[Blessed1]

Possibly some good news regarding expansion...

@wilnerhotline
Jon Wilner
Hearing Mountain West giving serious consideration to not expanding and standing pat with 8 following departures of SDSU and BSU.

If the MWC stands pat at 8, Conference USA would need 3 new members to replace Houston, SMU, and Central Florida (since they need 12 members to host a conference championship game). They may need possibly 4 new members if the Big East decides to snag Memphis in order to replace Air Force.

Ultimately this is going to affect the Sun Belt. I would imagine that schools like FIU, FAU, N. Texas, and possibly Troy are realistic options for Conference USA as this point. Things will really get hectic if the Big 12 decides to go to back to 12 schools and adds Louisville and Cincinnati or Rutgers. It would just start the process all over again.

[Sly Fox]

We need movement. I just don't see why C-USA would want to merge or align with what is left of the MWC. I could see them trading a couple of schools. But what value to they receive through a merger?

[Blessed1]

We need movement. I just don't see why C-USA would want to merge or align with what is left of the MWC. I could see them trading a couple of schools. But what value to they receive through a merger?

Exactly! The MWC really started losing their mojo when Utah left for the Pac 12 and BYU went independent. Boise St. joined, but then TCU got invited to the Big 12. San Diego St. saw the writing on the wall and decided to follow Boise St. to the Big East.

I've read that in 2014-2015 the BCS AQs will be gone. The 5 schools coming into the big east know that already, however they're chasing the opportunity to: 1) get more money through the BE's new TV contract and 2) have the opportunity to qualify for at least one (or hopefully two) BCS births under this current arrangement.

[goaliejake22]

bump.

[jcmanson]

bump.

Why'd you bump it? What did I miss?

[PAmedic]

10 bucks he bumped it because, for about 2 days now, the other realignment thread has been all about iphone v. android, why duke hoops shouldnt have won the nat'l championship, and how Auburn got screwed out of a shot in 2004. Or something.

[Sly Fox]

Just got back in God's Country after a few days in backwater Louisiana. So I am back on the beat. Hopefully I'll have some updates once I start checking in with my connections.

[flamehunter]

Just got back in God's Country.

Welcome to Virginia!

[Sly Fox]

He did indeed have some find handiwork there as well.

[logic]

So when do the FBS rumors start to begin? While we've probably been communicating behind the scenes, now everyone knows we want to make the jump. Sly, what do your sources tell you?

[Sly Fox]

I haven't talked to anybody since about Friday of last week due to travel & work. Everybody is waiting to see what happens with Big East/WVU lawsuit as well as C-USA/MWC decisions.

[T-Dog]

We've been basically told to cool our jets by our admins. Change is a slow moving process. Best-case scenario is for a CUSA/MWC merger and for like-minded institutions in this region to band together and apply as a conference. Best way to do it is with 6 of the CAA schools to retain that NCAA autobid for other sports. They're the only ones with enough schools who can pull it off. A new East Coast Conference could become a big force in the non-Power Six.

What I see Liberty doing is moving up, spending a 2-4 years as a full-sports member of a FBS conference, then having football go independent while having all other sports in a league like the A-10, which are mostly private, religious schools. You want to be the the BYU and Notre Dame of evangelicals and you have the building blocks to do it. Your school is a lightning rod, but it's good because it means people are paying attention. As I've seen with my school's growth over the last seven years, if you become the most popular, you also become the most hated. That's how it is.

[SumItUp]

The sun Belt is shopping. Trust me. They are just being very quiet about it. as for the App state GSU, UNCC order I can guarantee at least one if not two of those schools is in the CUSA by christmas.

10 days and counting....do you still think it will happen by Christmas?

[flamesfilmguy]

The sun Belt is shopping. Trust me. They are just being very quiet about it. as for the App state GSU, UNCC order I can guarantee at least one if not two of those schools is in the CUSA by christmas.

10 days and counting....do you still think it will happen by Christmas?

well a certain service Academy might have thrown a wrench in the time line however i am 100% one of those schools will announce going to an FBS conference whether its christmas, or January is yet to be determined. take from that what you will.