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Link: http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/16/football-fb-2018-preseason-awards.aspx FB: 2018 Preseason Awards July 16, 2018 A trio of standouts headline the list of 2018 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Florida Atlantic senior LB Azeez Al-Shaair was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year, while Southern Miss senior K Parker Shaunfield earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors. 2018_Preseason_Awards "Motor" Singletary was named C-USA Most Valuable Player last season after scoring a nation-leading 32 rushing touchdowns last season (nine more than any other player) and 33 total TDs (five more than any other player). He scored more rushing touchdowns last year (32) than previous school career record-holder Alfred Morris had in four years from 2008-11 (27). Singletary also topped 100 yards in each of the final 11 games of the season for the Owls. Both the rushing TD’s and total TD’s are new C-USA records in those categories, breaking records held by UCF RB Kevin Smith, now his running backs coach. Singletary finished fifth nationally with 1,920 rushing yards and FAU was sixth nationally in rushing at 285.9 yards per game. Al-Shaair was a first team All-Conference USA selection in 2017 after he set a new Florida Atlantic single-season record with 147 tackles. He posted nine games with double-digit stops and also helped the defense with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Al-Shaair already holds the schools’ career tackles mark with 354. Shaunfield converted the first 89 extra-point attempts to start his career (a school record) and is now 104-for-106 all-time as a Golden Eagle. The first team All-C-USA performer converted 17-of-20 field goals last season, including 15 in a row at one point. Shaunfield was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2017. Defending conference champion Florida Atlantic had the most overall preseason selections with six, while Marshall produced five and Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each had players comprising four spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad. The league’s 23rd football season begins on Thursday, August 30. The 14th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1. The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday. 2018 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Devin Singletary, Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., LB, Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Parker Shaunfield, Sr., K, Southern Miss OFFENSE QB Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas QB Brent Stockstill, Sr., Middle Tennessee RB Spencer Brown, So., UAB RB Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic OL Reggie Bain, Sr., Florida Atlantic OL Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee OL Jordan Budwig, Sr., FIU OL Levi Brown, Jr., Marshall OL O’Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech TE Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic WR Tyre Brady, Sr., Marshall WR Jalen Guyton, Sr., North Texas WR Ty Lee, Jr., Middle Tennessee WR Teddy Veal, Sr., Louisiana Tech DEFENSE DL Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech DL Fermin Silva, Sr., FIU DL Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA DL Oshane Ximines, Jr., Old Dominion LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., Florida Atlantic LB Khalil Brooks, Jr., Middle Tennessee LB Chase Hancock, Sr., Marshall LB Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA DB Ben DeLuca, Jr., Charlotte DB Malik Gant, Jr., Marshall DB Shelton Lewis, Sr., Florida Atlantic DB Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech DB Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS K Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss P Jack Fox, Sr., Rice KR Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion PR Darrell Brown, Jr., Old Dominion LS Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall

Here is a table of (most) CUSA coaching salaries as of this publication date of April 21, 2015. Notice that UNT is paying pretty well compared to peers. Coaching Salary Doc Sheet From this website http://www.upressonline.com/2015/04/conference-usa-salary-database/

Alabama-Birminghams future in Conference USA will be decided on June 8 when the leagues executive committee meets in Dallas, conference officials decided during a conference call earlier this week. Yet the decision may be a foregone conclusion. Several conference officials, who asked not to be identified, said there appears to be a consensus that unless UAB does the unthinkable and announces it will revive football, the Blazers will be forced to leave C-USA. UAB officials announced on Dec. 2 that they were shutting down their football program. That violates Conference USA bylaws that requires schools either to field a Football Bowl Subdivision program or be in the process of starting football. Yes, UAB is coming off a wonderful basketball season, in which the Blazers won the C-USA tournament in Birmingham, defeating Middle Tennessee State before a frenzied crowd of more than 8,000. UAB then upset No. 3 seed Iowa State in the NCAA tournament. It was indeed a feel-good couple of weeks for a UAB fan base that has been put through the ringer. Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2015/04/conference-usas-executive-committee-will-make-decision-uab-june-meeting-dallas

