College football conference realignment tracker: Remaining questions, next steps after latest shake-up

[Tom McKrackin]

College football's game of conference musical chairs has taken a few more turns, and the tunes may not have stopped yet.

Conference USA and Sun Belt

C-USA subtractions: Alabama-Birmingham, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, Texas-San Antonio. (Southern Miss also is expected to depart, although that is not official.)

C-USA additions: none

C-USA future look: Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion, UTEP, Western Kentucky

Sun Belt subtractions: none

Sun Belt additions: Southern Miss (expected but not official)

Sun Belt future look: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy

For most of its existence, Conference USA's role has been to act as a way station for programs moving either up or down in the college football hierarchy. Its name is as noncommittal as possible when it comes to specific membership or region. Twenty percent of FBS programs have belonged to C-USA at one point or another, and of its original football members, only Alabama-Birmingham and Southern Miss remain in the conference. UAB just arranged to leave and Southern Miss may not be far behind. C-USA loses programs to conferences greater in the hierarchy and plucks from conferences lower.

What we've found over the last week is that there might not be anyone lower in the hierarchy anymore.

In the last round of major conference realignment, C-USA lost a number of members (East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa and UCF) to the AAC, then turned around and raided the Sun Belt. But they aimed for schools close to major markets and long known for having football potential; in response, the Sun Belt brought in well-supported football programs -- Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern -- and quickly surpassed C-USA from a football perspective. Now it appears that the Sun Belt will officially add Southern Miss soon, and it might not stop there: Rumors suggest it is likely the Sun Belt will also pluck Marshall and Old Dominion away from C-USA, and also add FCS powerhouse James Madison.

read more:  https://news.google.com/articles/CBMimAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5lc3BuLmNvbS9jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsL3N0b3J5L18vaWQvMzI0NjUxMzIvY29sbGVnZS1mb290YmFsbC1jb25mZXJlbmNlLXJlYWxpZ25tZW50LXRyYWNrZXItcmVtYWluaW5nLXF1ZXN0aW9ucy1uZXh0LXN0ZXBzLWxhdGVzdC1zaGFrZS11cNIBpQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5lc3BuLmNvbS9jb2xsZWdlLWZvb3RiYWxsL3N0b3J5L18vaWQvMzI0NjUxMzIvY29sbGVnZS1mb290YmFsbC1jb25mZXJlbmNlLXJlYWxpZ25tZW50LXRyYWNrZXItcmVtYWluaW5nLXF1ZXN0aW9ucy1uZXh0LXN0ZXBzLWxhdGVzdC1zaGFrZS11cD9wbGF0Zm9ybT1hbXA?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

 

 

[southsideguy]

I thought WKU and Marshall were looking elsewhere?

 

[ColoradoEagle]

Southern Miss is official. 

[wardly]

15 hours ago, southsideguy said:

I thought WKU and Marshall were looking elsewhere?

 

Marshall is a done deal. They have a new president coming on board in the next week or so  and are waiting for him to rubber stamp their decision. Both WK and MTSU would love to go to the MAC , who to date has shone no interest in expansion. The SBC passed on both schools so I can only assume they bring no added value plus a little out of both conferences footprint.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Back in the 70’s Southern Miss was averaging 35K per home game & (IMO) well on their way to a P5 existence, but then the NCAA started genuflecting to the Big Boys & now here we all are today. Many don’t like the direction the NCAA is headed except—the Big Boys. 
 

🦅

Edited October 27, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

[TheColonyEagle]

Interesting how ESPN views CUSA: