach Chris Petersen will visit Oregon and Oklahoma to learn some new ways to be more efficient during practice.

UNLV will hold open competition at wide receiver.

Central Michigan’s trip to the GMAC Bowl cost the school more than $188,000 after receiving $350,000 from the bowl.

Marshall faces one of the more challenging schedules in recent history.

New head coach Todd Berry is changing the tempo of Louisiana-Monroe practices.

Temple football heads into spring practice after one of the most successful seasons in school history.

Suspended Boise State safety Jason Robinson was arrested Monday on a warrant for felony aggravated battery.

BYU quarterback Riley Nelson, last year’s backup, hopes to win the starting job for 2010.

New Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry tries to remain patient as he installs his new system this spring.

New UNLV coach Bobby Hauck is trying to bring a sense of excitement and urgency to spring football.

Former BYU quarterback Max Hall gives his thoughts on the Cougars quarterback race.

The Mid-American Conference and the Humanitarian Bowl are working toward a deal that would add the bowl to the MAC’s permanent rotation.

Central Florida is ready to begin its most-anticipated spring in quite some time.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen is expecting his veteran players to learn as much as his newbies during spring practices.

The defense is now the strong point of Louisiana Tech, but the Bulldogs are still looking for some impact players to build around.

The Nevada offense looked sharp during the team’s first spring scrimmage.

Air Force has two more spring practices to get an idea of its depth before heading into the offseason.

Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry is hoping this spring establishes an identity for his new squad.

Utah is now in the process of filling a hole left a middle linebacker by Nai Fotu, who was lost for the 2010 season with a knee injury.

This is a big week for the non-AQs as several teams open spring practice, including the top two Sun Belt teams in Middle Tennessee and Troy and most of the Mid-American Conference.

Here’s a look at the teams opening spring this week and the biggest issue they face:

Fresno State, March 15

Biggest issue: Coach Pat Hill said the Bulldogs would utilize their newfound athleticism and speed and add some spread concepts to the offense this spring. Hill did emphasize that the running game would still be a focus, but finding a new every-down back will be a challenge.

Troy, March 15

Biggest issue: The Trojans are looking for a new quarterback after Levi Brown, the first Sun Belt player to pass for 4,000 yards, graduated. Jamie Hampton, the 2008 starter, is back from a knee injury and will be the favorite to start in 2010.

Louisiana-Monroe, March 15

Biggest issue: Yet another team with another new head coach and system. Louisiana-Monroe is trying to balance its depth chart this spring and just get a feel for the type of team is can be under new coach Todd Berry. There’s talent on the roster, but putting it in the right spots will be the challenge.

BYU, March 15

Biggest issue: For the first time in three years, BYU is looking for a new starting quarterback. Riley Nelson, James Lark and Jake Heaps will be competing in one of the most intriguing quarterback battles of the spring.

UNLV, March 15

Biggest issue: UNLV will be rebuilding under new head coach Bobby Hauck. He’d like to implement his power running game this spring, but probably won’t have the players to do it just yet. This is going to be a time to learn what’s there and what type of team he can field in the fall.

Eastern Michigan, March 16

Biggest issue: What isn’t an issue when you have a winless season? Eastern Michigan will be better after a year that included several injuries and several young players learning the ropes. Coach Ron English is confident he can right the ship and that will start this week.

Middle Tennessee, March 16

Biggest issue: The Blue Raiders became the first 10-win team in Sun Belt Conference history, but keeping that level of play up will be tough with new offensive and defensive coordinators. The offense will be the biggest concern since Mike Schultz was hired earlier this month and hasn’t had enough time to analyze his personnel. That will come this week.

Temple, March 16

Biggest issue: Bernard Pierce will be the workhorse in the running game, but finding a passing game to complement Pierce should be a priority. The Owls also have some holes to fill on defense, but overall, this team should be building off the momentum from its stellar season in 2009.