Students, athletes and coaches of UAB were just notified of the statement by the President of the university through email. "Dear UAB Family, More than a year ago, UAB began the largest, most comprehensive strategic planning process in the university's history. Designed to identify areas of excellence and set priorities for investment and growth, this strategic review has empowered leaders across campus to think critically about how to best invest resources and position UAB as a premier and sustainable institution for the future. Today, we announced results of the Athletic Department's strategic planning process. In order for us to more effectively reinvest in athletic programs that are most likely to bring growth, prolonged success and national prominence to UAB, the 2014-2015 academic year will be the final season for UAB football, bowling and rifle. After an extensive review of current and future financial data, it became clear that, despite noteworthy success this season under Coach Bill Clark, investments in football were unlikely to produce a sustainable return relative to the required investment. This is especially the case with the rapidly evolving NCAA landscape and the soaring costs associated with maintaining a competitive team. UAB already subsidizes $20 million of the roughly $30 million annual Athletic Department budget, which is the fifth-largest budget and subsidy in Conference USA. We will continue to support Athletics at this level, which amounts to an institutional investment of at least $100 million over the next five years. According to expert analysis by CarrSports Consulting, UAB would have to substantially increase our operating budget and our capital investments in facilities to support an Athletic Department that fields a competitive Conference USA football team. The difference between our future Athletic Department with and without football is an additional $49 million investment on top of the $100 million UAB will already invest in Athletics in the next five years. From an operating budget standpoint alone, the difference between the scenario in which we maintain a competitive Conference USA football program and eliminate it is more than $27 million over the next five years. This does not include additional needed capital investments of $22 million for football facilities alone. These capital projects would include a field house, an indoor practice facility and a turf field, but not a stadium. We have considered many options to fill this financial gap, including through philanthropic support; but our informed analysis of current and past support and interest concluded that the gap is simply too wide. It would be fiscally irresponsible and virtually impossible to keep pace with these growing financial demands without sacrificing the financial health and sustainability of Athletics, or redirecting funds from other critical areas of importance, like education, research, patient care or student services. This decision is not about cutting the Athletics budget, but instead is about reallocating resources to more fully support and reinvest in athletic programs in which we have an opportunity to achieve a high level of success. Many of our programs have been on the cusp, and redirecting funds from football can propel them to the next level. With this strategy, I am confident that UAB's best days for Athletics are ahead. But the coming days and months will be difficult for those most affected. We couldn't be more proud of how well our student-athletes and coaches have represented the institution, even in the midst of recent, very regrettable distractions. They have earned our respect and appreciation, which makes this necessary financial decision all the more difficult. I have met with impacted student-athletes and coaches, and will meet with others affected. It is my top priority to make this transition as easy as possible. We will honor scholarships for those who choose to stay at UAB beyond this season, and we will honor coaches' contracts. When a program is discontinued, per NCAA bylaws, players who decide to leave UAB to play elsewhere will not be required to sit out of competition the following season. To those who are losing something they hold dear with this decision, I am truly sorry. I know many are saddened by this news. As a Birmingham native, a sports fan, and a UAB graduate who loves this university and its people, I am among those disappointed in the necessity of this decision. While it is the right one for the financial future of UAB Athletics and UAB as a whole, it is an agonizing one to make. I know many will be interested in following developments during this transition. For more information, and updates as they become available, I encourage you to visit www.uab.edu/athleticsplan. Very sincerely, Ray L. Watts Ray L. Watts President UAB '76"

Western Kentucky @ North Texas Friday, October 31st 7:00 P.M. Mean Green Soccer Complex (across Bonnie Brae from Apogee, next to Lovelace) I hope the mods let this fly on the football board for a few days since this forum easily has the highest traffic. Mean Green football related because the soccer team plays across the street from the Dickey practice fields, plays on a former football field (and its real grass!), and soccer=futbol/football in other countries. Lets #FilllSoccerStadium and will our squad to victory. For those who aren't aware, the soccer team will be playing for the regular season CUSA title and North Texas' first Conference USA championship in any sport. There are even spots where you can watch without paying if money is your issue. Bring your drums and vuvuzelas. Be loud, be proud, Go Mean Green

