Pretty sure the Belch is paying exit and entrance fees for anyone not named Latech
I’m betting UAB and likely Marshall will be let out of exit fees since they have always had a different set of rules for other exit and entry moves.
This stuff is all temporary. If you jump conferences every time yours has had a couple of down years, you'll pay a fortune in exit fees and end up right where you started every time.
Southern Miss will eventually get back to where they were, as will Western Ky and some others and CUSA (or wherever we end up) will be fine.
As predicted...the MWC schools have told AAC thanks but no thanks.
Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy. -John Bogle
My prediction:
MWC decides to get pro-active, invites UTEP (who accepts), ASU (who declines), and UAB (who accepts). That gives them 14 (a stupid number for a football conference).
AAC invites Old Dominion (who accepts), Troy (who accepts), ASU (who declines), and James Madison (who accepts). They stop at 11 (a stupid number for a football conference).
CUSA is now down to 11 (a stupid number for a football conference) so we invite South Alabama to get to 12 (the second best number of schools in a football conference). We're all really broken up about losing UTEP and Old Dominion (our analytics go shooting up despite the loss of UAB).
The Sunbelt is down two teams (or really just down 1 from the best football number). So they invite LSU (who declines), A&M (who declines), Cal (who declines), SMU (who declines), Sam Houston (who accepts), and add another non-football school. So they have 9 for football (the best!) and 3 extras to make basketball an even 12.
Everyone is happy and content. CUSA slowly moves to the top of the G5 world, but the playoff expands so the whole P5/G5 thing sort of dies out (although you can still generalize about what schools have more money based on conference). Then in about 10 years there is another shuffle.
Bet the house on it, this is what's coming. Probably all be public by next week.
Yup -- sounds like a done deal.
Okay, I will jump in now. We have 22 teams (football) left in CUSA and AAC. Set them down in a room and form two east west conference. Effectively split CUSA by divisions and invite AAC schools. It makes sense, so it's not likely (thanks Inudesu).
West (4 AAC + 6 CUSA)
SMU
Memphis
Tulane
Tulsa
UTSA
Louisiana Tech
UTEP
RICE
Southern Miss
North Texas
East (3 AAC + 7 CUSA)
ECU
Temple
South Flordia
Charlotte
FAU
FIU
Marshall
WKU
ODU
Middle Tennesse
UAB can decided which direction they want to go.
Navy can decided which direction it wants to go, or move back to independent.
Once Memphis leaves ULL can have their spot.
Ap State, CC, GA State, A State and TX State are available if their is a desire to get to 12/14 by either.
The article said two of their targets are down and you know UAB would leave CUSA in a heartbeat. So they have filled three of their four spots, Boise can stay an try for the big 12 but the AAC can surely find one more team.