The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees passed a resolution during Monday’s quarterly meeting that allows the University to explore the possibility of moving the Gamecock football team to the Football Bowl Subdivision, provided there is an opportunity in the future.

The official statement is available on their website.

Jacksonville St. is part one of a few current FCS schools that have explored an FBS move. Others include Appalachian St., Georgia Southern, Lamar and UMass. Others with long term FBS goals include Charlotte, ODU and Georgia St. And schools like JMU and Delaware have expressed less public interest but are perhaps the best poised schools to upgrade.

The biggest obstacle to Jacksonville St. or any other FCS schools seeking to upgrade is a set rule that states that a school upgrading to FBS from FCS needs to have an invitation to join a current FBS conference. UMass has been in talks with the MAC to join as that conference’s 14th member. There has been speculation that the Sun Belt was considering adding an 11th football school. However, the same rumors claim the Sun Belt is only interested in current FBS schools. When you read between the lines, that would seem to include only LA Tech or NMSU of the WAC.

With CUSA, MAC, MWC and BCS conferences not a likely option for a school like Jacksonville St., the only option they might have would be to join the WAC if they opted to upgrade. The WAC is desperate for football members and is adding Texas St. and UTSA to it’s membership. At this time, it seems that due to the existing NCAA rules, the WAC might be the only option for any potential FCS upgrade.