EDITOR’S NOTE: North Texas became a member of Conference USA at the beginning of July 2013. In its three-part series, the Denton Record-Chronicle is looking at the impact that UNT’s move to C-USA after 12 years in the Sun Belt Conference had on the school, how its athletic program fared and where the Mean Green is headed. Today’s final installment focuses on a highly decorated senior class across all sports that guided UNT during its first year in the league and the challenge of filling the void those players leave. Kelsey Hodges didn’t travel far to get to North Texas when it came time to start her college soccer career. A short drive across Denton from where she was a star at Guyer was all that was necessary. Four years later, Hodges is halfway across the country playing for the Seattle Sounders Women, one of 25 teams in the W-League. The league of international stars and elite college players amounts to the Triple-A of professional women’s soccer, one step below the National Women’s Soccer League. “It’s been a culture shock, but I love it,” Hodges said. “The weather is great and I’m getting to play with people from all over the country and even Canada. The goal is to get to the top league.” read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20140708-senior-leadership.ece

"Rice gets program set for sustained success" You'd have to go back 15 years to find the last Rice defense that played with such aplomb, and another 30-plus years before that to find a defense that played with such aplomb during a winning season – because winning Rice seasons are admittedly few and far between, rarer even than the Owls' occasional defensive stinginess. Yet it wasn't the offense that carried the Owls to the third 10-win season in program history, the second under eighth-year coach David Bailiff, in 2013. It was the defense: Rice finished fourth in Conference USA in total defense, trimming its per-game total by roughly 15%, and finished fifth in scoring, allowing one fewer touchdown per game. Last year's defense allowed only two opponents, both from the SEC, to score more than 34 points; five opponents did so in 2012, with the Owls dropping four of five, and a combined 16 did so from 2010-12. In the Conference USA title game, Rice held high-octane Marshall to 371 yards of offense on 4.76 yards per play – the Thundering Herd's second-worst performance in each category during an otherwise explosive season. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/07/03/rice-owls-2014-countdown-preview-roster-depth-chart-schedule-football-four/12072583/

If you're waiting impatiently for Conference USA to release the 2014 football schedule, you're not alone. I sometimes think I'm the only one interested in this topic, however I'll continue to post updates http://hamptonroads.com/2014/02/conference-usa-football-schedules-could-be-out-soon tidbits: - - C-USA asst commissioner Russ Anderson said no decision on UAB has been announced, but the reporter is hearing from other officials that it's all but final with UAB moving West - - Anderson said putting the schedule together was complicated with WKU moving in 2014 and Charlotte not joining til 2015. "that leaves C-USA with 13 teams, and unbalanced divisions, in 2014. That means somebody has to be off every week." - I had thought this might be the problem, hence my bringing up the subject of whether or not we jumped the gun by adding WKU a year early - - when C-USA releases the 2014 schedule, it will be a one-shot deal - completely independent of the 2013 and 2015-future schedules - - In 2015, C-USA teams will begin playing a round-robin schedule, meaning that division rivals will play half the division at home and half on the road one year, and then reverse the schedules the following year. - - There will also be a pattern to when and where inter-division games are played (East vs West). The round-robin pattern will NOT be happening starting in 2014. Officials will put together the best schedule they can, then start all over again for 2015. see #3 above - - some teams could end up hosting a team two years in a row or going on the road to face a team two years in a row - - TV, home date requests, and stadium availability are also concerns. CBS Sports and Fox channels could televise around 12 Thursday and Friday night games Hopefully we see it soon so I can start coordinating my work schedule, etc to make as many additional road games as possible. The more notice, the better