Toledo, March 17

Biggest issue: The Rockets were one of the more disappointing teams in the MAC last season, but it did find some good young talent to build with in 2010. The offense should be the strong side of the ball while the defense has some major holes to fill, including finding a replacement for safety Barry Church.

Louisiana Tech, March 17

Biggest issue: Louisiana Tech is transitioning into a spread offense this spring under new head coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Louisiana Tech has a lot of holes to fill with most of its offensive production gone, so this spring will be about finding players to step into key roles.

Memphis, March 17

Biggest issue: New coach Larry Porter inherits a team that lost almost all of its scoring from a year ago. The are holes at running back, quarterback and wide receiver, and while there’s talent available at those spots, those players have yet to show that they’re capable of being go-to guys for the Tigers.

Central Michigan, March 18

Biggest issue: The defending MAC champions will have a tough time repeating this year after losing its head coach and most of its offensive talent. The defense should be strong, but finding a leader like quarterback Dan LeFevour won’t be easy in coach Dan Enos’ first season.

Western Michigan, March 18

Biggest issue: While replacing quarterback Tim Hiller will be at the top of coach Bill Cubit’s list, I think finding a running game to replace all that Brandon West brought to the Broncos will be more important. The running game has been strong for WMU for quite some time and there wasn’t a back that really distinguished himself as a successor to West. Finding that guy will start this spring.

Central Florida, March 19

Biggest issue: The Knights are coming off a great season and expectations will be high. The defense carried the squad last season and while several linemen need to be replaced, the focus will be on getting the offense up to par. There will be competition at quarterback and on the offensive line. The offense has the potential to be one of the best in Conference USA, but it needs to realize that this spring.

Bowling Green, March 19

Biggest issue: The Falcons relied on quarterback Tyler Sheehan and receiver Freddie Barnes in coach Dave Clawson’s first season, but with those two gone, it’s going to be a chore replacing all that offense. This might be a rebuilding year for BGSU.

Buffalo, March 20

Biggest issue: New coach Jeff Quinn hasn’t had the greatest offseason with the transfer of starting quarterback Zach Maynard. Finding a replacement will be the utmost priority as well as finding some playmakers in the running and receiving games.

Miami (Ohio), March 20

Biggest issue: Mike Haywood is another coach who didn’t have the ideal first season, but did find some pretty decent talent along the way. The key will be to build around quarterback Zac Dysert and find some playmakers who can turn some of those close losses into wins.

Louisiana-Monroe and Baylor have agreed to a home-and-home series beginning in the 2012 season.

Louisiana-Monroe will travel to Waco, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2012, for the first game of the series and then the two teams will open the 2013 season in Malone Stadium on Aug. 31.

Baylor's visit to Malone Stadium will be the first-ever by a Big 12 Conference school and the first major conference school since Minnesota visited in 1996.

"We are excited about having a Big 12 team coming to Malone Stadium," Louisiana-Monroe football coach Todd Berry said. "Art Briles has done a phenomenal job with the Baylor program and they are going to be a quality and challenging opponent. Hopefully this will lead to us getting more BCS opponents into Malone Stadium."

Louisiana-Monroe and Baylor have never met.

• Utah State backup quarterback Kane Wilson faces misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana.

• San Diego State’s race for the 2012 starting quarterback role is going full speed this spring.

• The search for Rice’s next athletic director is making progress.

• Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour continues to be under the NFL microscope.

• New East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley fights perceptions related to his age.

• Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech coaching contracts were approved.

Former Hawaii alum Craig Stutzmann has been hired as an offensive assistant at Memphis.

The University of Louisiana System board will approve contracts for Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry and Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes today.

Brad Rock of the Deseret News recounts times in the past when BYU was close to joining the Pac-10.

Air Force will use a slew of players to help replace graduated nose guard Ben Garland.

Bobby Sherrod, a guard from TCU’s undefeated 1938 football team, died this week.

Louisiana-Monroe players are quickly adapting to their new head coach.

A switch in conference might not be the best move for TCU.