Next round of conference realignment happening
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:07 pm
2021 Round 1 - Texas and Oklahoma to leave Big 12 for the SEC.
2021 Round 2 - Cincinnati, UCF and Houston to leave AAC for Big 12; BYU to leave independence/Big West for Big 12.
2021 Round 3 - North Texas, UTSA, Rice, FAU, Charlotte, and UAB to leave Conference USA for AAC.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... fMpcmkVSy8
I bet Marshall really, really, really wishes they were back in the MAC now.
Conference USA will be down to 8 schools after the 6 are formally accepted into the AAC:
Florida International
Louisiana Tech
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Old Dominion
Southern Mississippi
UTEP
Western Kentucky
Will Conference USA survive? Consider this:
UTEP is rumored to be one of the schools the Mountain West may add.
Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky are former Sun Belt Conference members and may want to return to the Sun Belt since the Sun Belt has bypassed Conference USA in prestige, despite losing schools to them in the past.
That only leaves Marshall and Southern Mississippi. Southern Mississippi is a natural geographic fit for the Sun Belt.
Or can Conference USA steal teams from the Sun Belt to remain alive, thus killing off the Sun Belt.
Since conferences are getting bigger in terms of members, it seems likely that one of Conference USA or the Sun Belt will no longer exist at some point in the not too distant future, unless several FCS schools decide to move up to the FBS level, which is what saved the Sun Belt in the last round of expansion a few years back.
Sun Belt:
Appalachian State
Arkansas State
Arkansas - Little Rock (no football)
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Louisiana
Louisiana - Monroe
South Alabama
Texas State
Texas - Arlington (no football)
Troy
Independents available:
Army
New Mexico State (possible Mountain West expansion candidate)
UMass
UConn (football only)
Liberty
All other options would be FCS schools moving up to play FBS football.
The new AAC will look like this, assuming an East/West split:
East
Memphis
South Florida
East Carolina
Temple
Charlotte
Florida Atlantic
U. Alabama - Birmingham
West
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa
Navy (football only if returns to West like before)/Wichita State all other sports
North Texas
Rice
U. Texas - San Antonio
So much for a "Power 6".
And the kicker............this may only be temporary. The Big 12 is rumored to be looking to add 2-4 more schools after Texas and Oklahoma leave. Boise State and Memphis are the next in line if only 2 are added. If four are added, the other two could be a combo of South Florida, SMU, Tulane or San Diego State.
2021 Round 2 - Cincinnati, UCF and Houston to leave AAC for Big 12; BYU to leave independence/Big West for Big 12.
2021 Round 3 - North Texas, UTSA, Rice, FAU, Charlotte, and UAB to leave Conference USA for AAC.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... fMpcmkVSy8
I bet Marshall really, really, really wishes they were back in the MAC now.
Conference USA will be down to 8 schools after the 6 are formally accepted into the AAC:
Florida International
Louisiana Tech
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Old Dominion
Southern Mississippi
UTEP
Western Kentucky
Will Conference USA survive? Consider this:
UTEP is rumored to be one of the schools the Mountain West may add.
Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky are former Sun Belt Conference members and may want to return to the Sun Belt since the Sun Belt has bypassed Conference USA in prestige, despite losing schools to them in the past.
That only leaves Marshall and Southern Mississippi. Southern Mississippi is a natural geographic fit for the Sun Belt.
Or can Conference USA steal teams from the Sun Belt to remain alive, thus killing off the Sun Belt.
Since conferences are getting bigger in terms of members, it seems likely that one of Conference USA or the Sun Belt will no longer exist at some point in the not too distant future, unless several FCS schools decide to move up to the FBS level, which is what saved the Sun Belt in the last round of expansion a few years back.
Sun Belt:
Appalachian State
Arkansas State
Arkansas - Little Rock (no football)
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Louisiana
Louisiana - Monroe
South Alabama
Texas State
Texas - Arlington (no football)
Troy
Independents available:
Army
New Mexico State (possible Mountain West expansion candidate)
UMass
UConn (football only)
Liberty
All other options would be FCS schools moving up to play FBS football.
The new AAC will look like this, assuming an East/West split:
East
Memphis
South Florida
East Carolina
Temple
Charlotte
Florida Atlantic
U. Alabama - Birmingham
West
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa
Navy (football only if returns to West like before)/Wichita State all other sports
North Texas
Rice
U. Texas - San Antonio
So much for a "Power 6".
And the kicker............this may only be temporary. The Big 12 is rumored to be looking to add 2-4 more schools after Texas and Oklahoma leave. Boise State and Memphis are the next in line if only 2 are added. If four are added, the other two could be a combo of South Florida, SMU, Tulane or San Diego State.