I believe the 2013 conference schedule was released in mid to late January... does anyone know when the 2014 schedule will be released? Also, when does RV plan on announcing our last non-conference? possibly Nicholls State

Let's hear your thoughts. Some good possibilities for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDA6ozbAi54

UNT is set to announce a television series on Fox Sports Southwest that will follow the Mean Green throughout the season. Crews have began filming interviews with UNT players and people around the program this week. I know since I was one of those people. There was a similar program produced on SMU during the 2012 season. We should know the full details tomorrow when the announcement is made. UNT is putting on a pretty strong PR push for its first season in Conference USA, and this is a big part of the plan. read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/08/unt-fans-about-to-see-a-whole-lot-more-about-unt.html/

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA officially became a member of Conference USA (C-USA) on Monday. The Roadrunners joined Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International (FIU), Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Old Dominion as full members, which pushed the league's membership to 16 schools. The Roadrunners are coming off a successful 2012-13 campaign in their lone year as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). UTSA won this year's WAC Commissioner's Cup, which is awarded to the school that performs the best in each of the league's 19 men's and women's championships. The department's winning point total of 90 was bolstered by WAC Championships in indoor track & field and baseball (tournament). The Roadrunners also captured 12 individual conference titles (nine men's track & field/three women's track & field) and had a total of 137 WAC All-Academic honorees. That came on the heels of a 21-year run as a member of the Southland Conference. UTSA won a total of 58 Southland Team Championships after joining the league in 1991-92 and 37 of those came in its last dozen years. UTSA also won two Commissioner’s Cups (2007-08 & 2010-11) and it boasted a conference-leading 30 Student-Athletes of the Year since the circuit started handing out the award in 2002-03. From its beginning in 1995, C-USA's dedication to excellence has been the league's guiding principle and remains a common thread today and for a promising future. Throughout the changes during its history, the conference has held onto its strong foundation that reflects its national presence. Its 16 schools have compiled numerous athletics and academic achievements and, additionally, the C-USA footprint has grown by nearly 20 percent, while providing the geography that allows for a divisional scheduling model that will be beneficial to the student-athletes, fan-friendly and cost effective. C-USA sponsors competition in 20 sports — nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field) and 11 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, softball, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball). The league sponsors numerous academic awards, including the Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Commissioner's Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom, in addition to sport specific all-academic teams. C-USA annually awards 12 postgraduate scholarships, along with the Sport Academic Award, Scholar-Athletes of the Year and the Institutional Academic Excellence Award. The conference also added a Spirit of Service Award, which recognizes student-athletes three times a year for a combination of significant community service efforts, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. C-USA performers have achieved great success in competition, placing the league among the top leagues in the nation. Seventy-two football programs have earned bowl bids and Bowl Championship Series member has tie-ins with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Heart of Dallas Bowl, Military Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl Meanwhile, 108 men’s basketball teams have participated in postseason play (50 NCAA/42 NIT/8 CIT/8 CBI), 48 women’s basketball squads have appeared in the NCAA Tournament and 58 baseball programs have made NCAA Tournament appearances. Additionally, 37 volleyball teams, 67 men’s and women’s soccer squads and 39 softball programs have received NCAA Championship bids. The league also has had nine national champions in track & field, one in diving and numerous NCAA individual and team competitors in cross country, golf, rowing, swimming and tennis. Overall, C-USA teams and individuals have made more than 700 NCAA Championship appearances since the league’s inception in 1995-96. C-USA institutions are among the nation's best in academic performance among student-athletes, bolstered by the fact that they have a higher graduation rate than the general student population. Among its 5,000 student-athletes, there are champions off the playing field as well. In 18 years, 176 student-athletes have earned Academic All-America honors, while 618 have been named Academic All-District. In addition, more than 26,000 have been named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll or received the Commissioner's Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom. The league enjoys significant television exposure through partnerships with FOX Sports Media Group, CBS Sports Network and ESPN. The multi-tiered selection process that is rooted in partnering with all three networks has substantially increased the number of national and regional appearances for football, men's and women's basketball and all other conference sports. As one of the largest Football Bowl Subdivision conferences in 2013, C-USA membership will include institutions in 12 of the Top 65 television markets, eight in the Top 40 and four in the Top 25 media markets according to Nielson. C-USA home markets next year will include more than 14.5 million TV households, a 43 percent increase from a year ago. The C-USA Digital Network officially launched in August 2011. Network programming includes live streaming of non-televised events, video-on-demand, a weekly studio show, podcasting, regular season and championship event highlights and conference-produced feature stories. In its first year, 1,164 events were streamed live and 8,126 videos were posted and available on the network. Monthly and yearly subscriptions offer fans access to events offered on all of the C-USA member institution's athletics websites, as well as C-USA network programming. The conference's current footprint is concentrated with 16 members in nine states and a combined area population of nearly 17 million. With a commitment to community involvement, the league has developed several initiatives to maintain strong ties in C-USA cities, as well as with fans and alumni across the country. Member schools also place a priority on giving back to their communities through volunteer service with local and national organizations. Individually, student-athletes are recognized each season through the Spirit of Service award. C-USA has significant representation in the NCAA governance structure and the presidents of the member institutions serve as the league's Board of Directors. The league was formed in 1995 and quickly emerged as one of the nation's top conferences. It unveiled its name, logo and commissioner April 24, 1995, in Chicago. Charter members included Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), Charlotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Saint Louis, South Florida (USF), Southern Mississippi, and Tulane. Eleven of the institutions began athletics participation in 1995, while Houston joined competition in Fall 1996. The conference's headquarters was established in Chicago and, after nine years, relocated to the current office in Irving, Texas. Britton Banowsky was named commissioner in October 2002, succeeding Mike Slive, who was the league's first-ever commissioner. C-USA added East Carolina in September 1996 and Army the following March as football members. East Carolina began league competition in 1997, Army in '98 and UAB began football play the next season. The conference added East Carolina and TCU in 1999 for all sports and they began competition in 2001. USF started C-USA football in 2003, while Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP became full-time members two years later. Full release: http://www.goutsa.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208506460&DB_OEM_ID=13100

