C-USA chief: Athletics are facing big changes

[Harry]

Conference realignment is over for now, but college athletics face major changes in the next few years, Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said.

Old Dominion was among the last schools to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision from the Football Championship Subdivision when it joined C-USA two years ago.

Speaking at media day this week, Banowsky said his conference is set with 14 members and he doesn't foresee expansion for years.

That's bad news for FCS schools considering a move, such as Liberty and James Madison.

College administrators have turned their attention to potentially seismic changes in the governance of sports.

The NCAA likely will grant the five power conferences, including the ACC and SEC, more autonomy early next year. The amateur nature of college sports is being challenged in the courts and the disparity of revenues between the power conferences and mid-major leagues, such as Conference USA, continues to grow.

"I believe we're transitioning from a time of conference realignment to system realignment," Banowsky said during a 40-minute discussion with reporters.

Excerpts of that conversation:

Q: In the last two years, Conference USA has lost seven schools and added nine. Is conference realignment over?

A: "I believe it is for now. The realignment seas are pretty calm. Not only was it very taxing, people learned better ways to create legal structures that pulled associations together, whether it was a formal assignment of TV rights like the Big 12 did or what the ACC did" in requiring a $50 million exit fee.

"The idea that being a member of an athletic conference is like you're a member of a country club that you can basically leave, that probably wasn't the best model for college athletics."

Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2014/07/cusa-chief-athletics-are-facing-big-changes