Possible AAC/CUSA/Sun Belt Merger


Everett Pulliam Jr

Active Member
If Bud Selig has his way, leaders from schools in the Sun Belt, Conference USA and American Athletic Conference will meet with an outside consultant and hammer out a restructuring that realigns the three leagues by region. That’s a scenario James Madison officials would no doubt applaud, as the out-of-whack geography of the FBS conferences has played a role in the Dukes previous decisions to remain FCS.
“You have to ask yourself why do three Group of 5 conferences have three almost identical footprints,” Selig said in an interview with the Daily News-Record. “You don’t see that among the Power 5.”

https://www.extrapointsmb.com/conferenc ... onsultant/

So here’s a fun idea for what a Conference USA/Sun belt hybrid might look like:
North
Appalachian State
Liberty
Marshall
Middle Tennessee State
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky

South
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina
FAU
FIU
Georgia Southern
Georgia State

Texas and Friends
Arkansas State
New Mexico State
North Texas
Rice
Texas State
UTSA
UTEP

Central
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Louisiana Tech
South Alabama
Southern Miss
Troy
UAB

https://www.sbnation.com/college-footba ... r-football
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It's cool that the Big 12 stretches from Texas from WV but it's too much for the AAC and Sun Belt in the same footprint smh
 
Also, this aint happening. Last ditch effort from CUSA since they know they're about to be picked apart. Sunbelt and AAC already said no.
 
Also, this aint happening. Last ditch effort from CUSA since they know they're about to be picked apart. Sunbelt and AAC already said no.

Yeah I don't see how a merger would benefit the Sun Belt as they have gotten stronger the past 2-3 years with the emergence of Coastal Carolina as well as App State being consistent

Even with Houston, Cincy and UCF departing in a couple of years, the AAC is still stronger than C-USA. Whatever teams don't bolt to the Big 12, the AAC will get and others will have to go to the Sun Belt
 
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The American Athletic Conference is on the cusp of expanding.


The league will be examining expansion and is expecting applications from six schools this week: Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB, sources told Yahoo Sports.

The schools applying to the conference is a critical step in the formal process for new members, and the acceptance of the six schools is typically considered a formality in these situations. The process is expected to play out through the course of this week with applications sent as soon as Tuesday, sources told Yahoo Sports.

These additions would boost the AAC to a 14-team conference in football and basketball. (Navy is a football-only member and Wichita State is a full member that plays basketball but lacks a football program.) It would radically reshape Conference USA, which is poised to lose six members in key markets.

The additions come in the wake of the AAC losing three key schools to the Big 12 this fall – Cincinnati, UCF and Houston. UConn also departed following the 2019 season.

One of the guiding philosophies of the AAC’s expansion was to grow through fertile recruiting areas. The AAC expansion committee included a prominent crew of athletic directors from the conference – USF’s Mike Kelly, Memphis’ Laird Veatch, SMU’s Rick Hart and Navy’s Chet Gladchuk.
 
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meanwhile over in the ovc.....


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My guess is JMU and Liberty are the first invites. Wouldn't be surprised to see Jacksonville State or Kennesaw State make the move either.
 
Per multiple reports, first reported by the Athletic’s Chris Vannini, the Sun Belt Conference is considering adding four teams to its current collection of 10 schools. The targeted schools are:

Southern Mississippi
Marshall
Old Dominion
James Madison
Southern Miss, Marshall and Old Dominion all currently call Conference USA home, while James Madison plays in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

www.deseret.com/2021/10/20/22737447/yet-another-conference-is-reportedly-looking-into-expansion-sun-belt-marshall-southern-miss-liberty
 
As expected... it's RIP C-USA lol

USM can go to the Sun Belt and thrive with the right coach
Some white guy got mad because this bar in Ridgeland, Ms show Alabama, ole miss, Mississippi State and jsu games on the tv at the bar. That guy got mad and said USM is the number 3 FBS in the state and asked the owner why were they showing jsu over USM and the owner told the guy to come show more support for USM at his bar and maybe he’ll consider it. USM needs a shit in the arm. Jsu will be light years ahead of USM in next couple of years if something is not done.
 

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USM just makes sense with a natural rivalry built in with USA plus regional play with Louisiana, ULM, Troy and Arkansas State

Marshall, ODU and JMU would be natural rivals. With Coastal Carolina and App State also in the same division, it would probably make them the best G5 conference in football
 
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