the 2013 C-USA lineup has 8 schools between #91-#119, which is not really much separation, and 6 schools between 109 and 119. #91. UAB #94. Rice #109. Tulane #111. FAU #112. UTEP #113. North Texas #118. FIU #119. UTSA Where do you see the other six checking in at? I gotta think MUTS and Southern Miss will be showing up soon. You gotta think there are, minimum, 4 wins in that bunch on our schedule. Couple those with Idaho and now we only need 1 win in the other 7 games for bowl eligibility. Six wins should be our bare minimum expectation in 2013.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION — In a nutshell: Rice needs to prove itself in two areas before being taken seriously as a challenger to Tulsa, East Carolina, Marshall and Louisiana Tech in Conference USA. The first is in road games: Rice has won four regular-season games away from home over the last three years, with three coming in 2012 against Kansas (1-11), Tulane (2-10) and UTEP (3-9). This year's schedule sends the Owls away from home against Texas A&M, Houston, Tulsa, UTSA, New Mexico State, North Texas and UAB – giving this team only five true home games. Even if the Owls are a stronger team than UTSA, NMSU and UAB, is it safe to predict anything better than 3-4 in this season's road games? In my mind, considering the program's historically weak play on the road, whether Rice makes another postseason run hinges on whether it can defeat Kansas and Louisiana Tech at home. The second area: Rice needs to beat good teams. It'll be hard to view the Owls as anything but a lucky beneficiary of an easy schedule should this team reach six wins against Florida Atlantic, UTSA, New Mexico State, UTEP, North Texas and Tulane. Would that be a successful season? Yes, in many respects – because a bowl trip is a bowl trip, and Rice will take those where, when and however they come. But would that resume make Rice a top-75 team in the FBS? Probably not. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/06/10/rice-college-football-countdown-2013-preview/2407811/ 2013 TEAM OVERVIEW — Conference: Conference USA, West — Location: Houston — Nickname: Owls — Returning starters: 17 (7 offense, 10 defense) — Last year's ranking: No. 111 — 2012 record: 7-6 (4-4) — Last year's re-ranking: No. 70 — 2013 schedule: Aug. 31 at Texas A&M Sept. 14 Kansas Sept. 21 Houston (at Reliant Stadium) Sept. 28 Florida Atlantic Oct. 5 at Tulsa Oct. 12 at UTSA Oct. 19 at New Mexico State Oct. 26 UTEP Oct. 31 at North Texas Nov. 16 Louisiana Tech Nov. 21 at UAB Nov. 30 Tulane

until we officially leave the Belt for CUSA. Which team will win our first conference title?

RUSTON — Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said Thursday he likes a 16-member football model, but he said he doesn’t know if the league will expand soon. Banowksy visited the Louisiana Tech campus to chat with outgoing president Dan Reneau, a long-time friend, and to meet other officials as Tech prepares for its official move to C-USA this summer. “People that know me know that I am comfortable with large models of conferences,” Banowsky said. “There are efficiencies that grow from a two-division model of eight in each division that’s beneficial. “I also know that we want to manage the growth in a way that we continue to create stability as opposed to volatility. I’m not sure yet whether we will move to a platform of 16 members, but I know I’ve been asked to model 16, so that’s what I plan on doing.” Louisiana Tech is in a large group of schools joining C-USA, including fellow Western Athletic Conference member Texas-San Antonio, Sun Belt Conference schools Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Florida International and North Texas, Atlantic 10 member North Carolina-Charlotte and Colonial Athletic Association member Old Dominion. Western Kentucky will join in 2014 and ODU and UNCC will play C-USA football in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Banowsky didn’t mention specific schools in which C-USA might pursue to get to 16, but Sun Belt members Arkansas State and ULL could be attractive. ULL athletics director Scott Farmer told The Daily Advertiser in April that the Ragin’ Cajuns would be interested in the move. Conference USA’s membership grab is in response to four schools leaving for the American Athletic Conference this year (Memphis, Houston, Central Florida and Southern Methodist) and three next year (Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina). Banowsky said he believes C-USA still has a national brand, and that by adding the San Antonio market and keeping the Dallas market, the conference is moving in a positive direction. He added that the C-USA trend has been to add large universities in populated markets, but Tech was the exception. Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130510/SPORTS/305100023/CUSA-commish-likes-16-team-league-won-t-guarantee-it

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n the midst of uncertain times around Conference USA, it has been widely rumored that the University of Texas at El Paso was making an attempt to leave the conference for the Mountain West. While that may or may not be the case, with more conference expansion news breaking today, UTEP may be stuck with no place to go. First, it has been reported by ESPN that, per sources, the Mountain West Conference will reinstate San Diego State University as a full member, possibly as early as Wednesday afternoon. The move comes only days after Boise State's decision to return to the conference. Assuming this is the case, the Mountain West will now have a total of 12 football members, and 11 overall, with Hawaii being the lone football only member. For UTEP, that's not a very good thing. In fact, it's likely the worst possible scenario for their hopes to make a move into the MWC. Read more: http://www.minerrush.com/2013/1/16/3883704/conference-expansion-utep-in-a-bad-spot

This is the audio replay of his interview from yesterday and contains some good perspective on the decisions that were made as well as looking to the future of the conference. http://pirateradio1250.com/pod/laf/laf050812.mp3 Direct link

We will have our boys at the press conference, will be taking pictures, providing updates, tweets etc etc etc... huge, monumental day for UNT so stay tuned as we will be covering and reporting it here. GMG!

You have to give Dr. Rawlins credit - this move is driven by the conference presidents and he came through for us in a big way. Is he - in his short tenure here - already making himself known to be the greatest UNT president in our history? Time will tell but is this alum's mind he is already there. Big thanks to RV and the AD staff as well. They did so much work behind the scenes, the red carpet treatment that they provided CUSA school officials, the documentation that they compiled...relationship building with the CUSA AD's and staff, the professional way they presented Apogee in person and in the media...it takes a lot of blocking and tackling behind the scenes to get a move like this off of the ground. I feel like the Board of Regents deserves a big pat on the back too, in particular C.Dan Smith whose support of athletics has NEVER wavered and yes even Bobby Ray who did a lot to help us get there. Thanks the former players, guys like Brad Kassell, Scott Hall, Patrick Cobbs and many of their teammates -- these are the guys that helped us lift ourselves off the ground. These are guys that gave us everything they had before we had state of the art facilities and big budgets... I feel like we owe all of them a debt of gratitude for this special day. And last but certainly not least the students who helped get the athletic fee in place which helped make Apogee a reality! Without it we probably wouldn't be in the great spot we are in today! Go Mean Green!

Five schools set to join Conference USA have scheduled news conferences for today, when the league is expected to announce expansion plans that will increase membership to 13. Texas-San Antonio's move was approved Thursday by University of Texas System regents. People familiar with the league's plans said North Texas, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech and Florida International also would be joining. A potential 14th member, Old Dominion, won't be part of the unveiling, sources said late Thursday. School officials have requested time to mull an offer that would provide many benefits - most notably a higher national profile and membership in a Football Bowl Subdivision conference - but also a jump in expenses. It was unclear Thursday how long C-USA's offer might remain on the table. A source within the conference said conference officials are likely to say today that they would like to add a 14th member but won't identify whom they are considering or how long it might take. Timing could be tricky for ODU, which had begun thinking in general terms about a move from the Colonial Athletic Association and the Football Championship Subdivision to FBS down the road but hasn't had time to complete a detailed analysis of the pros and cons when the offer was tendered, sources said. Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/five-say-yes-odu-still-says-maybe-conference-usa

May 4, 2012 IRVING, Texas - University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte), Florida International University (FIU), Louisiana Tech University, University of North Texas and University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have finalized comprehensive membership agreements with Conference USA, Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced today. "We are excited about adding these new members as part of our bold strategy that focuses on growing institutions in large media markets," Banowsky said. "There is a tremendous upside here. This is an opportunity for us to add a mixture of established and emerging programs. We also remain committed to divisional scheduling models that are student-athlete and fan-friendly. The more we analyzed it, the more it made sense." Check out today's live press conferences: 11:30a ET/10:30a CT - Charlotte Press Conference 11:30a ET/10:30a CT - FIU Press Conference 11:30a ET/10:30a CT - UTSA Press Conference 1p ET/Noon CT - Louisiana Tech Press Conference 4:30p ET/3:30p CT - North Texas Press Conference Complete Release Each new member will join the league in all sports for 2013, Charlotte will begin conference participation in football in 2015. The metro area population of these schools is nearly 18 million. Existing members include East Carolina University, Marshall University, Rice University, University of Southern Mississippi, Tulane University, The University of Tulsa, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and University of Texas El Paso (UTEP). Divisions will be set in the near future and the Conference intends to continue hosting its Football Championship game. Conference USA and the Mountain West will continue to discuss a future affiliation that could begin as early as 2013. Both Conferences agreed that adding membership at this time was important and have carefully coordinated new membership plans. Additional expansion remains a possibility. "The discussions with the Mountain West are ongoing," Banowsky added. "What form the relationship will take is still to be determined, but both remain committed to working together." "The Presidents and Chancellors of Conference USA universities are pleased to welcome these five distinguished institutions to C-USA," said Dr. Scott Cowen, Tulane University president and Chair of Conference USA's Board of Directors. "Conference USA has always operated in a way that reflects the values of higher education and works very hard to balance the athletics and academic interests of its student-athletes at the highest level. These institutions clearly share those values." Read more: http://www.conferenc.../050412aab.html

read more: http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/Breaking_News/story/REPORTS-Conference-USA-expands-for-2013-id-007688